Nostalgia; Radipole Park Remembering American Soldiers of WWII
Why are Radipole Park remembering American soldiers of WWII?
In the summer of 2017, Weymouth’s Mayor arrived to open our Teddy Bear’s Picnic via jeep complete with out riders.
Radipole gardens was invaded by American troops.
(Courtesy of the D Day Centre Castletown Portland)
You might well wonder what connection there could possibly be between these two.
In fact there is a big connection…and one we’re still researching.
We’re collecting as many people’s living memories as we can.
These will add an important dimension to our new Heritage Cafe in the play park area.
During WWII the Americans stealthily infiltrated the countryside and towns of Dorset ready for the Big Push.
Weymouth and the surrounding area played host to many of these young men.
A corps was encamped at the far end of Radipole park.
We have gathered a few personal memories of them being there…but would love to collect more.
Do you remember the young men billeted in the park?
Maybe you have your own stories to tell of playing there as a child, or being given illicit American goodies to take home to Mum for that Sunday treat.
If you do…please contact us so we can record them before they disappear into the midsts of time.
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2 Comments
Sally Breakspear 7 years ago
Hi. I think my mum is a friend of Radipole Gardens though she doesn’t use Facebook. She can remember having a picnic under the willows when they were tiny saplings and she was a small girl. It must have been in the 1930s. I remember the putting green and playing on it with my brothers and sister. I remember when there was flooding in the summer of 1983. My son was tiny and my daughter was 3. We were walking to town and I say Nikki on top of the huge old park I had and walked through the flood which was about 6 inches deep. Probably not very sensible! I have many memories of the gardens having been brought up in Radipole.
radipoleparkandgardensfriends 7 years ago
Hi Sally, thank you for adding your comments.
Your mum must remember the park when it was in its infancy then, would love to hear any more of her memories of it. We are desperate to compile a book of living memories for the Heritage Cafe and maybe even a book later. I wonder if she can recall anything about the soldiers being based in the park?
A few people that I have spoken too say they feel embarrassed about relaying their own memories because they think it’s not significant enough…but they are.
When researching history, it’s easy enough to find facts and figures, but not so actual people’s versions or memories and those are the important ones and what we want to collect.
Your comment also jogged my own memory of the putting green, had forgotten all about that!
Maybe I should add a memory page that people can add their comment to…hhmm off to the drawing board.