During World War Two, Melton Mowbray became home to ‘Red Devils’ when hundreds of paratroopers made the town their home after returning to England from fighting in North Africa and Italy. Whilst in Melton they were based at both the Vet Camp and local hosues/lodges in town whilst training for operations for D-Day and Arnhem.
In the early part of 1944, No 156 Battalion Parachute Regiment set up base in Melton Mowbray and used Staveley Lodge on Nottingham Road, Newport Lodge on Scalford Road and The Spinney on Thorpe Road as their billetts.
Prior to World War Two, Newport Lodge was also the family home of the Laycock family and Robert, one of the children, became Major General Sir Robert Laycock KCMG, CB, DSO otherwise known as the Commando General and Commander of of the Lay Force.
The 10th Battallion set up base around Somerby, Burrough on the Hill and Twford and the 11th Battalion who were originally at Glen Parva near Leicester but moved to Melton in May 44 and set up base on the Vet Camp (Remount Depot).
These units made up the 4th Brigade and during their time in Melton, the Paras trained for operation as part of the D-Day campiagn, but due to changing circumstances in Normandy and the Allied advacnce through France, they were not used.
Their time finally came in September when they took part in Operation Market Garden and the Airborne landings at Arnhem in Holland.
After Arnhem, the survivors of 10, 11 & 156 Battalions returned to their bases in the area. In December 1944, the 1st Airborne Division was re-organised and the 4th Division and 10, 11 & 156 Battalions was disbanded.
As part of this re-organisation, No 3 Battalion Parachute Regiment came to Melton and set up base on the Vet Camp. In 1945, the Melton Paras were sent to Copenhagen as part of the force to Liberate Denmark from German Occupation.
HistoryFare’s #1 priority on the Airborne & Commando General Tour is guaranteeing you, the valued customer a great tour. We feel confident that you’ll agree – taking part in a HistoryFare tour has been time well spent. If you don’t agree, let us know. We’ll make it right by giving you a voucher for a future tour or your money back. We know your time is valuable and appreciate you choosing to spend it with us.
DURATION
120 minutes (2 Hours)
MEETING LOCATION
Outside Sainsbury’s Supermarket, Nottingham Road, Melton Mowbray, LE13 0UL
FINISH LOCATION
The Market Square.
MAX GROUP SIZE
20
WHEEL CHAIR ACCESSIBLE
Yes
ASSISTANCE DOGS
Assistance dogs as well as well behaved pets are welcome on the tours.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- Professional Guide
- Walking tour through the historic market town of Melton Mowbray, visiting key locations associated with the towns rich and diverse history.
- Discount Vouchers for local café’s & businesses
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Gratuities
- Water
WHAT TO BRING
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Wet weather clothing/umbrellas
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund or a voucher for a future tour. We know that plans can sometimes change and that’s why we offer a generous cancellation policy.
TOUR OVERVIEW
As part of this Airborne Tour, we will visit some of the locations in Melton Mowbray used by the Paras as billets, for training and where the enjoyed downtime relaxing when off duty.
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
Explore in confidence with HistoryFare.
Book directly with HistoryFare to get the best price on our tours. If you find it cheaper within 3 days of booking, we’ll refund the difference.
IMPORTANT
Whilst we do accept walk-up participants, HistoryFare Tours regularly sell out. To avoid missing out and to get your preferred choice of tour date, we highly recommend booking now.
HistoryFare’s Accessibility Promise
HistoryFare is committed to making travel more inclusive for everyone. Clear, honest information about accessibility is provided wherever required.
The guided walks are designed to provide a step free access or alternative locations to ensure all points of interest can be enjoyed by all wherever possible.
Parking facilities, step-free access, senior-friendly routes, and accessible attractions are all taken into consideration when developing a HistoryFare guided tour.
We listen to customers feedback and continuously improve our services to better serve all travellers. If you have a question about accessibility issues, then please get in touch to see how we can help.
MOBILITY HIRE
If you need to hire a mobility scooter or a wheel chair to enable you to access HistoryFare Tours, these are available for hire from ShopMobility Melton Mowbray, subject to a small hire charge and availability. Please visit their website for contact details.
