Dartmouth and Kingswear during the Second World War 1939-45

This illustrated booklet was produced on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the departure of troops for the Normandy
Landings in June 1944. Dartmouth and Kingswear, like many other coastal towns, played a very special part in the Second
World War acting as one of the host ports to American forces deployed in the West Country in readiness for the landings
in France which set the stage for the eventual collapse of Hitler's Third Reich.

Although the first half of 1944 was the most active time of the whole war for the Dartmouth area when military activity
reached feverish levels planning for the departure of 435 ships of the U.S. Navy, the Dart estuary witnessed a wide variety
of troops, ships and land based activities defended by guns, barrage balloons, a nearby radar station, boom defence across
the estuary and a very active Civil Defence service.

Fifty years ago the Dart estuary was bustling with vessels of many descriptions, troops and navy personnel were an every
day scene maintaining a watchful eye lest an attack came from sea or land. Wrens, Free French Forces, Canadian, American
and other nationalities were represented in this military scenario.