Operation Tiger
The history associated on this walk hits us as soon as we park the car. Next to a Sherman Tank.
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| Photo capture required for a Geocache |
The beach at Slapton has a close resemblance to Normandy as was used as a dress rehearsal.
Exercise Tiger was a secret D-Day rehearsal conducted by American forces at Slapton Sands, Devon, in April 1944. Chosen for its resemblance to Utah Beach, the area was cleared of civilians for realistic training, including live ammunition. On April 28, German E-boats attacked a convoy of landing ships in Lyme Bay, sinking two and damaging another, resulting in the deaths of 749 U.S. servicemen—more than were lost in the actual Utah Beach landings. Many drowned due to poor life vest training or died in explosions, and communication failures worsened the disaster. The event was kept secret to protect D-Day plans and morale, only becoming widely known decades later. A recovered Sherman tank now stands at Torcross as a memorial.
The landscape is quite unusual too. A thin strip of land separating the SWCP from the largest freshwater lake in South Devon. Best viewed from above, either high farmland of Stokenham or from the SWCP as you approach at Torcross.
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| A Glimpse |
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| The full picture |
A fine walk, even with the lack of photographs. You don't need to see that many of various bodies of water.
Post walk refreshment - we are booked for Sunday Lunch at the unusually named Bear and Blacksmith at nearby Chillington. Saving my pint for then, I had to forlornly walk past the Start Bay Inn.... austere brickwork but a pretty thatched roof.
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| Pre midday - unsure if these are punters or people just using the facilities |
Hard to review the Bear.... our hosts had recommended it and there is no doubt the Sunday Lunch was excellent. For £22 it needed to be. But an hour to wait for food is a bit too long, isn't it?
Especially when breakfast was 7 miles ago.
Walk Details
Distance - 7 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Jarrold Devon, Walk 22
Geocaches - 3
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