Preserved D-Day era floating roadway unveiled

HomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of the Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersPreserved D-Day era floating roadway unveiled8 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePatrick HughesSouth of England, MarchwoodBBCFlexible floating roadways like these, known as whales, helped enable the D-Day landings in FranceA floating World War Two roadway of the type used during the D-Day landings has been unveiled following preservation works.

Associated British Ports (ABP) used cranes to lift the structure, known as a whale, from Town Quay in Southampton last year after it had spent decades partially submerged.

The unveiling of a plaque at its new home outside Solent Gateway at Marchwood, Hampshire, was carried out by the Lord-Lieutenant for the county, Nigel Atkinson, with the local MP, local council leaders and veterans in attendance.

The whale is one of only two known surviving examples in England that are not submerged.

Mulberry Harbours, as they were known, were built in the UK and used overseas to help transfer Allied troops and equipment as they began the liberation of France.

The whale is now on display as a "passing monument" outside of the Solent Gateway site, visible to anyone passing by on the public road.

ABP have urged against attempting to stop, park or gather at the site entrance due to heavy freight traffic and a lack of public pedestrian facilities.

Port director Richard Parkinson said: "The Mulberry Harbour was a brilliant piece of British engineering in the Second World War to create the harbour that enabled Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings.

"It was absolutely a battle-winning, innovative British engineering invention."

He previously told the BBC that this whale was not thought to have been used during the D-Day landings, but instead was kept as a reserve.

After serving as a loading ramp for Isle of Wight Ferries until the 1960s, the relic spent decades partly submerged, becoming a familiar sight for passengers crossing to the island.