LCT 7074, a large landing craft tank, sits on a barge waiting to be towed to her new home at the D-Day Story Museum in Southsea
#OTD 81 years ago, #LCT7074 was commissioned into the Royal Navy. Exactly one year later, #OTD 80 years ago, Sub Lt John Baggott and the crew were told that after 10 months supplying the Allied armies in Europe, 7074's role was at an end. The next day they sailed to Portsmouth.
#LCT7074 arrived at Gold today, 7/6/1944. Off Utah the troopship Susan B Anthony was mined & sank, fortunately nobody was lost. 53 LCTs, 27 coasters & six big MT ships were off Juno' waiting to unload. The work of the Allied navies only began on 6 June. #NormandySailors #dday80
Long overdue catch-up and a little light book crossing with @SeaSpitfires 😀 Lovely to finally meet @rentaquill too, thanks for taking the great photos! #NormandySailors #SwordBeach #LCT7074 #DDay80 @YaleBooks l
Someone in The Other Place shared this wonderful picture of #LCT7074 by @MarcinJ_Photos with me and I just had to share, ain't she pretty? ❤️So so proud to have worked on this incredible project for @NatMuseumRN and @TheDDayStory
Back south it’s so WARM down here! Looking forward to seeing #LCT7074 tomorrow - and catching up with some old friends tonight 🍺
Fortunately in 1944 the Allies also had specialised shipping like #LCT7074 ! The barges performed a useful support role, but (unlike the Germans in summer 1940) they weren't intended as assault craft. The Germans did develop useful landing craft but much too late for Sealion.
so so pleased for @TricolorAssocs who were such a great support to us on the #LCT7074 project. A really brilliant team and a thoroughly deserved award x
I’ve spent about five years trying to imagine what it was like to reverse aboard #LCT7074. Now I know. Flipping stressful. And that was in a Mini Cooper not a tank. #Orkney @OrkneyFerries #Rousay @NatMuseumRN
On site @PHDockyard & @TheDDayStory today for #DDay77 #dday2021 Watching veterans land from a landing craft to the sound of the Millin Pipes, great historic vehicles too, & of course #LCT7074 Fab effort by @NatMuseumRN @MaryRoseMuseum & Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust.
Why #LCT7074 is such a miracle survivor, in a nutshell, by Lt Colin Madden, Staff Officer (Ops) in Force J: “The whole thing about...all landing craft, is that they had to be cheap, easily built, quickly built, and if they did get into trouble, you simply left them.”
I love much about Sand & Steel by @militaryhistori , from the battlefield notes in the beach chapters to his mention of #LCT7074 (p176), but the best line has to be ‘from the first telling of the D-Day Story to the most recent, brevity has been the enemy of accuracy.’ Preach.
More #LCT7074 adventures today! Got the Churchill Crocodile loaded up but high winds prevented craning of the Sherman Grizzly. If I hear the words ‘unseasonable weather’ again I’ll weep. Guarantee it will be fine as soon as we finish craning. @NatMuseumRN @TheDDayStory @TNLUK
So so glad we got #LCT7074 safely down the road yesterday! This is the weather at the beach landing site today 💨 @NatMuseumRN @TNLUK @TheDDayStory
So close now to being safe on dry land!!! Excitement levels here are palpable. #LCT7074 #LastJourney #DDay @TNLUK @NatMuseumRN @TheDDayStory
Sun’s coming up, barge is sitting down nicely and the bridge is shaping up well. #LCT7074 #LastJourney #DDay @TNLUK @TheDDayStory @TNLUK
What a lovely site! While we wait for the tide the team are starting to set up the steel bridge to get #LCT7074 off the barge and back on dry land. #LastJourney #DDay @NatMuseumRN @TNLUK @TheDDayStory
Amazing! Lined up, smooth as anything. The comparison to last night is incredible. Now we wait for the tide to go out so she sits on the pad. #LCT7074 #BigMove #LastJourney @TheDDayStory @NatMuseumRN @TNLUK
Invoking the spirits of Eisenhower Ramsay, Vian and Kirk #LCT7074 #LastChance #BigMove @NatMuseumRN @TheDDayStory
So incredibly proud of this project which I’ve been involved with since I joined @NatMuseumRN in 2013! #NearlyThere #OneLastPush #OverTheLine #LCT7074 #AllWillBeRevealed
Nice update on #LCT7074 @Wikipedia page but super disappointing that there is no mention of @NatMuseumRN even though the museum salvaged the ship, brought her south and is about to finish restoring her. Anyone have editing privileges?! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCT_7074
#LCT7074 got her new bow ramp today! Replacing a badly deteriorated blanking plate from 1945, this has been designed using original plans and will actually WORK when the ship arrives at @TheDDayStory So super proud to be working on this epic six year project for @NatMuseumRN
More #LCT7074 fixtures and fittings, this time a little more ‘domestic’ ;) Spuds, heads, chronometer and the CO’s bunk. Mix of great reproduction and original finds from online auctions. @NatMuseumRN @TheDDayStory
Some #LCT7074 goodness for you all courtesy of @WorkhausWork Rocket guns, Oerlikons, compass binnacle and cabin furnishings all being prepared for installation aboard the ship next month :) @TheDDayStory @NatMuseumRN
