The Desert Rats 7th Armoured Division Thetford Forest Memorial
N 52° 32.298 E 000° 40.301
31U E 342095 N 5823459
A memorial to the 'Desert Rats' who were based here before the 'D'Day Landings in 1944, the memorial is a restored Cromwell Tank.
Waymark Code: WM306F
Location: United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/19/2008
Views: 89
The 7th Armoured Division, better known as "The Desert Rats" were stationed in Thetford Forest between January and May 1944 while they prepared for the invasion of Normandy. This was the only time the division was in the United Kingdom in its entire existence. The Division sailed from Felixstowe on the 5 June 1944 with the first tanks landing on Gold Beach on the evening of 6th June 1944.
Winston Churchill said of the Desert Rats, "May your glory ever shine, May your laurels never fade, May the memory of this glorious pilgrimage of war you have made from Alamein, via the Baltic to Berlin never die. It is a march unsurpassed through all the story of war. May the fathers long tell the children about this tale." (From the Plaque on the Memorial).
My late father, Les Dinning,was the founder of the memorial and the driving force behind the woodland walks, information boards and easy access paths. Les passed away in 2005, and there is a bench in his memory opposite the entrance to the caravan site. He joined the army here as an underage teenager, like many other young men, as he wanted to fight for his country. The tank on the plinth has been rebuilt to represent the tank he served in during WWII.
There are 4 Geocaches in the area which have been placed by myself and my husband which relate to the site and its history.
Date of Dedication: 10/23/1998
Property Permission: Public
Access instructions: The memorial is in an open area with plenty of parking.
Website for Waymark: [Web Link]
Location of waymark:
2 Miles North of Mundford on the A1065 towards Swaffham
Commemoration: The memorial is dedicated to all who served in the 7th Armoured Division (The Desert Rats), the 4th Armoured Brigade (The Black Rats) and the 7th Armoured Brigade (The Green Jerboa), throughout history.
Access times: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Include a photo containing, at minimum, the monument and your GPSr. We'd prefer a photo containing YOU at the monument, but we understand that some people are camera-shy.
Also include a bit about your visit here.