D-Day floating roadway unveiled after preservation works

Summarised from BBC Hampshire's report · Updated 10 Oct, 08:01 · Archive

A World War Two floating roadway used in the D-Day landings has been unveiled following preservation at a site near Southampton.

A floating roadway from World War Two has been unveiled at Solent Gateway near Marchwood in Hampshire following preservation works by Associated British Ports. The structure, known as a whale, was lifted from Town Quay in Southampton where it had spent decades partially submerged. The unveiling of a plaque was carried out by the Lord-Lieutenant for Hampshire, with the local MP, council leaders and veterans in attendance.

The whale is one of only two known surviving examples in England that are not submerged. Such structures were bridge spans that formed part of Mulberry Harbours, built in the UK and used overseas to transfer Allied troops and equipment during the liberation of France. Port director Richard Parkinson described it as 'a brilliant piece of British engineering' that was 'absolutely a battle-winning, innovative British engineering invention'. He noted that this particular whale was not thought to have been used during the D-Day landings but was kept as a reserve.

The whale is now on display as a 'passing monument' outside Solent Gateway, visible to anyone passing by on the public road. Associated British Ports has urged against attempting to stop, park or gather at the site entrance due to heavy freight traffic and a lack of public pedestrian facilities.

Read the report

• Preserved D-Day era floating roadway unveiledThe whale is on display as a "passing monument" outside of the Solent Gateway site near Marchwood.BBC Hampshire · 10 Oct, 07:10

In this story: Associated British Ports · Solent Gateway · Marchwood · Southampton · Nigel Atkinson · Richard Parkinson

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