A World War II Heritage Trail of the North Devon Coast Mortar training at Braunton Burrows. ‘ If Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton, Courtesy Tony Koorlander/North Devon Coast AONB surely the sands of the North Devon beaches contributed importantly to the success of the assault over the Normandy beaches’ WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WORLD WAR II? THE LONDON BLITZ? Paul W Thompson, Brigadier General, US Army CHURCHILL’S FAMOUS SPEECHES? D-DAY AFFECTED ALL PARTS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND EVERY LOCATION AND COMMUNITY PLAYED ITS PART. NORTH DEVON HAS MANY IMPORTANT WORLD WAR II STORIES TO TELL – IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. This Heritage Trail booklet highlights Many innovative weapons used in the the beaches of Normandy. But today some of the most important military Normandy beach assaults were tried, listen to the happy squeals of children and cultural sites of World War II North tested and perfected here in North splashing in the sea where once Devon. It includes locations connected Devon as well as the incredible idea thousands of US Army soldiers had to the work of British forces in North of pumping fresh water and petrol in pounded ashore to perfect their deadly Devon alongside sites related to the pipes under the English Channel to art of war. The US Navy trained their American preparations for D-Day in the French coast. landing craft skippers here too - those the Assault Training Center – and the that were destined to be the first to hit presence of thousands of American GIs American forces swamped the the Normandy beaches. in the area. area in 1943 as they trained in new techniques and prepared to launch But all this was overshadowed It’s hard to imagine this peaceful the invasion of Europe in the greatest by the very event it had created and corner of Devon and these beautiful amphibious operation in military made possible – D-Day 6th June 1944. beaches saw such explosive activity history. Soldiers stormed ashore and harboured so many secrets vital to at Woolacombe and Saunton with Richard Bass the success of D-Day, 6th June 1944. smoke, live explosives and ammunition May 2019 recreating the confusion, sounds and Cover photograph: smells of combat they would face on Soldiers at Woolacombe, by courtesy of Mortehoe Museum Devon D-Day Heritage Trail Devon D-Day Heritage Trail Page 2 Page 3 A386 ▲ 224m Holsworthy Bude A39 e g d i r A388 A3124 r o T r e v R i •Welcombe 233m ▲ R 1 • S o i Stream © www.lathwell.com High point u v ▲ 224m Great Torrington t e h r W D e Tarka Line (railway) Rocks s u t B3217 C n ▲ 164m o t a z A377 s Tarka Trail t Cliffs P R i a v e t r h Y e 216m o South West Coast Path Pebble ▲ • ▲ 180m B road Sandy beach in AONB Buck’s Mills Hartland• e g l i Hartland Quay • d a r i r •Clovelly e r T A road Woodland r v a i k o r R a T T North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty 4 Bideford • Crediton A377 Cobbaton • Hartland Point North Devon Museum B3232 Visitor Centre Establishment (COXE) • Westward Ho! Northam Burrows Combined Operations Experimental Appledore Instow • • 2 5 3 Watermouth Cove Experimental pipeline (PLUTO) 12 A39 Tiverton & M5 A361 Country Park Northam Burrows llfracombe Jewish congregation services 1940-45 11 R i v T e a r r k Barnstaple • T a a T w r a memorial i B l a 6 r n s B t i a d p Woolacombe American Red Cross centre and esplanade e 10 l f e o B r d a 7 y a n d Putsborough Practice aerial bombing range 9 A361 Burrows Braunton A399 Baggy Point Cliff assault training site 8 • Braunton B3231 Braunton Burrows Ground assault exercises 7 • Saunton Barnstaple Dance hall and GI accommodation 6 •Croyde B3230 Croyde Bay Instow Practice ground for amphibious landings • Georgeham 5 S o 9 u 8 Baggy Point t Bideford Officers’ accommodation h 4 Putsborough W e s t C training) o a s Morte Bay t Appledore HMS Appledore (and special operations Minehead 3 ▲ P 199m 10 a A39 t h A3123 Woolacombe • B3343 the Skern ▲ 266m Anti-invasion obstacles Northam Burrows, 2 Island A399 Lundy l Point a Mortehoe • n k o S r i a Morte t P a Great Torrington GI snack bar N 1 r o o m x • E ▲ E W 206m • Combe Martin Lee Bull Point Location Point of interest 11 • Hele ▲ 349m • B r i s t o l C h N a n n e Ilfracombe l 12 Devon D-Day Area Map Watermouth Cove Watermouth Cove 12 Devon D-Day Area Map N l C h a n n e l Ilfracombe B r i s t o • 11 • Hele ▲349m Bull Point Lee • Combe Martin Location Point of interest W E ▲206m • Exm oo r N 1 Great Torrington GI snack bar Morte Pa at The Sign Maker S rk io Point • Mortehoe na Lundy Proof l Island A399 2 Northam Burrows, Anti-invasion obstacles ▲266m the Skern Woolacombe • B3343 h A3123 t A39 1010 a P ▲199m 3 Minehead Appledore HMS Appledore (and special operations Morte Bay t USING THE TRAIL s POINTS ON THE TRAIL a o C training) t s e Putsborough W 4 h Bideford Officers’ accommodation Baggy Point 8 t 115mm Plaque proof please tick where appropriate 9 u A. I have checked the detail of this proof and agree that you proceed ............. 