Recently I went to Pendine in Wales, so took the opportunity to visit the cove just round the headland to the west of Pendine beach. Here there are a couple of concrete structures built to test demolition techniques to breach the Normandy sea-wall to let tanks through. I took with me some copies of photos from National Archives file WO 195/6524 which identified this bit of concrete. – And around the next headland is Marros beach. In 1943 a L/Sgt Albert Hemingway of 16 Bomb Disposal Company Royal Engineers was killed here whilst attempting to clear the area of our own mines. It's quite a walk down to this beach. Being so remote it is apparently now popular with local naturists, but that's not why I walked down there. Honestly! Going back to the sea wall demolition trials – Anyone interested in this might also like to look at the piece of sea-wall located in a wood in Surrey. – See A Sea Wall in Surrey? - D-Day preparations on Hankley Common
Chris, I keep meaning to pop over to Hanley Common. Are there similar original (“Then”) photos in the same file that you reference above? Regards Tom
No other photos, only diagrams of charges and construction of the sea wall. Here are a couple of other pages. No mention of the unit involved, but some details on stowage on the tanks. That google maps link is useful - Thanks.
