DD Valentine Tank Returns

Discussion in 'General' started by roodymiller, Aug 6, 2011.

  1. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    'Tanks for the memory': Second World War Valentine tank to return to village

    A SECOND World War veteran is set to return to a North Lincolnshire village this summer in a blaze of glory.

    Villagers in Burton-upon-Stather have dubbed the homecoming Tanks For The Memory – for the visitor in question is a 17-tonne amphibious tank.


    TANK RAMP: Burton Stather Heritage Group's chairman Craig Allison at the tank ramp where the amphibious tanks for the D-Day Invasion were tested.
    Craig Allison, chairman of the Burton-Stather Heritage Group, said August 7 would see one of the most unusual events ever to take place in the village.

    He said: "The day will see the world's only surviving Duplex Drive or 'DD' Valentine tank return to the village for the first time in 67 years.

    "The tank will be paraded through the village and displayed at the Ferry House pub."

    Duplex Drive was an adaptation to standard tanks, developed during the Second World War, which made them amphibious. It was intended for beach landings and to support the Normandy invasion.

    Research by the 30-strong heritage group revealed the DD Valentine was stationed in Burton during 1944-45.

    It was used in a top secret military operation on a nearby Trentside tank ramp, which has been restored to its former glory by volunteers.

    Mr Allison said: "The tank now resides in Wolverhampton and its owner John Pearson spent 20 years on the restoration work.

    "We found out about John and his tank through our research at Fritton Lake in Norfolk and the Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset.

    "But when we discovered the tank was one of seven Valentines to actually be based at Burton that was the icing on the cake.

    "Mr Pearson was keen to visit as soon as our group made contact and the date was set."

    Once in Burton, the villagers are hoping the Valentine will be able to retrace its track marks and stand on duty at the ramp once again.

    But first it will have to negotiate to a winding hillside route built by the group on the banks of the Trent.

    Then there is another problem for the welcoming committee to solve.

    The tank will have to cover 120 miles on the road from Wolverhampton to Burton, so a low-loader has been hired for the job.

    Mr Allison said: "We are now busy trying to raise the £850 required to bring the tank by low loader and will be grateful for any donations."

    For further information about donating to the Tanks For The Memory fund, call 07799412391 or visit Burton upon Stather Heritage Group



    It is only on the otherside of the river from where I live so I'll post some pictures tomorrow....
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    It is only on the otherside of the river from where I live so I'll post some pictures tomorrow....

    Yes please Roody.
    If you haven't seen the DD Valentine, it's a little treasure, and a credit to it's owner.

    [​IMG]
     
  3. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    The Slipway or ‘Tank Ramp’ as it is known locally lies north of the village of Burton Stather on the eastern bank of the River Trent immediately below the steep escarpment that forms the northern end of the Lincoln Edge (Centre: OS grid ref SE 8662 1896). It was built at the beginning of WWII by the 79th Armoured Division of Royal Engineers and saw military use until around 1948. It primary purpose was for secret testing of amphibious craft and associated ancillaries, many of them prototypes, prior to their use in conflict (or as often happened, abandoned as examples of how not to do it!).
    There were one or two other contemporary sites in Britain used for similar testing. One such site was Fritton Lake on the Somerleyton Estate near Great Yarmouth in Suffolk. It is believed the Burton site was chosen as the River Trent at this point, with its muddy banks and silted tidal flow, very closely matched that of European rivers such as the Rhine.
    Layout
    The Slipway can be divided into four separate parts or platforms. The main platform is level concrete and measures 31m X 6.1m and appears to have been cast in two ‘bays’, one measuring 31 x 3m and the other 31 x 3.1m. This is located at the top of, and is parallel to the riverbank. The front edge of the platform has two 7.3m iron beams set into the concrete at both ends with a distance of 6m apart in the centre. The beams are actually lengths of railway line with only the top face visible just proud of the concrete. This forms the peak of the slipway as it begins the decent to the river and would have protected the concrete at this point from ware. At the south end of each beam 7 equally spaced flat iron bars radiate to form a quadrant of approximately 80°. Each bar measures 1.55m X 32mm, again set into the concrete so only the top face is visible. The quadrants are required because Tanks are ‘skid steer’ vehicles, and the motionless inside track is able to skid or pivot on them without damaging the concrete during a turn. Both quadrants are laid the same way and facilitate a tank approaching from the south and turning left onto the slipway.
    To the front (river side) of the platform, a second concrete platform slopes toward the river at an angle of approx 15°. This measures 2m from front to back and may have been the same length as the main platform when constructed but has since broken away at both ends and is now only 20.5m at its longest. This platform was cast in two bays each of 15.5m (?) X 2m.
    From the second platform to more or less the low water mark, and maintaining the same 15° decline, the third platform is made up of approximately 175 railway sleepers laid perpendicular to the concrete. The sleepers are tightly laid end to and parallel to one another. Each joint is staggered from the next at a minimum distance of 0.3m. There are 43 sleepers across the width of the ramp and four or five from top to bottom. The sleepers are 0.3m wide and 0.15m deep. Lengths vary from over 5m to about 3.5m They are bedded on concrete and concrete appears also to have been used as a filler between gaps. Each sleeper is fixed to the concrete via two or three ½” X 3” threaded rods set into the concrete. The sleeper was then drilled and placed over the threaded rods. A second rod with an internal threaded end was then screwed down onto the first rod. The top of that was then hammered over to secure the sleeper in place. Each sleeper is secured to the end of its neighbour with a large iron staple overlapping the joint and hammered into each.
    Many of the sleepers are still in good condition; particularly those situated low down the ramp, as they are soaked twice a day by the tide and can never dry. Of those that have rotted most are in the top quarter of the ramp where they occasionally dry out.
    Beyond the sleepers and for an as yet undermined distance into the river, the forth platform is once again concrete. This has led to speculation that the sleepers were actually an after thought and the whole ramp was originally meant to be concrete. However, sleepers are an obvious choice as they would be less sensitive to impact and vibration and possibly offer the tank tracks something to ‘bite’ into and grip whilst climbing the slope. And of course they are quickly and easily replaced if damaged.
    To the rear of the main platform, approximately 6.5m either side of the centre are two 1.3m concrete squares. These are sunk into the ground so as to be level with the main platform. In the top of each is a rectangular recess with an iron loop and ring set into it. These are clearly anchor points for pulling heavy vehicles etc up and down the ramp. These would have been used in conjunction with block and pulleys. Whether these are contemporary or added later is not known.
    The Slipway was originally accessed from the South along the riverbank and across the front of the property known as Villa Farm via a purpose built concrete and gravel track way. This more or less followed the line of an old public footpath. (Shown as a public footpath on the 1907 OS map but omitted from later OS maps presumably because the site had been commandeered for military use. The footpath was in use again as a public footpath after the military abandoned the Slipway and remained in use until about 1990 when once again it was closed, this time by the then owners of Villa Farm - this is still the case today). Currently the only access to the slipway is from the ‘Burton Hills’ via paths created by the Heritage society.
     
  4. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    Some pictures of the ramp in use.
     

    Attached Files:

    sol likes this.
  5. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    Couple more...

    I'll post the others later, having trouble with the picture sizes.
     

    Attached Files:

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