The War Memorial is dedicated to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment which was a unit of the United States Army during World War II, that used Wollaton Park as its base, in the lead-up to D-Day.
The War Memorial Inscription reads:
Dedicated to our brave friends both past & present of the American 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments of the 82nd Airbourne Division, who set up camp in this park in preparation for D-Day.
They parachuted into Normandy on June 6th 1944 and returned here during that summer before parachuting into Holland on 17th September in the battle to liberate Europe
with pride and everlasting friendship
The inscription reads:
508th Parachute Infantry Regiment Roll of Honour 1944 – 1945
The 508th PIR took part in airborne operations across occupied Europe, Operation Neptune on D-Day. Operation Market Garden in Holland and the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes.
To the members of the Regiment who fell and now remain on the battlefields of Europe
Dedication
There is also a dedication from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment Association, in a fenced-off area by a tree in the main field.
The inscription reads:
Dedicated June 14th 1978, to our friends in Nottingham.
Wollaton Park was our home in the months prior to our
D-Day jump into Normandy and our jump into Holland
September 17th 1944
May our friendship be everlasting.
American 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment Association
See Also…
- Refurbishing the 508 memorial.
- 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (external link).
- The 508th in Wollaton Park (external link).
- PoW Camp 166 Wollaton Park (external link).
- 508th Infantry Regiment (external link).
- Book: The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (external link).
- The Yanks are Coming! – WHaCS Summer 2024 Newsletter.
Unveiling
The memorial was unveiled in June 2010.
