I’m interested for personal reasons in an event that happened in June 1944
(not D-Day!), and part of the research involved finding out what the
weather was on the relevant day in that month.

The Met Office have digitised their wartime OBS reports and I have used
these to find the weather in the day in question.

Having done so, and out of interest looking at some other days that month,
something slightly odd emerged.

Each day’s handwritten OBS consist of two pages, the first reporting the
OBS at 1hr and 7hr, and the second at 13hr and 18hr. Each page has a
handwritten (sequential) number, and the second page is dated the next day.

OK, that’s how they did it, but why is only the second page of each day
stamped SECRET? Any ideas?

Not even the daily synoptic maps carry this caveat.

DWR_1944_06 here:

<https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/IO_4b8af0ea-bf38-49f7-b593-547d732a3046/>

--
Spike

Looking at the Winter 1947 Daily Weather Reports which I have in front
of me.
Each DWR was published on one sheet approx 25" by 12". Four sets of
handwritten reports on one side, 12h and 18h for the previous day on RHS
and 00h and 06h on the following day i.e. the date of publication, on
the LHS.
There were 2 charts (isobars and weather symbols for stations) on the
other side, Polar centred view of Europe and North America on RHS,
British Isles and part of NW Europe (as far east as Denmark), on the LHS.
The 'Secret' stamp position is actually on page 4 and simply reflects
the way the single sheet was folded and stamped.

Interesting to see station changes from 1944 to 1946 For example my
beloved North Weald is shown in 1944 but not in 1946 although it was
still active in a limited capacity.

There are also differences on the quoted observation time on the 1944
sheets 13h and 18h on the previous day, 1h and 7h on the following day.
By 1946 these were 12h,18h then 00h and 06h.
Clocks were 2 hours ahead of GMT for much of WW2-long light evenings but
just before my time.

George

--
George in Swanston, Edinburgh, 575'asl
www.swanstonweather.co.uk

On 27/07/2023 16:50, Spike wrote:
>
> I’m interested for personal reasons in an event that happened in June
1944
> (not D-Day!), and part of the research involved finding out what the
> weather was on the relevant day in that month.
>
> The Met Office have digitised their wartime OBS reports and I have used
> these to find the weather in the day in question.
>
> Having done so, and out of interest looking at some other days that
month,
> something slightly odd emerged.
>
> Each day’s handwritten OBS consist of two pages, the first reporting the
> OBS at 1hr and 7hr, and the second at 13hr and 18hr. Each page has a
> handwritten (sequential) number, and the second page is dated the
next day.
>
> OK, that’s how they did it, but why is only the second page of each day
> stamped SECRET? Any ideas?
>
> Not even the daily synoptic maps carry this caveat.
>
> DWR_1944_06 here:
>
>
<https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/IO_4b8af0ea-bf38-49f7-b593-547d732a3046/>
>

George Booth <george.j.booth@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Looking at the Winter 1947 Daily Weather Reports which I have in front
> of me.
> Each DWR was published on one sheet approx 25" by 12". Four sets of
> handwritten reports on one side, 12h and 18h for the previous day on RHS
> and 00h and 06h on the following day i.e. the date of publication, on
> the LHS.
> There were 2 charts (isobars and weather symbols for stations) on the
> other side, Polar centred view of Europe and North America on RHS,
> British Isles and part of NW Europe (as far east as Denmark), on the LHS.
> The 'Secret' stamp position is actually on page 4 and simply reflects
> the way the single sheet was folded and stamped.

Ah, that’s a clear explanation of the actual layout of the reports, which
isn’t really obvious from the way the digitised versions are displayed.
Many thanks for that.

> Interesting to see station changes from 1944 to 1946 For example my
> beloved North Weald is shown in 1944 but not in 1946 although it was
> still active in a limited capacity.

Is there any particular reason for your feelings for North Weald?

> There are also differences on the quoted observation time on the 1944
> sheets 13h and 18h on the previous day, 1h and 7h on the following day.
> By 1946 these were 12h,18h then 00h and 06h.
> Clocks were 2 hours ahead of GMT for much of WW2-long light evenings but
> just before my time.

Yes, BST in winter and DBST in summer.

> George

Thanks once again for such an informative reply.

