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| Tony
Beard - "The Wag From Widecombe" |
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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. |
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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