9 o B. Having made alterations I require a further proof.............. S Almost all of the NorthC. Please alteDevonr where shown and proceed............. coastline At some locations you will also find an • Georgeham 5LOCATION DESCRIPTION PAGE Signed. ............................................................................................... Instow Practice ground for amphibious landings Date................................................ Comments .................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... Croyde Bay •Croyde B3230 between Westward Ho! and Woolacombe information panel, and at others physical 61. GreatBarnstaple Torrington Dance hall GIand accommodation GI accommodation and snack bar 7 was used by the British and American remains of structures built as part of the Saunton • 7 Braunton Burrows Ground assault exercises Army in preparation for D-Day, the largest Assault Training Center. These include 2. Northam Burrows Anti-invasion obstacles and COXE 8-9 B3231 • Braunton 8 Baggy Point Cliff assault (Combinedtraining site Operations Experimental Establishment) amphibious assault in history. pillboxes, observation stations and practice Braunton A399 Burrows A361 9 Putsborough Practice aerial bombing range landing craft. 3. Appledore HMS Appledore (and special operations training) 10-11 n d a y r d B a 7 This booklet serves as a guide to some of the f o l e 10 d e a p Woolacombe American Red Cross centre and esplanade B i s t 4. Bideford Officers’ accommodation 12-13 r n 6 key locations where activities were carried In most cases parking is available nearby B a il w ra memorial a a T r T • Barnstaple rk e Ta out in North Devon. It aims to tell a story, not but do bear in mind that some of the iv 5. Instow Practice ground for amphibious landings 14-15 R 11 Northam Burrows llfracombe Jewish congregation services 1940-45 just of the military training operations, but of locations involve a walk of varying length Country Park A39 TivertonA361 & M5 6. Barnstaple Dance Hall and GI accommodation 16-17 2 3 5 12 Watermouth Cove Experimental pipeline (PLUTO) the sites where American GIs were stationed. and terrain. Please bear this in mind when • Appledore • Instow Northam Burrows Combined Operations Experimental Using the map and location information, you planning a trip. Most sites are accessible Westward Ho! 7. Braunton Burrows Ground assault exercises 18-19 • Visitor Centre Establishment (COXE) will find a series of plaques with the D-Day from Public Rights of Way. Braunton Burrows B3232 8. Baggy Point Cliff assault training site 20 symbol. At each location reading the guideHartland Pointis an environmentally sensitive area of North Devon Museum 9. Putsborough Practice aerial bombing range 21 • Cobbaton will help you to imagine the events and private land and is at the core of a UNESCO Bideford • CreditonA377 4 North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty T 10. Woolacombe American Red Cross centre and Memorial 22-23 activities that went on here. Biosphere Reserve. Please refer to T R a r o i k r v a r e T A road Woodland •Clovelly i r Hartland Quay • d r a on-site information and guidelines. i g l Hartland• e 11. Ilfracombe Ilfracombe synagogue 24-25 Buck’s Mills B road Sandy beach in AONB • ▲180m 12. Watermouth Cove PLUTO (experimental pipeline) 26-27 ▲ Pebble 216m eo South West Coast Path h Y t er a iv P R t Cliffs s A377 Tarka Trail a z o ▲164m t C n B3217 t s u Rocks e Tarka Line (railway) D W r h t e Great Torrington ▲ 224m u v High point Stream © www.lathwell.com o Map © www.lathwell.com i S R 1 • ▲ •Welcombe 233m Devon D-Day Heritage Trail River To Devon D-Day Heritage Trail rri A388 A3124 Page 4 dg Page 5 A39 e Bude Holsworthy ▲224m A386 NORTH DEVON AND D-DAY HERITAGE TRAIL The Sign Maker Proof When Germany occupied France in 1940, Great Britain As World War II moved towards its final months, the soldiers 1 SNACK BAR AND DANCE In 1944, the 265th Field Artillery evacuated its troops from the continent.