Description

The monument comprises the remains of substantial mock-German defences built in 1943 for the British 79th Armoured Division to undertake beach landing and assault exercises in preparation for D-Day. The defences are located in the sand dunes and on low sea cliffs at the W end of Castlemartin Range. They consist of a variety of gun positions located to maximise their fire effect and to blend in with the surrounding terrain, thus providing realistic training simulation conditions. The defences were established as a series of defended areas along the coastal edge and were designed to provide a strong defensive perimeter with interlocking fields of fire against the beach assault from the W. The defences included the construction of many Tobruk 58c machine gun posts, small concrete fortifications that lay completely underground with an exposed neck-like opening flush with the ground.

The monument is a rare surviving example of a Second World War defended area associated with beach landing and assault exercises. The Tobruk shelters were only built at Castlemartin and are a unique survival in the United Kingdom. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance and illustrate our knowledge of military training techniques and facilities. The monument forms an important element within the wider regional military context and the site itself may be expected to contain archaeological information in regard to building techniques and functional detail. It is well preserved and possesses important group value.

The nine areas to be scheduled comprise the remains described and areas around within which related evidence may be expected to survive. Area 'A', incorporating Item A, is rectangular and measures 40m N-S by 25m transversely. It is centred on NGR SR 8917 9757. Area 'B', incorporating Item B, is an irregular polygon and measures 30m E-W by 20m transversely. It is centred on NGR SR 8906 9759. Areas 'C', 'D' and 'E' incorporating Items C, D and E respectively are circular and measure 25m in diameter. They are centred on NGR SR 8890 9749, NGR SR 8886 9747 and NGR SR 8894 9731 respectively. Area 'F', incorporating Item F, is circular and measures 30m in diameter. It is centred on NGR SR 8929 9721. Areas 'G', 'H' and 'I' incorporating Items G, H and I respectively are circular and measure 25m in diameter. They are centred on NGR SR 8878 9707, NGR SR 8876 9701 and NGR SR 8871 9700 respectively.

Source: Cadw