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Summary

Two areas of tented encampment of Second World War date are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs of the 1940s to the 1960s, towards the southern edge of Area 'D' of the US Army Assault Training Centre at Braunton Burrows. No evidence of the camps can be seen on images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2010.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and structural remains of World War II military training features for D-Day Landings on Braunton Burrows

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILITARY CAMP (World War II - 1943 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/957, NMR RAF/106G/UK/957 4022-4023 30-OCT-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349054.

Cropmarks of a tented camp are visible on Braunton Burrows.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1963, MAL/63603, NMR MAL/63603 115818-9 11-JUN-1963 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349962.

The cropmarks of the military camp remain faintly visible.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS4535 04-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349344.

No cropmark evidence of the camp is visible.

Passmore, A. J., 2009, Braunton Burrows Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme. Archaeological Survey 2009 (Report - Survey). SDV344652.

Passmore, A. J., 2009, Braunton Burrows Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme. Archaeological Survey 2009 (Report - Survey). SDV344652.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS4635 08-APR-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349899.

No cropmark evidence of the camp is visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

Fragmentary parchmarks indicate the area of a two small Second World War military tented encampments on the eastern edge of Braunton Burrows. The camps were probably two of the ‘tent cities’ which comprised the troop accommodation at the U.S. Army Assault Training Area from 1943 to 1945. This is the southernmost camp identified in Area 'D' of the US Army Assault Training Centre.
The camps appear to have been organised in a standardised format, as visible at the other camps recorded on the Burrows, to the north and south. The tents were organised in blocks, each block of tents comprising one or two rows of at least five square tents, each tent circa 5 metres square in size and less than two metres from its neighbour. The extent of each block of tents is visible as a darker rectangular cropmark, the former location of each tent usually visible as a pale square parchmark.
At least seven such blocks can be identified on aerial photographs across the two camps. Two double rows and three possible single rows in the southern camp, and two double rows in the northern camp. However, by October 1945 the cropmarks are diffuse and fragmentary and it was is possible to confidently transcribe the extent of only the most clear and definable elements of the camp. It is certain both camps contained more tents than has been transcribed.
The cropmarks of the camp remain faintly visible in 1963, but no evidence of the camps can be seen on digital interactive images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2010.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV344652	Report - Survey: Passmore, A. J.. 2009. Braunton Burrows Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme. Archaeological Survey 2009. Exeter Archaeology Report. 09.113. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349054	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/957. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/957 4022-4023 30-OCT-1945. [Mapped feature: #62196 ]
SDV349344	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS4535 04-MAY-2007.
SDV349899	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS4635 08-APR-2010.
SDV349962	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1963. MAL/63603. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR MAL/63603 115818-9 11-JUN-1963.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4737 - Stewardship Scheme Archaeological Survey, Braunton Burrows
• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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