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The Tatton estate played a vital role in Britain's wartime years between 1939 and 1945. Maurice Egerton, 4th and last Baron of Tatton, was keen to support the war effort and gave permission for his land at Ringway (now Manchester Airport) to be used from 1940 onwards. This became the home of No1 Parachute Training School [No1 PTS] of the Central Landing School, heralding the birth of Britain's airborne forces. Tatton Park became the training centre drop zone for No 1 Parachute School and over 383,000 parachute descents were made here by soldiers and civilians of many nationalities who came under cover of night to do their training jumps before leaping as Special Agents (by parachute) into Occupied Europe. An image of a mass parachute drop at Tatton may be seen at Link (Archive Link ) .

This memorial stone sits in a pleasant spot within the grounds of Tatton Park, at the edge of Saddleback wood overlooking the Deer Park and surrounding countryside.

A brass plaque at the base of the stone has the following inscription:
THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
TATTON PARK WAS THE DROPPING ZONE FOR
No1 PARACHUTE TRAINING SCHOOL, RINGWAY.
THIS STONE IS SET IN HONOUR OF
THOSE THOUSANDS, FROM MANY LANDS
WHO DESCENDED HERE IN THE COURSE OF
TRAINING, GIVEN OR RECEIVED, FOR
PARACHUTE SERVICE WITH THE ALLIED FORCES
IN EVERY THEATRE OF WAR

Above the inscription, the dates 1940 1945 are inscribed in the stone and above them is the Parachute Regiment insignia.