|  | | Tony Beard - "The Wag From Widecombe" |
| | Tony Beard is a farmer, broadcaster and entertainer. Each month he introduces us to another aspect of Dartmoor.
Unlock some of the secrets for yourself by turning the pages of his Dartmoor Diary. |
|  | | June 2003 How Dartmoor and The South Hams became united in World War II
We have all heard stories of the evacuees. Young children who were uprooted from the towns and cities during World War II and sent to places all over the country to spend their formative years, far from their homes and families.
These children, now adults with children and grandchildren of their own have their own particular stories to tell.
 | | The evacuation of the South Hams took place in a period of six weeks |
There was however one evacuation that is not so well documented and possibly unheard of outside the South West of England.
This was the mass evacuation of all the residents and animals of an area in South Devon known as The South Hams.
War Games
It was organised so that American troops were able to practice warfare on a massive scale, we now know it was in preparation for the D-Day Landings of 1944.
Without the selfless sacrifice of about 3000 people who were forced to leave their homes, the outcome of the landings in Normandy in 1944 could well have had a different ending instead of being a turning point in the war.
The long stretch of beach from Strete to Torcross - some 8 miles long - was ideal for exercises involving landing craft from ships anchored in Start Bay, particularly because of its similarity to the beaches of northern France.
The area stretched some 10 miles inland and included the villages of Stokenham, Sherford, Chillaton, East Allington, Blackawton, Slapton and all places in between.
 | | Some people from Slapton were evacuated to the moors |
This evacuation took place in a period of six weeks and by Christmas 1943 every person, animal, pet, together with all household effects and agricultural machinery had gone!
Emergency temporary accommodation had to be found for all these people, but the biggest problem facing the authorities was finding farmland and buildings for all the livestock involved.
Some were found accommodation just outside the prohibited area with friends and relations, some had to be moved many miles away. Some ended up on Dartmoor which is an entirely different type of agricultural land from that of the fertile South Hams.
One such family was the Trant family. They decided to stay in the community that had made them so welcome and ended up as neighbours and great friends to me and my family at Widecombe.
They bred their South Devon cattle, Whiteface Dartmoor and Devon Closewool sheep and were involved with activities of the parish.
When Mr Sidney Trant died, he was buried at Widecombe and the family, decided that as a permanent memorial to him they would give a silver cup to be competed for at Widecombe Fair, so - on the second Tuesday of September each year - the S. Trant Memorial Trophy is awarded to the competitor who gains the most points in the Local Sheep Classes.
 | Memorial thanks >>> |  |
| | | |
|
| | Weather |  | | Monthly statistics, features and information. |
| E-cards |  | | Send an e-postcard of glorious Devon to a friend. |
| In Pictures |  | | Browse through our vast selection of photo galleries. |
BBC Devon
Broadcasting House
Seymour Road
Plymouth
PL3 5BD
(+44) 01752 229201
devon.online@bbc.co.uk
|
|
