We the undersigned petition the council to In a recent article in the Guardian newspaper a journalist was investigating the reason given the significance of the port on D-Day and during Operation Overlord why there is not a prominent memorial to the event? (D-Day left little mark on key port of Southampton) Local Community Historian Andy Skinner suggests that people in Southampton have 'moved on'. However the front page spread in the Daily Echo featured the Grade II Listed structure known as the Whale, part of the ww2 Mulberry Harbour, now rusting away in the water next to the derelict Royal Pier. Therefore it would seem appropriate if the Whale Roadway could be reinstated and restored as a memorial to this period. The owners Associated British Ports ABP have shown a willingness to relocate the listed structure and in accordance with their responsibility as legal custodians it is suggested that Southampton City Council move the structure to Mayflower Park as a reminder of the role played by the port during D-Day and Operation O
Historic England say the Whale Roadway and Buffer Pontoon of the
Second World War Mulberry Harbour at the Royal Pier, Southampton is
a listed Grade II structure for the following principal reasons:
(1) As a tangible reminder of the part played by the Mulberry
Harbour in the success of Operation Overlord. (2) For their rarity
as one of only four known surviving examples of a Whale section in
Britain and possibly the only surviving example of a buffer
pontoon. (3) As a reminder of the prominent role of the City of
Southampton in the preparation and launching of Overlord.
This ePetition ran from 10/08/2024 to 21/10/2024 and has now finished.
2 people signed this ePetition.