... were developed in order to facilitate the rapid offloading of cargo onto beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. Two of them were taken in sections across the Channel with the invading army, and assembled respectively off Omaha and Gold Beaches.
The Mulberry harbours were intended to be used until the Allies could capture a deep–water port on the Continental side of the Channel. This was expected to take about three months following the invasion. However, in the event the one at Omaha Beach was abandoned after being severely damaged in a storm on the night of 19 June 1944 (said to be the worst storm to have hit the Normandy coast for over 40 years); and the capture of a suitable port took longer than expected, so the one at Arromanches remained in use for six months.
The harbour at Gold Beach was unofficially named Port Winston.
© Haydn Thompson 2017