duplexdrivestu

They are not DD Shermans, though it could still be Fritton. More likely to be nearer to Aldershot judging by the photo credit.

Hi

I know this is an old thread, but DD Shermans were not used for training at Fritton Lake, until after DDay. Valentines were used by all the regiments for their freshwater and Saltwater training. The US were first to receive Sherman DDs, in March 1944 which they used at Slapton (Torcross), whilst the UK regiments undertook a "Shermanisation" Course at Stokes Bay from 4th April.

Thanks

Stuart

Hi

 

welcome stu i have been waiting for someone like you to come along ! john pearson has told me of fritton lake and some of the relics in it's depths, i am interested in valentines but i seem to recall john mentioned some aircraft that collided over the lake and were then recovered. which is great but are there any tanks :cool2:

Hi

Sadly no tanks in the lake to my knowledge. 79 AD, ATDC and SADE all well equipped to recover sunk tanks from the depths (15ft) of Fritton Lake. Such was the shortage of training tanks (valentines) that invariably these were recovered and parts stripped if required. None of the documents refer to any losses of tanks at Fritton, and the only documented permissions to write off tanks that had sunk was in the Moray Firth 60ft of water).

At Fritton they had a diver and recovery platform that they would tow out to the wreck site, which was marked by a buoy affixed to the tank. The diver would descend and attach a cable to the bow rope, and then the cable attached to diamond T wrecker. Presumably they anchored this, and /or fixed pulleys to a tree to achieve a better pull. Recovered tanks were dragged up a slipway near to the tank park, and cannabalised for spare parts, or shipped back to REME workshops for a replacement engine etc.

The Valentines at Fritton were progressively replaced by Shermans, however some Valentines clearly stayed in operation there for engineering experiments.

I've some pics of Valentine DD been converted for river bank support, by means of this huge ramp. (Hopper). The name I think came from the idea of leapfrogging over the other tank (see sketch).

Stuart

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here's one for you stu. Centurion DD

 

Nice Pic! Thanks.

Is this likely to be the prototype used at Instow, Devon? David Fletcher has pic in his Swim'g Shermans on p37? Was this one discovered there, or on an Army firing range in deepest Wiltshire?

Sounds like that DD Sherman "project" in India might be up your street if you have any contacts out there.. of course assuming the photo circulating is recent and the tank is still sitting in the middle of a field somewhere.

 

Failing that something from the bottom of a fresh water lake in the UK is also an interesting prospect.

 

Give Rick half a chance and he'll drain the lake for you ;-)

 

Tim

Hi Tim.

I found the original Source for the image of the Sherman DD "in a field in India" its from 2012 and can be seen at- http://www.panoramio.com/photo/73556023

There's a location map adjacent. If I had the funds, I definitely be up for shipping it back. I'm purchasing a lottery ticket tomorrow, so I'll keep you informed!

Sadly no DDs in the lake at Fritton. Reports of tubular framework near to LCT mock up ramps, but these might have been scaffold stays to restrict the sideways movement of the piers during launching or in windy conditions. I have some docs from US DD training at Slapton (Major William D Duncan 743rd TB - School Commandant), which states that 3 Sherman DDs were lost. We know Ken Small found one, so there is 2 still to find!

Stuart

Hello there! My name is Stuart, and if you haven't guessed from my handle, I'm kind of into the Duplex Drive of DD tanks.

For 8 years I managed Fritton Lake, in Norfolk, where the DD crews underwent their elementary / fresh water training. I since have spent a further 3 years researching much of the back story connected with these tanks, and produced a small website : www.duplexdrivetanks.co.uk.

I've put on this site a number of pages covering the 3 training wings at Fritton (freshwater), Stokes Bay (saltwater) and Burton upon Stather (River crossing). Pehaps some of the information is familiar to many of you, however I have added a number of images - particularly some of the training sites - that you may be less familiar with.

I am still avidly processing this information, and currently investigating the early trials of the Tetrarch in 1941.

I presently work for Norfolk Museums Service, and also in a local school. However I am hopeful get to some major UK events later this year, or perhaps next year. I am in the middle of a project constructing a small timber sherman complete with pneumatic operated screen, howeve for now, I have added my lego mock up, convrted from a couple of challenger sets (hence why the turret gun is more like a firefly than a M4A4!!