My grandfather was commander of a minesweeper in the British Navy during the second world war. The night before D-Day, he wrote in his diary, knowing full well the entry could be his last: “And now maybe we are going to do the big do. Maybe I won’t come back. A few words in case I don’t, to tell you what I was…”
The D-Day landing, on 6 June 1944 – code-named Operation Overlord – was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Its success depended on military prowess, coordination, bravery and countless other factors that were somewhat within human control. Unfortunately, it also depended on the weather.Â
Originally planned for 5 June, it is no secret that the D-Day landings were delayed by a day because of the weather. On its own, this sounds like a pretty mundane piece of information, but the drama and jeopardy involved is retold in a gripping, funny and moving new war drama . It recounts the story of meteorologist James Stagg, played brilliantly by Andrew Scott, who is brought in by Dwight D. Eisenhower to give the all-clear on the weather for the invasion, due to take place a few days later. Pulling together data from numerous weather stations in real time, an initially stoic Stagg predicts building pressure that indicates devastating storms, which would doom the allies’ attempts. His US counterpart, the dogmatic and charismatic Irving Krick, whose own predictions rely on “analogue” assessments based on weather from previous years, and who already has the ear of Eisenhower, dismisses these predictions with ridicule, instead insisting that the weather will be fine.Â
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What ensues is tense drama, interspersed with brilliant lines. I partially enjoyed the running conflict between the military men’s desire for certainty, and Stagg’s deadpan delivery that, with the weather, you could never be certain.Â
We all know how the story played out, but that didn’t stop me from watching some of it through my fingers. I don’t normally seek out war movies, but this one was tender and clever but still pacey, without shying away from the brutality of the eventual invasion. I also laughed out loud at times, and shed more than one tear. I only wish I could discuss the film with my grandfather, whose ship did prevail on D-Day, in no small part, it turns out, thanks to James Stagg.
