Diary summary week ending 8th February 2026

[MollyC]

I spoke to my friend in south Devon a few days ago, she was telling me about how the road had been washed away at Torcross. I'd been reading about the recent storm but hadn't read about this disastrous damage to the coastline so I looked it up. Here's the news item:
BBC News - Storm-hit Devon road 'a mess' after it breaks up and washes away - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr57yd2z6vjo?app-referrer=search

The coastline at Slapton was entirely created by deposition of material carried by the sea from further east.  It is a sand and shingle bar, which formed the lake behind, similar to Chesil Beach in Dorset.  Then somebody built a road along it.  Look behind the lake where you can see the original cliff line, which it might return to, if erosion outstrips deposition.

There is mention of being a WW2 practice landing area.  Several villages surrounding were completely evacuated to allow American troops to use the whole area.  A memorial further along the beach commemorates those who were accidentally killed.  "The Magic Army" by Leslie Thomas is a novel based on those events.

[Roobarb]

Thanks MollyC, that's really interesting. My friend isn't a native of Devon so probably wouldn't know about that, I'll pass the information on to her. 

[louisa maud]

We went to Slapton some years ago,  very nice place, we bought a book from a man who I think wrote a book about WW2  and Slapton.
It is very sad the amount of storm damage done, Teignmouth where my brother lives has a lot of devastation  along  the coastline, the end if the pier has disappeared  and I think the Dawlish railway line is in trouble, the things is, we can do nothing about it.
Off to this week's diary before we get shut down .

LM

[Caw1]

Just before this one gets shut…
we also went to Slapton sands some years ago..
parked up the top of the hill and had a walk around the lake.. beautiful except we took a wrong turning and walked a lot more miles than expected ( very hot day!) until we came across a farmer who pointed us in the right direction back through the campsite ( thank goodness they had a ladies!) and had a delicious fresh crab sandwich sitting over looking the sea.
We then walked along the now non existent road back to the car.
Such a pretty area and I’m sure it’ll affect summer trade unfortunately.

Caroline

[BushInn1746]

Hello All

Not all the deaths were accidental, unless you count firing toward your own allied men an accident?

Ken Small wrote a book called "The Forgotten Dead"
It was part of rehearsals for the D-Day landings where allied Serviceman landed on the Devon beach in simulated conditions.

Accounts claimed allied men lie dead on the Devon beach and also in the sea.

The Germans in the English Channel also opened fire on allied vessels.

Some were taken to Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey.

Mark

[BushInn1746]

Slapton Sands on April 27-28, 1944

https://blog.forceswarrecords.com/the-d-day-rehearsal-codenamed-exercise-tiger-or-operation-tiger-at-slapton-sands-in-devon/

I have removed some text as the accounts differ.

[MollyC]

Thank you for the detail Bush Inn, I remember it was a serious episode.

There is a Field Studies Council centre in Slapton village where I spent a week during the 6th form.  I have just reminded myself that Slapton Ley is a National Nature Reserve and looking at my old 1:25000 map I had written in pencil "Max depth recorded 13 feet" and "Surface is 9 feet above mean sea level".

[BushInn1746]

Yes, it was a terribly sad event.

It seems the deaths occurred over two days.

Mark