Local history

In 1944 Nottingham was invaded, not by the Germans, but by a group of American soldiers, training in the city ready for the Allied D-Day landings.

Thanks to some extraordinary film footage shot by an American soldier we can see how Nottingham looked all those years ago.

The soldier in question was Captain William H Nation of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment who found himself in the city in the spring of 1944.

The 508th was a parachute outfit encamped at Wollaton Park in Nottingham during that period, before they parachuted into Normandy on D-Day.

The regiment arrived in Nottingham on 13th March 1944 and remained in the area until 29th May when the troopers were informed by their respective commanders that the invasion was imminent and the camp was sealed.

They would go on to land in Normandy on 6 June 1944.

American soldiers bowling

Sadly, Captain Nation, the man we have to thank for this archive footage, died during the Battle of the Bulge in 1945.

Take a look at the film and see how little Nottingham has changed.

The Castle and Wollaton Park look virtually the same. But there's also footage of Old Market Square; if you're a trolley bus fan you're in for a treat.

The day the 'Yanks' came to town

BBC East Midlands Today reporter James Roberson has interviewed former miner Eric Walker from Strelley. He recalls the day the Americans came to town and talks about:-

• Initial hostility
• Cigarettes and beer
• Racial tensions

Who was William H. Nation?

William was a Texan officer of the United States 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment who was billeted at Wollaton Park in World War II and shot colour 8mm cine footage of life there and in Nottingham.

Captain William H Nation

He jumped on D-Day in the same stick as 508th Commander, Col. Roy E. Lindquist. Nation also jumped in Operation Market Garden into the Netherlands on September 17, 1944.

He was killed in action in 1945, when a 88 mm German shell hit the building he was in while setting up a forward command post during the Battle of the Bulge.

William Nation was awarded a Bronze Star with a oak leaf cluster and a Purple Heart. He is buried in Henri-Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium.