Last surviving D-Day landing craft, Landfall sinking in Wirral’s East float dock

Mar 10 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

ONE of Wirral’s former historic warships is in danger of being lost forever after she started sinking.

The Landfall is the last surviving tank landing craft to take part in the D-Day landings and was rumoured at one stage to be on the point of being acquired by Steven Spielberg for use in his World War Two blockbuster Saving Private Ryan.

Landfall’s future has been uncertain ever since former owners, the Warship Preservation Trust, went into liquidation in 2006.

She is now largely submerged in docks near the former home of the Historic Warships collection at East Float.

After being taken out of military service, the D-Day Mark III Tank Landing Craft LCT 7074 was converted and used as a floating club and restaurant based at Liverpool’s Canning Dock in the 1960s and 1970s

Former joint owner, George “Jud” Evans, said: “She is the only part of our maritime history linking us to the D-Day landings.

“Most areas would prize something like that and put her on display as an attraction.