--
Spike

In message <kig4qmFc62uU1@mid.individual.net>, George Booth
<george.j.booth@ntlworld.com> writes
>Looking at the Winter 1947 Daily Weather Reports which I have in front
>of me.
>Each DWR was published on one sheet approx 25" by 12". Four sets of
>handwritten reports on one side, 12h and 18h for the previous day on
>RHS and 00h and 06h on the following day i.e. the date of publication,
>on the LHS.
>There were 2 charts (isobars and weather symbols for stations) on the
>other side, Polar centred view of Europe and North America on RHS,
>British Isles and part of NW Europe (as far east as Denmark), on the LHS.
>The 'Secret' stamp position is actually on page 4 and simply reflects
>the way the single sheet was folded and stamped.
<snip>

Secret!? Had that begun in war-time (which would be reasonable enough)
and by as late as 1947 nobody had yet got around to realising that it
was no longer necessary?
--
John Hall "[It was] so steep that at intervals the street broke into steps,
like a person breaking into giggles or hiccups, and then resumed
its sober climb, until it had another fit of steps."
Ursula K Le Guin "The Beginning Place"

On 27/07/2023 23:26, Spike wrote:
> George Booth <george.j.booth@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>> Looking at the Winter 1947 Daily Weather Reports which I have in front
>> of me.
>> Each DWR was published on one sheet approx 25" by 12". Four sets of
>> handwritten reports on one side, 12h and 18h for the previous day on RHS
>> and 00h and 06h on the following day i.e. the date of publication, on
>> the LHS.
>> There were 2 charts (isobars and weather symbols for stations) on the
>> other side, Polar centred view of Europe and North America on RHS,
>> British Isles and part of NW Europe (as far east as Denmark), on the LHS.
>> The 'Secret' stamp position is actually on page 4 and simply reflects
>> the way the single sheet was folded and stamped.
>
> Ah, that’s a clear explanation of the actual layout of the reports, which
> isn’t really obvious from the way the digitised versions are displayed.
> Many thanks for that.
>
>> Interesting to see station changes from 1944 to 1946 For example my
>> beloved North Weald is shown in 1944 but not in 1946 although it was
>> still active in a limited capacity.
>
> Is there any particular reason for your feelings for North Weald?
>

Flew gliders there, starting in 1963. Then a break and returned in 1983.
Lived nearby

>> There are also differences on the quoted observation time on the 1944
>> sheets 13h and 18h on the previous day, 1h and 7h on the following day.
>> By 1946 these were 12h,18h then 00h and 06h.
>> Clocks were 2 hours ahead of GMT for much of WW2-long light evenings but
>> just before my time.
>
> Yes, BST in winter and DBST in summer.
>
>> George
>
> Thanks once again for such an informative reply.
>
>

--
George in Swanston, Edinburgh, 575'asl
www.swanstonweather.co.uk

On 28/07/2023 10:16, John Hall wrote:
> In message <kig4qmFc62uU1@mid.individual.net>, George Booth
> <george.j.booth@ntlworld.com> writes
>> Looking at the Winter 1947 Daily Weather Reports which I have in front
>> of me.
>> Each DWR was published on one sheet approx 25" by 12". Four sets of
>> handwritten reports on one side, 12h and 18h for the previous day on
>> RHS and 00h and 06h on the following day i.e. the date of publication,
>> on the LHS.
>> There  were 2 charts (isobars and weather symbols for stations) on the
>> other side, Polar centred view of Europe and North America on RHS,
>> British Isles and part of NW Europe (as far east as Denmark), on the LHS.
>> The 'Secret' stamp position is actually on page 4 and simply reflects
>> the way the single sheet was folded and stamped.
> <snip>
>
> Secret!? Had that begun in war-time (which would be reasonable enough)
> and by as late as 1947 nobody had yet got around to realising that it
> was no longer necessary?

The December 1946/47 DWRs I have do not show the Secret stamp. Not sure
how accurate the source I used for that info (BBC article) was.

--
George in Swanston, Edinburgh, 575'asl
www.swanstonweather.co.uk

George Booth <george.j.booth@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> On 27/07/2023 23:26, Spike wrote:
>> George Booth <george.j.booth@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>>> Interesting to see station changes from 1944 to 1946 For example my
>>> beloved North Weald is shown in 1944 but not in 1946 although it was
>>> still active in a limited capacity.

>> Is there any particular reason for your feelings for North Weald?

> Flew gliders there, starting in 1963. Then a break and returned in 1983.
> Lived nearby

Ah.

I remember one sunny Sunday afternoon, probably some 30 years ago, where I
had gone out for a bimble on my motorcycle.

I had become stuck in a traffic jam on the B181 at the south end of the
North Weald runway. I was sitting there in the sunshine enjoying the day,
when I became aware of another sound over the bike’s tickover.

As you doubtless know, the ground there slopes down to the north, which
means that aircraft coming in to land aren’t that high off the ground.

I looked to my left, to see a Spitfire, flaps down, wheels down, engine on
flight idle, coming in to land. I swear I could have reached up and touched
it!

Magic.

--
Spike