Mulberry Harbour Prototype, Rigg Bay, Garlieston, Dumfries and Galloway
N 54° 46.338 W 004° 21.786
30U E 412314 N 6070305
Rigg Bay near Garlieston was the proving ground for the most important weapon for the Normandy landings. Mulberry Harbours were tested here. At low tide the remains of one can be seen. The concrete roadway tethering wall has remains visible.
Waymark Code: WME8AD
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/17/2012
Views: 1
After landing on six Normandy beaches the troops could only carry supplies for two days. A massive supply chain needed to follow. Churchill's idea was to create floating harbours code named Mulberries. A concrete breakwater was first deployed to protect the assembly of two docks with floating roadways to the beach. Made from reinforced concrete. Pix of Mulberries in use (
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At Rigg Bay on the beach is the wall to which the concrete roadway was tethered. The road floated on wooden pontoons. Listed by RCAHMS recently (
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A recent BBC TV programme feted this innovation as the most significant development of WW2. Without a deep water harbour the invasion could not take place. Unable to capture a harbour, the allies built two. (
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Rigg Bay was chosen for trials as tides were similar to landing beaches with same profile. And area is sparsely populated with loyal locals who could keep a secret.
Wikipedia has "A trial of the three eventual competing designs was set up, with tests of deployment including floating the elements, in Garlieston, Wigtownshire. The designs were by Hugh Iorys Hughes who developed his "Hippo" piers and "Crocodile" bridge units on the Conwy Morfa, using 1,000 men to build the trial version; the Hamilton "Swiss Roll" which consisted of a floating roadway; and a system of flexible bridging units supported on floating pontoons designed by Major Allan Beckett, Royal Engineers. The tests revealed various problems (the "Swiss Roll" would only take a maximum of a 7 ton truck in the Atlantic swell). However the final choice of design was determined by a storm during which the "Swiss Roll" was washed away and the "Hippos" were undermined; Beckett's floating roadway (subsequently codenamed Whale) survived undamaged. Beckett's design was adopted and manufactured under the management of J. D. Bernal and Brigadier Bruce White, under the orders of Churchill." from (
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More about Mulberries (
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Rigg Bay mentioned here. (
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Really low tide reveals construction (
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Streetmap (
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