The Meteorologist Who Saved D-Day

The Meteorologist Who Saved D-Day

From History As It Happens by Martin Di Caro

June 12, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the crucial role of meteorologist James Stagg in the success of D-Day, featuring insights from historian William Hitchcock.

Never listen to ads again! Subscribe now for ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content. Our memories of D-Day usually center on the courage and grit of the infantrymen who stormed the Normandy beaches under German fire. We don't talk much about the weatherman. But without Group Captain James Stagg's forecast, there would have been few heroes to remember from June 6, 1944. In this episode, historian William Hitchcock discusses the riveting new film "Pressure," about the excruciating hours before General Eisenhower greenlit Operation Overlord. Audio excerpts of "Pressure" are from Focus Features. Recommended reading: The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe by William Hitchcock

People in this episode

Host: Martin Di Caro

Guest: William Hitchcock

Topics covered

  • D-Day
  • weather forecasting
  • World War II
  • military history
  • Operation Overlord

Keywords

  • D-Day
  • James Stagg
  • weather
  • Operation Overlord
  • William Hitchcock
  • military history
  • Eisenhower
  • Pressure
  • Normandy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Focus Features

Books & works: Pressure, The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe

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