When Wollaton Park was wartime home for 2,000 US troops
THEIR STORIES WILL BE TOLD AT VILLAGE EXHIBITION FEATURING PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN FILM AND PICTURES
A VILLAGE exhibition is being staged to commemorate the 2,000 American troops who made Wollaton their home shortly before the D-day landings during the Second World War.
On March 13, 1944, the population of the village woke up to discover that American paratroopers of the 508th regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, had pitched tents on Wollaton Park overnight.
It was to be their base for three months before they parachuted into Normandy on June 6 in the opening manoeuvre of Operation Overlord – the huge Allied military action that would prove to be decisive in winning the war.
The villagers were no strangers to seeing a military presence on their doorstep at the time. Italian prisoners of war were housed in huts on land on the north side of Wollaton Hall. They were said to be friendly and peaceful, and got along with locals when they were sent to work on nearby farms.
The American troops became a familiar sight in Wollaton, mixing with villagers and visiting local pubs.
The Cricketers Arms in nearby Beeston was also a popular haunt for the GIS and they also frequented cafes in the city centre, such as Lyons on Long Row and Cafe De Paris on Pelham Street, as well as cinemas and restaurants.
The young troops – with an average of 20 – also made an impression on the local girls, and many formed relationships.
But on May 30, the 508th left for Normandy – 2,056 of them in total, in 117 planes from Folkingham and Saltby Airfields in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
Of that group that had camped and made their home in Wollaton, 317 were killed and 660 wounded.
Those who survived unscathed returned to Nottingham on July 13, before leaving again for the Netherlands on September 17 in another operation where hundreds more were killed or wounded.
The troops were only relieved of their duties when the war ended in 1945. After taking part in victory parades in Britain, many left to return home – but some stayed, and descendents of relationships between Wollaton girls and American GIS remain in the village today.
Now, Wollaton Historical & Conservation Society – in conjunction with the Almost Airborne Living History Group – is opening the doors of the Dovecote Museum, on Dovecote Drive, for a special exhibition remembering the American troops’ connection with the village.
Visitors can hear and read stories from those who were there and watch previously unseen footage.
There will also be a room dedicated to memorabilia and artefacts from the time in 1945 when the huts were used for German prisoners of war instead of Italians.
Among these are fascinating sketches and drawings of local scenery and prisoner of war food parcels.
The exhibition opens with celebratory drinks on Sunday at 2.45pm and representatives from the Almost Airborne LHG will be on hand to provide detailed insights into the lives of the American paratroopers. Entry is free. The display will also be open to visitors on June 9, July 6, 7, and 14, August 11 and September 8.