Eight Second World War concrete replica landing craft structures

The remains of six concrete replica Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) (6) and two concrete replica Landing Craft Mechanised (LCM) structures, built for the American forces in 1943 to practice embarkation and disembarkation of vehicles and personnel in advance of the D-Day landings. To identify the craft they are designated ‘A’ to ‘H’ running east to west.

The replica landing craft structures are situated approximately 800m to the north-west of Broad Sands Beach. They are orientated roughly north-south, on the south side of a former military track (‘D’ Lane) which runs east to west. The structures were deliberately positioned offset against each other, so that they simulated the potential uneven approach to the beach.

The two easternmost structures replicate the decks of the LANDING CRAFT MECHANISED (LCM). The first - craft A - comprises a concrete base approximately 12m long by 4m wide. It consists of three sections: a rear flat panel 4m long; a slightly ramped panel 4m long; a further flat panel 1.8m long; and a downwards ramp at the front measuring 3.4m. 30cm from the edge around the rear three sections of the base is a 15cm raised lip 7cm high, with adjacent holes where temporary sides would have been attached. Craft B is overgrown and appears to have been partially demolished but is assumed to have been of the same dimensions.

The remaining concrete craft replicate the decks of six LANDING CRAFT, TANK (LCT) (6). Each concrete base measures approximately 36.3m long by 9.8m wide (119ft by 32ft) including a 3m extension to the rear. The front (north) of the replica craft has shuttered-concrete walls (or ‘jaws’) up to 2m high angled inwards around a downward-sloping textured-concrete ramp approximately 3m long. The bases have various steel rings and post holes set within them, used for lashing down vehicles and attaching temporary sides. The front walls to craft C (furthest to the east) have been partially demolished. The craft has inscribed in the concrete extension to the rear ‘Co C 1st Platoon 146th Engineers’. Craft D has a dug-out trench at the base of the ramp, occasionally filled with water; that to craft E is infilled. The jaws to craft G and H have been demolished.