The Tank at Torcross: Slapton Sands and Exercise Tiger

Drive along the coast road from Dartmouth towards Kingsbridge and you'll come to Slapton Sands, a long shingle beach with the sea on one side and the freshwater lake of Slapton Ley on the other. At the far end, in the village of Torcross, a black Sherman tank sits quietly beside the car park. It's a memorial, and it has a remarkable story.

A coast cleared for war

In late 1943, the people of Slapton, Torcross, Strete, Blackawton and the surrounding villages were told they had just weeks to leave their homes. Around 3,000 people, along with their livestock and belongings, moved out so the area could be used by American troops. Slapton Sands looked very like Utah Beach in Normandy, and it became a training ground for the D-Day landings.

Exercise Tiger

In the early hours of 28 April 1944, a convoy of landing ships was rehearsing in Lyme Bay when it was attacked by German E-boats. More than 700 American servicemen lost their lives, more than died on Utah Beach itself on D-Day. With the invasion only weeks away, the tragedy was kept secret, and for decades few people knew what had happened.

Ken Small and the tank

It was a local man, Ken Small, who helped bring the story to light. While beachcombing in the 1970s he began finding wartime relics, and he learned that a tank lay on the seabed offshore. He bought it from the US government, and in 1984 it was raised from the sea. Today it stands at Torcross as a memorial to those who died during Exercise Tiger, with plaques telling their story.

Visiting today

Slapton is a lovely, peaceful spot now. Slapton Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in South West England and a nature reserve full of birdlife. There's a café and pub in Torcross, and the beach is perfect for a bracing walk. Please take a moment at the tank to read the names and remember.

It's about half an hour's drive from Kingswear via the Dartmouth ferry.

Caroline & Dave