Torcross

The memorial that stands near the slapton sands was erected by the Americans to the people of the South Hams area to thank them for their help during the second world war in which all the areas along the coast were evacuated and used by allied troops in preparation for the D-Day Landings of 1944.








Torcross itself was a new village back in 1602, but little is known about its past, except that it may have been an old fishing village.

In late 1943 Torcross was evacuated, like so many other villages including Slapton Sands all along the South Hams area, to make way for allied troops who needed the area to practice for the D-Day Landings.

However, on the 28th April 1944, in the early hours, during Exercise Tiger, nine german u-boats armed with torpedos, intercepted a 3 mile long convoy of vessels taking part in the exercise.
Two tank landing ships were sunk and 749 American Servicemen lost their lives.

Several decades on the locals of Torcross fought for a memorial and after alot of baggering and raising of funds the wrecks were found and a sherman tank bought ashore.

The story goes that sherman tank still worked although waterlogged and at the bottom of the sea for nearly 45 years, its tracks rolled out like it had just come from the factory, a lasting defiance of time not forgotten.

It now stands proudly as the memorial to all 749 servicemen killed here and a disaster no-one wanted forgotten