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Summary

Barbed-wire entanglements of Second World War date are visible as a series of structures on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, across land southwest of Torcross.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILITARY SITE (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1941, RAF/1416/S314H53, NMR SX 8241/2-3 RAF 31214/PO-047-48 10-JUL-1941 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351452.

The barbed-wire entanglements are not visible.

United States Airforce, 1943, US/7PH/GP/LOC133, US/7PH/GP/LOC133 FV 7020-21 30-DEC-1943 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351450.

The barbed-wire entanglements are visible as a series of structures.

Royal Air Force, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC145, US/7PH/GP/LOC145 VM 8011-12 05-JAN-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351456.

The barbed-wire entanglements are visible as a series of structures. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC145, US/7PH/GP/LOC145 VM 8026-27 05-JAN-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351456.

The barbed-wire entanglements are visible as a series of structures. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/967, RAF/106G/UK/967 P 3042-43 01-NOV-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351060.

The barbed-wire entanglements have been removed.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

Barbed-wire entanglements of Second World War date are visible as a series of structures on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, across land southwest of Torcross. The barbed-wire entanglements, which were not visible on aerial photographs of 1941, stretch from Bee Sands, to the south of Sunnydale, in a northwesterly direction terminating to the east of Widdicombe House. The entanglements both cut across fields and follow along the length of extant field boundaries, at an approximate length of 1km. The central section of the entanglements was not clearly visible on aerial photographs, although it would seem likely that it did form part of a continuous line. The barbed-wire entanglements are unlikely to represent an anti-invasion measure, although was more likely used to either define an area of military training or used as a series of mock training obstacles in preparation for the Normandy landings. The barbed-wire entanglements have been completely removed by 1945, although faint traces of the former barbed-wire is visible to the northwest as an area of overgrown vegetation.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV351060	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/967. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/967 P 3042-43 01-NOV-1945.
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351450	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1943. US/7PH/GP/LOC133. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC133 FV 7020-21 30-DEC-1943.
SDV351452	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1941. RAF/1416/S314H53. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR SX 8241/2-3 RAF 31214/PO-047-48 10-JUL-1941.
SDV351456	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC145. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC145 VM 8011-12 05-JAN-1944.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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