Brixham puts in 'hard' yards for D-Day invasion force

Brixham’s role in D-Day was particularly important for the War effort as, like Torquay, it was chosen as one of the 68 sites along the south coast for a concrete loading ramp, known as a ‘hard’ to be constructed.

Brixham’s slipways and hard, next to the Breakwater, were built by the British Army Royal Engineers in May 1943 in preparation for men of the United States Army to use in the invasion of France, in what was later to be called Operation Overlord, to take place sometime in June 1944.

The tanks and troops travelled down Fore Street and along King Street, damaging buildings on the way. In order to get the tanks and transporters down to the ‘hard’ two large houses in Berry Head Road were demolished to allow for turning. The space left by the demolition is now preserved as Churchill Gardens, to the right of the mural.

The men that were to depart from Brixham were well prepared due to the special training received at Slapton Beach for some six weeks before.

The 4th US Infantry Division left Brixham on 4th June 1944. 2,500 Infantry of the 8th Infantry Combat Group had marched down Fore Street into King Street and onto the large slipway to embark into landing ships, followed by 32 Sherman DD and amphibious tanks loading on the smaller slipway. This convoy then headed to Utah Beach to take part in the Normandy D-Day landings.

Two huge oil tanks and a water tank were located in the quarry next to the mural (now a car park) and a pipeline ran out along the Breakwater to fuel all 100 landing craft and the larger ships lying off in the Bay. It was all controlled by Plymouth Command, whose control base for the Brixham embarkations was at Wolborough House, to the left of the mural.

100 US landing craft filled Brixham’s outer harbour and a flotilla of about 40 Canadian motor torpedo boats massed in the Inner Harbour.

The Brixham hard was heavily used in the period immediately before the invasion and during the subsequent three weeks.

Brixham's hard and slipways played a vital role in the preparations for this part of the British war effort which is why in 2009, they and the hard became listed as a national monument.

Written with thanks to the Brixham Arts and Theatre Society.