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| Duxford unveils roadway 'crucial' to World War Two Normandy landings | Duxford unveils roadway 'crucial' to World War Two Normandy landings |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A piece of the temporary floating harbour that helped the Allies invade Normandy in 1944 has been restored and put on display. | A piece of the temporary floating harbour that helped the Allies invade Normandy in 1944 has been restored and put on display. |
| A section of its roadway has been been donated to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. | A section of its roadway has been been donated to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. |
| Press officer Esther Blaine said the harbour was "crucial to the success of the Allies" and the roadway was "the only one of its type in the UK". | Press officer Esther Blaine said the harbour was "crucial to the success of the Allies" and the roadway was "the only one of its type in the UK". |
| It was used to bring men and supplies from ships to Normandy's beaches. | It was used to bring men and supplies from ships to Normandy's beaches. |
| The floating ports were called Mulberry harbours, while the flexible roadways linking them to the beaches were codenamed Whales. | The floating ports were called Mulberry harbours, while the flexible roadways linking them to the beaches were codenamed Whales. |
| For five months following D-Day (6 June 1944), they landed two million men, 500,000 vehicles and and four million tonnes of supplies. | For five months following D-Day (6 June 1944), they landed two million men, 500,000 vehicles and and four million tonnes of supplies. |
| After the war, a 24m (80ft) long, 27 tonne Whale section was taken to Pont-Farcy in Normandy where it served as a bridge for many years. | After the war, a 24m (80ft) long, 27 tonne Whale section was taken to Pont-Farcy in Normandy where it served as a bridge for many years. |
| After its concrete supports were damaged in a storm in 1990, it was dismantled and eventually given to a voluntary group called Les Amis du Pont Bailey in 2008. | After its concrete supports were damaged in a storm in 1990, it was dismantled and eventually given to a voluntary group called Les Amis du Pont Bailey in 2008. |
| They dismantled and stored the Whale until they donated it to the Imperial War Museum in 2015. | They dismantled and stored the Whale until they donated it to the Imperial War Museum in 2015. |
| The roadway was designed by Royal Engineer Maj Allan Beckett to flex in all directions to cope with the buffeting of the sea, and his family have helped finance the cost of bringing it to the museum. | |
| When the Allies were planning the invasion, they knew they would need huge harbours for their ships and realised capturing one would be too costly in both men and time. | When the Allies were planning the invasion, they knew they would need huge harbours for their ships and realised capturing one would be too costly in both men and time. |
| Instead, two temporary Mulberry harbours were built over six months by about 55,000 workers. | Instead, two temporary Mulberry harbours were built over six months by about 55,000 workers. |
| They were then towed across the Channel and put together off Omaha Beach and Arromanches. | They were then towed across the Channel and put together off Omaha Beach and Arromanches. |
| This Whale was part of Mulberry B at Arromanches, which landed some 7,000 tonnes of supplies a day. | This Whale was part of Mulberry B at Arromanches, which landed some 7,000 tonnes of supplies a day. |