In the walled graden.

A rough-hewn stone monument features a rectangular brass plaque mounted on its front, commemorating the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division. The original memorial plaque erected in Braunstone Park was vandalized and disappeared; afterward, the memorial was moved to a safer location in the Walled Garden, the plaque was replaced, and the monument was restored and reinstalled.

In early 1944, elements of the 82nd Airborne Division were stationed in and around Leicester, with their headquarters established at Braunstone Park, as they prepared for the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Having already seen combat in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, the division arrived in England to regroup and train for what would become the D-Day invasion. During their time in Leicester, American paratroopers lived in temporary camps and trained intensively while forming lasting connections with the local community.

Source of information: commons.wikimedia.org, www.storyofleicester.info

TO COMMEMORATE THE

82^ND AMERICAN

AIRBORNE DIVISION

OUR COMRADES AND

GOOD FRIENDS