Ahead of this summer's milestone 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, a Cotswold auction house will be putting rare weather charts that played a pivotal role in history under the hammer.

A chance rediscovery of the maps led to the decision to auction the rare memorabilia through Tetbury-based saleroom, John Rolfe Auctions. The six maps cover the start of June 1944, with the D-Day landings originally planned for June 5 – but the moment was dependent on the weather conditions.

John Rolfe told Punchline-Gloucester.com: "With the 80th anniversary of D-Day fast approaching it truly is an honour to be putting these maps to market. In my career, I don't think I've handled such a lot with great historical relevance."

The maps, originally presented to Captain David Davidge, a senior meteorologist in the Royal Navy upon his retirement, were rediscovered by his widow, Ruth, in 2019.

Hammer price, Mr Rolfe added, was difficult to predict. The maps will be in among 2,000 other lots in the house's 'Quite Remarkable' sale that begins this Saturday.

For six months before the invasion, teams of US and British meteorologists prepared by studying weather charts from the past. General Dwight D Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander for the D-Day landings, appointed Group Captain James Stagg as chief meteorologist and worked alongside Colonel Donald Yates, his American counterpart, each with teams of meteorologists working with them.

As June 5 drew closer, the teams disagreed about the forecast - ideal conditions would be calm seas, clear skies and light winds. Stagg studied the weather data on June 4, and noticed a break in the weather for June 6, which he reported to Eisenhower, thus setting the date for the invasion.

● John Rolfe Auctions, based at Babdown Airfield, near Tetbury, begins its four-day sale on April 20.