When D-Day GIs took over Wollaton Park: New cafe honours landmark’s war history

The role Wollaton Park played in preparations for the D-Day landings has been honoured with a new cafe named after the soldiers stationed there.

The park was temporarily home to thousands of US troops in 1944 as part of preparation for the Normandy invasion – which would go on to turn the Second World War tide in favour of the Allies.

Before the landings the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment – nicknamed the Red Devils – stayed in tents and huts at Wollaton, one of which survives and has been redeveloped by Nottingham City Council into the cafe.

“We often get American visitors and reunions. We thought it would be a fitting tribute to use it. It’s great to return it to the original name,” said Wollaton West ward councillor Steve Battlemuch.

Wollaton-508-cafe-new
The new cafe has been named 508 in honour of the regiment.

After the GIs left some of the huts were re-used to house German prisoners of war, and the current building was later used as changing rooms for sports clubs on the park.

The re-developed cafe includes a timeline of photographs of the hall and a display copy of the 508th’s red devil insignia.

(Visited 886 times, 1 visits today)