WW2 Beaches

[leelad03]

What are the Beaches called that were used for training on before the invasion down south?

Also have you found anything from ww2 please post on here would be nice to see.

[julesandtheferret]

Hi Lee
I know Talacre beach in North Wales was used by the British and American airforce in WW2 for target practice. They would fly up the Dee estury and fire on targets set agains the sand dunes. I have posted some fragments of the bullets and shells I have found on the forum before.

[andrew g]

slapton sands devon been there nice they left a sherman tank there as a memorial to some of the soilders who drowned on exercise and a thank you to the local people who let them stay in there houses had a few buillets and a couple of dimes andrew g

[fezza89]

slapton sands devon been there nice they left a sherman tank there as a memorial to some of the soilders who drowned on exercise and a thank you to the local people who let them stay in there houses had a few buillets and a couple of dimes andrew g

hi im new to this forum

i go to slapton sands nearly every year hoping to find something but never have any luck,

can you tell me where abouts on the beach you found your items? was it near blackpool sands or was it nearer the tank?

i would really appreciate a reply

thanks
brad

[Wansdyke44]

hi im new to this forum

i go to slapton sands nearly every year hoping to find something but never have any luck,

can you tell me where abouts on the beach you found your items? was it near blackpool sands or was it nearer the tank?

i would really appreciate a reply

thanks
brad

I thought Blackpool sands was off limits for detecting. Last time I went past there was a large sign that said "NO METAL DETECTING!" . I think it's classed as a private beach isn't it?

I remember somewhere that someone found a US dog tag at Slapton Sands some years ago, but the sea had worn the details off it so it appeared blank.

[fezza89]

blackpool sands may be off limits ive never done it there,are you a local?

id love to have found that dog tag B-)

[Wansdyke44]

blackpool sands may be off limits ive never done it there,are you a local?

id love to have found that dog tag B-)

No I'm not local, I literally stopped at Blackpool beach a couple of years ago on my way to Slapton - as kiddies needed a short stop! Happened to see the sign and thought what a shame it was, as the place must have been lively during the war.

The guy who arranged the Sherman to be recovered died a few years ago, he was also a metal detectorist and had "apparently" found loads of stuff at Slapton etc. Wonder what happened to all his finds?

[fezza89]

i spoke to that bloke once,he used to sit next to the tank all day.

he found a massive gold medalion on that beach around the time he found the tank i believe.

if you google him theres probly a photo of he's finds

medalion must of been worth a fortune

[andrew g]

sorry to take so long to reply about slapton drive in to the big car park on the left befor you get to the tank and on the shale beach i had a couple of quid to pay for fish an chips we were happy a find is a find good hunting to you all andrew g . B-)

[green]

Anyone know if the beaches in Norfolk (Winterton) had much action, my Uncle found an Iron Cross in the dunes back in the seventies and there are bullet casings everwhere.

[snicz]

Amazing, in the ground for years and alas, brought back by the mighty detectorist!

Brilliant.

[Jassy]

found this load this week.

[snicz]

What great finds. Well done.

[budgie]

the sherman tank was found offshore by local fishermen who used to snag lines/nets on it.a local bb owner who had moved from east yorkshire heard about it and decided to research what had happened around slapton sands during the war.he used to have a large urn in the hallway of his bb filled with things he had found on and around slapton sands.he had a large gold pendant made from the rings ect that he had found.he asked the navy if they whould search the tank for shells before coming ashore and had asked the army if they would help bring the tank ashore but i think at the last miute they backed out and a local company said they would do it for free.but before all this he had to get the american goverment to part with the tank,they couldnt give him it for free so they said he could buy it for one dollar.the exercise was called operation tiger where american rangers practiced landing on beach.i used to have a signed copy of the book called operation tiger which was written by the b and b owner and in it he explained how he heard about the tank and how he went about getting it from under the water to where it is today.intresting read.

[Degens]

I live just around the coast from Slapton. I detected it years ago as a youngster not knowing really what I was doing with a friend. We dug up several live rounds, shrapnel galore and other ordnance related iron. We beat a hasty retreat after unearthing and re-planting a grenade sized object from a field adjacent to the non-tank end of the beach.
The most productive areas from memory came from behind the road / beach itself which is now marsh and a wildlife sanctuary.
The Americans lost 300 men in friendly fire incidents during their practise D-Day landings on these 2 beaches and a further 700 were lost during Operation Tiger, when several LST troop carriers where surprised and sunk by German E-Boats off the South Devon coast.
You can read more about the whole fiasco on my website > http://www.wardaggers.com/About_Us.htm.

BTW...Hello everyone, I am new and about to re-kindle the hobby once my Euroace has arrived .