Evening all,
Dunno even where to start looking, so here’s hoping someone else knows!
I’m trying to track down weather conditions for particular nights in W.W.II; more precisely before D-Day, covering southern UK and Continental Europe; Holland, Belgium, France etc.
Actuals would be great, and even better actuals as against the forecasts – the family story for the airman I’m researching is that the weather was bad and got (unexpectedly) worse after take off, contributing to his aircraft’s crash.
I’m also looking for wind directions in the evenings of late May early June 1944 in the Bedfordshire area.
I realise it’s a big ask, but as my friend Alex Crawford says, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.
Thanks in advance!
By: Steve Bond - 31st July 2006 at 13:51
I have obtained daily weather forecasts for the wartime period from the Met Office – they keep full records.
By: ShabbyAbbey - 30th July 2006 at 23:12
Try http://www.theweatheroutlook.com/dathistcharts.asp
Shabby
By: flyingcloggie - 30th July 2006 at 18:43
Below is a link of the Dutch met office. One draw back for the non dutch speaking its in dutch only
http://www.knmi.nl/klimatologie/daggegevens/index.cgi?day=document.forms[Invoer].day.value&month=document.forms[Invoer].month.value&year=document.forms[Invoer].year.value
Herman
By: cdp206 - 30th July 2006 at 18:35
Another point of contact might be Malcom Barrass who may be able to help with the RAF Met Flights and associated units in WW2: Air of Authority. If you can find the units, then the associated unit ORB’s may possibly be of help, plus any other records which may have emerged from them. I canonly think they’d now be held in either the National Archives at Kew, the MoD Air Historical Branch or possibly the RAF Museum.
Again, just hurling ideas in to the pot here (having never reserached this aspect), the Admiralty might have something (?). As far as Continental Europe goes (well, at least Germany), how about the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz? Never tried it myself but might be worth a go. The site is only in German though, although the word ‘Kontact’ is a bit of a clue as to how to, well, contact them!
Just ideas but hope it helps.
Chris
By: Ross_McNeill - 30th July 2006 at 17:41
Hi James,
The Coastal Command Group ORBs give a daily summary which includes the actual weather for the day and area.
Have a look at the relevant pages from Kew or try the (transport?) Group ORB for the airman.
Regards
Ross
By: Aeronut - 30th July 2006 at 16:25
Try looking for a copy of Forecast for Overloard by JM Stagg published by Ian Allen in 1971 (SBN 7110 0251 7).
Group Capt Stagg was the met man that advised Eisenhower so it should be reasonbly accurate (If that can be said of any met man).
It contains the synoptics for June 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 1944.
By: cdp206 - 30th July 2006 at 09:49
Hi James,
These are just suggestions and I’ll bow to anyone elses greater experience but off the top of my head The Met Office Library & Archives might be worth a try in the first instance. Try here: The Met Office. There are also the regional met offices who might have specific met details.
Cheers for now,
Chris
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July 30, 2006 at 7:28 am