Hello all Just joined the forum today, and I've already got sidetracked reading through some very interesting posts. I can see I'm going to have to be really careful in the future... I'm just putting the final touches to a book on Leicester during WW2 and I could do with your collective expertise to help me check my "facts". I've compiled a list of 82nd Airborne units in and around Leicester between Jan-Sept 1944 (excluding the 507th PIR at Tollerton, the 508th PIR at Wollaton, and the Divisional jump school at Rutland - because they're Notts/Rutland). It's currently looking like this: 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment - “Camp Quorn”. 325th Glider Infantry Regiment - “Camp March Hare” (Scraptoft). 407th Airborne Quartermaster Company - Leicestershire County Cricket Club ground (Aylestone Road). 80th Airborne Anti-Tank Battalion - “Camp Oadby” (Leicester Race Course). 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion - Papillon Hall (Lubbesthorpe). 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion - Husband’s Bosworth. 376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion - Hinckley. 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion - Market Harborough. 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion - Burbage Hall. It's the location of the 320th GFAB that is worrying me though. I was told that it was at Husband's Bosworth, adjacent to or within the RAF airfield, but I've been unable to confirm it. At least one other account referred to the "Sherwood Forest area". Can somebody put me right please? Thanks in advance.
Well according to US Army stationing report for Europe in May 1944 they were located at APO Town Unit County Grid Coordinate 469 62 Husbands Bosworth 320 Glider Field Artillery Battalion, Headquarters Battery Leicestershire WF0905 In August 1944 they were located at Husbands Bosworth 320 Glider Field Artillery Battalion Leicestershire WF0905 So I would say Husbands Bosworth
Dale, that's much appreciated, thank you very much. Somebody also responded to say that they were camped in the grounds of Bosworth Hall and their officers were at Highfield House. I also need to report a (dumb) error in the list I originally posted: the 319th GFAB were at Papillon Hall, Lubenham (not Lubbesthorpe). Thanks again.
Welcome, er.. xplosiv88 !!! Thank you for sharing and I am glad someone could help. If you come across any more detail about how these units were billeted and the training grounds they used, I would enjoy learning more. I found Papillon Hall, Lubenham on these circa 1940/50 's maps (attached). Veteran's memoirs often mention these halls or manor houses as locations for the headquarters with the troops billeted nearby. Kind regards
