LCT 7074 Landfall at Birkenhead: risk of being scrapped

[Hanno Spoelstra]

She was scheduled to be finshed by D-Day +75 - well that didn't happen....

Note that she "will be restored to her original glory, becoming the ‘missing piece in the jigsaw’ for the newly-revamped D-Day Museum in Southsea", but also that "she is too large to move by car and sea to the museum, she will be taken apart into smaller pieces, driven to the seafront and then reassembled."

It should become a sight to be seen, with a Sherman and a Churchill tank on its deck.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Almost there:

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/de...borted-2950322

[Hanno Spoelstra]

She has arrived!

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/de...museum-2950655

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-53860453

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[Alex van de Wetering]

She has arrived!

Awesome! It looks like a really nice job.....they even fitted (dummy?) 20mm guns.
Great to see LCT 7074 finally restored and on display for everyone to see.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Awesome! It looks like a really nice job.....they even fitted (dummy?) 20mm guns.
Great to see LCT 7074 finally restored and on display for everyone to see.

Indeed, I has turned out really smart. As it seemed the project slowly withered away, I am pleasantly surprised with the result.

Originally Posted by Stephen Fisher

I've been doing some voluntary research for the National Museum of the Royal Navy into 7074's history and uncovered a few interesting details of her career, and the units she took to Normandy. She actually carried one Cromwell tank of 22 Armoured Brigade's HQ, two Sherman tanks of the 5th Royal Horse Artillery and seven Stuart tanks of the 5 Royal Tank Regiment's recce troop. One of these was drowned during disembarkation on Gold Beach, although the crew survived.

I've read the intention to place a Sherman and a Churchill tank on its deck.

Yesterday Matt Dixon sent a photo of the recently restored Grizzly tank of the museum. Robert George Glennie wrote "It’s the markings for Major Dennis Wells OP that was lost at Villers-Bocage, a tank that travelled over on LCT7074, in a perfect world it would be a Sherman V, but I guess you have to go with what you have sometimes."

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

"A Churchill Crocodile tank is craned onto the restored World War Two landing craft LCT 7074 outside The D-Day Story in Southsea, Hampshire. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 27, 2020. Andrew Matthews/PA Wire"

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https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/de...uthsea-2955138

[Stephen Fisher]

I've been meaning to update here for a while. Yes, 7074 has happily made the final move to the D-Day Story, as you've all seen. Her tanks are now on board and the display is being completed around her. Hopefully she'll open to the public soon. I'm really proud to see all the markings on both the LCT and the tanks that I researched now painted in place.

A very quick update on the historic picture of 7074 shown above. It's bogus. The picture actually shows an LCT Mk II, which is shorter than the Mk III (7074's type). I thought something was wrong, but it took a bit of looking to spot some of the details! This is the second forged picture of 7074 we've found – we think the former owners crudely edited genuine pictures to include 7074's pennant, so that they had some historic pictures to show. As it happens, we've found quite a few genuine ones!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Update: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-55286597

Some nice pics and videos

[Hanno Spoelstra]

As it stands at the museum

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[Alex van de Wetering]

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

Thanks for posting the link and pictures Hanno; So good to finally see a British LCT restored and on display.

Interesting picture in the BBC article.....the LCT IV behind 7074 is the wrong way round....has a huge hole in the side and the text "All looters will be shot" on the side

[Alex van de Wetering]

Originally Posted by Stephen Fisher

I've been meaning to update here for a while. Yes, 7074 has happily made the final move to the D-Day Story, as you've all seen. Her tanks are now on board and the display is being completed around her. Hopefully she'll open to the public soon. I'm really proud to see all the markings on both the LCT and the tanks that I researched now painted in place.

A very quick update on the historic picture of 7074 shown above. It's bogus. The picture actually shows an LCT Mk II, which is shorter than the Mk III (7074's type). I thought something was wrong, but it took a bit of looking to spot some of the details! This is the second forged picture of 7074 we've found – we think the former owners crudely edited genuine pictures to include 7074's pennant, so that they had some historic pictures to show. As it happens, we've found quite a few genuine ones!

Stephen,

Hanno gave me a heads up on your CBA-Wessex Zoom talk and both of us have watched and listened to the talk, yesterday. Awesome work....very interesting. I admire the work you and others in the project have done to save LCT 7074 and properly study all details and history. I especially liked the investigation of certain welds and finding out if they were from the time the craft was built....the conversion to repair ship in 1945 or the conversion to night club.
Please share some more pictures of the project....I am sure other MLU members would also be very interested.

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

Stephen's lecture on LCT 7074 is now also available on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpKQ8pEEM6Y&t=3s

[Hanno Spoelstra]

It is a fascinating story that LCT 7047 has to tell - Stephen carefully deconstructed it from the remains. Very worthwhile to watch!

Also, if you have in interest in landing craft, listen to this podcast which also features Stephen Fisher: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas...=1000506821257

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi

A more recent video on LCT7074:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjGXi0SakfQ

Regards
Darrell