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Weymouth American Memorial

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Details:

On the road division. Monument

The monument comprises a two-tier octagonal pedestal topped by a stone base inset with decorative bronze grilles to four of the sides, carrying a pillar constructed in two stages. Atop the memorial is an electric glass lantern with leaded lights. The lantern is never extinguished.

 

The east facing panel of the pedestal has a bronze plaque which formed part of the original design of the memorial. On the other faces are later stone plaques commemorating the involvement and sacrifice of the American troops during World War II. 

 

The memorial commemorates the American servicemen who passed through Weymouth to the beaches of Normandy in the Second World War and was unveiled on 3 December 1947. The architect is recorded on the memorial as G.C Wilkins.

Information and photo source: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

Monument Text:

Plaque 1:

 

28 APRIL 1944

LYME BAY

 

749 DIED DURING D-DAY

TRAINING EXERCISE 'TIGER'

WHEN A CONVOY OF LSTs

WAS ATTACKED BY E-BOATS

OFF PORTLAND

 

24 DECEMBER 1944

ENGLISH CHANNEL

 

802 DIED WHEN THE TROOPSHIP

'LEOPOLDVILLE' WAS SUNK BY

A TORPEDO OFF CHERBOURG

 

 

Plaque 2:

 

1944-1945

THE MAJOR PART OF THE AMERICAN ASSAULT FORCE WHICH

LANDED ON THE SHORES OF FRANCE 6 JUNE 1944 WAS LAUNCHED

FROM WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND HARBORS. FROM 6 JUNE 1944

TO 7 MAY 1945, 517,816 TROOPS AND 144,093 VEHICLES EMBARKED

FROM THE HARBORS. MANY OF THE TROOPS LEFT FROM WEYMOUTH PIER.

THE REMAINDER OF THE TROOPS AND ALL THE VEHICLES PASSED THROUGH

WEYMOUTH EN ROUTE TO PORTLAND POINTS OF EMBARKATION.

PRESENTED BY THE 14TH MAJOR PORT, U.S. ARMY.

 

HAROLD G. MILLER

MAJOR, T.C.

SUS PORT COMMANDER

Sherman L. Kiess[illegible]

COLONEL, T.C.

PORT COMMANDER

 

 

___________

 

UNVEILED

DECEMBER 3rd

1947

 

 

 

ALDERMAN

A.P. BURT J.P.

MAYOR

 

G.C. WILKINS, L.R.I.B.A.

ARCHITECT

 

 

 

Plaque 3, with photo caption:

 

American Rangers marching along the

Esplanade prior To D-Day

 

6 JUNE 1944

OMAHA BEACH, FRANCE

 

SHOWING COURAGE AND

ENDURANCE BEYOND BELIEF

3,000 DIED ON D-DAY WHILE

FIGHTING TO SECURE THE

BEACHHEAD AND STRATEGIC

POINTE DU HOC, SPEARHEADING

THE INVASION OF NORMANDY

 

AS THIS MILLENNIUM CLOSES WE COMMIT

THIS MEMORY TO HISTORY JUNE 1999.

 

 

Plaque 4:

 

WE REMEMBER YOUR

 

NATION'S SACRIFICE

 

60th ANNIVERSARY

 

D-DAY

 

JUNE 2004

 

 

Plaque 5:

 

1-2-3             RANGER                  4-5-6

 

 

11th OCTOBER 2002

PRIOR TO 6th JUNE, 1944 THE 2nd AND 5th

RANGER BATTALIONS OF THE ARMY OF

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPENDED HEAVILY ON THE MEN AND

EQUIPMENT OF THE

LANDING CRAFT ASSAULT (LCA) FLOTILLAS

DURING TRAINING AND WHILE DEVELOPING

SPECIAL ASSAULT TECHNIQUES.

ON D-DAY, THESE SAME MEN OF

THE ROYAL NAVY DEMONSTRATED

THE FINEST TRADITIONS OF THEIR SERVICE

THROUGH THEIR COURAGE,

STEADFASTNESS, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY.

THE SUCCESSES OF THE ASSAULTS AT

POINTE DU HOC AND THE OMAHA BEACHES

OF DOG GREEN, RED AND WHITE WERE

MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THEIR SKILLS

AND BRAVERY.

ALL WORLD WAR II RANGERS ARE PROUD TO

BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VETERANS OF THE

LCA FLOTILLAS OF THE ROYAL NAVY

AND REMAIN GRATEFUL TO THEM,

AND THEIR VESSELS BOTH LARGE AND SMALL.

Commemorates:

Units:

2nd Ranger Battalion

5th Ranger Battalion

66th Infantry Division

Rangers

S.S. Leopoldville

United States Air Force

United States Army

United States Navy

Wars:

WWII

Battles:

Normandy Invasion

Other images :