Valeur

From Shoreham Houseboats

Number 22 The Riverbank has on the mooring "Valeur" which is in fact a World war 2 Landing craft. Valeur was built 1943 (exact date as yet unknown) as a Fairmile "H" type infantry landing craft. The design was produced by the Fairmile company having already had great success with their A,B.C.D type coastal motorboats.The boats were assembled by small boatyards having been prefabricated by large mostly furniture making factorys including MFI and G-Plan. Fifty of the "H" type were built in 16 different boatyards , ten of this type were converted to the Large type and used as support craft these conversions were armed with a 6 pounder gun in a tank turret as well as two single Oerlikons behind armoured bulwarks and twin power operated .5in Vickers Machine guns aft, with a foyur inch smoke mortar sited well forward. Valeur is one of the forty Landing craft Infantry (small type) , we have discovered from an original fiiting that her original pennant number was 508. LCI(S)508 Was involved in the D-Day landings her and her sisterships delivered Lord Lovat's 1st special service brigade of british and french commandos on the eastern most flank of the invasion beaches, Sword beach queen red sector. 508 was also involved in the costly assault on the island of Walcheren.

Fairmile "H" type data `