THE January meeting welcomed back Paul Barnett to talk about “Exercise Tiger” sometimes referred to as “Rout on the Riviera.”

During 1943 General Dwight D. Eisenhower decided his troops had no battle experience and the exercise idea was born.

In November that year Devon County Council ordered 30,000 residents from eight villages to vacate their homes by December 20 as the terrain around Slapton Sands was similar to what became Omaha Beach in Normandy.

On April 28, 1944 a convoy of 8 LST’s (Landing Ship, Tank) sailed 15 miles offshore to then turn around and simulate a mock landing attach.

Escorted by HMS Azalea although the expected HMS Scimitar failed to show up.

However, nine German S-boats crossed the Channel avoiding detection and unleashed volleys of torpedoes to leave 749 dead with a further 197 souls lost through “friendly fire”.

There was little time to launch lifeboats, some of which jammed anyway.

In all, a complete fiasco hushed up for some years, the German boats escaped unharmed. One or two of the LST’s were able to be used again on D-Day.

Several US personnel were interred in the beach but later exhumed and re-buried at the US Military Cemetery in Cambridge, some even being repatriated to the USA.

One LST (325) is now preserved in Milwaukee and much later a Sherman tank was dragged from the sea at low tide to be restored and become a memorial on Slapton Sands.

The final insurance claim by a displaced villager was not settled until 1971.

This talk was supported with several important historical photographs. The vote of thanks was given by David Valentin.

Our next meeting takes place in Uley Village Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday, February 16 when Tony Conder will talk about “Gloucester Docks – Then and Now.”

Visitors are welcome, there will be refreshments and a raffle.