A plaque to commemorate the night that US president Dwight Eisenhower slept in a caravan in Weston Woods has been unveiled in the town.
General Eisenhower visited Weston Woods for one night in 1944 en-route to the D-Day landings as part of his role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
The town was filled with American servicemen with officers billeted to hotels whilst other ranks slept under canvas in Ellenborough Park.
Large numbers of military vehicles were parked along the Kewstoke Toll Road and the woods between Worlebury and the water tower, all shielded from the view of enemy spy planes by the trees.
Rather than throwing around his status and opting for a hotel stay, General Eisenhower opted to sleep in a caravan parked near the water tower in Weston Woods, in the midst of the military vehicles huddled under tree cover.
Weston-super-Mare Town Council, who has organised the special blue plaque, said Eisenhower –nicknamed Ike - was the "only American president to have set foot" in the town.
Weston councillor and local historian John Crockford-Hawley said: “Dwight D Eisenhower is the only American President to have set foot in Weston-super-Mare.
“As Supreme Allied Commander Europe he arrived in Weston towards the close of World War Two and stayed one night in 1944, en-route to the D-Day landings.
“The town was filled with American servicemen.
“Officers were billeted in hotels whilst other ranks slept under canvas in Ellenborough Park.”
The blue plaque was unveiled at a special socially distanced ceremony today (Thursday).
People visiting the plaque will also be able to enjoy an audio tour, narrated by Mr Crockford-Hawley.
Those arriving at the plaque can access the page on the council’s website at https://wsm-tc.gov.uk/our-services/blue-plaques/ and play the film that gives the history of the plaque.
This is the first stage of what the council hopes will become a digital walking audio guided map app.
Following the war, Eisenhower became NATO’s first Supreme Commander and then President of the United States from 1953 until 1961.
Mr Crockford-Hawley said: “ A gentle stroll through Weston Woods to where an American president once slept under the stars will enable us all to share this fleeting moment of world history.”
The blue plaque scheme was introduced by Weston Town Council to recognise those who have made a significant contribution to local life or whose story has enriched the history of the town.
