Viewers slam BBC’s ’embarrassing’ geographical blunders after Antiques Roadshow D-Day special confused Weymouth with Poole and put Amsterdam 50 miles out of place
Viewers have been smitten BBC after an Antique Roadshow D-Day special appeared to confuse Weymouth with Poole and put Amsterdam off the air 50 miles.
During the hour-long episode, audiences were shown a series of maps showing the ports in southern England where thousands of Allied troops embarked for Operation Overlord – the code name for the military operation that culminated in the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. Germany.
Weymouth in Dorset played a crucial role when over 100,000 men were deployed there ahead of the invasion of Normandy.
But inexplicably the BBC confused the Georgian port city with Poole and placed it 30 miles to the east on its maps.
The Beeb also bizarrely moved Amsterdam 50 miles south to where Rotterdam is on another map.
Weymouth in Dorset played a crucial role when over 100,000 men were deployed there ahead of the invasion of Normandy. But inexplicably the BBC confused the Georgian port city with Poole and placed it 30 miles to the east on its maps
The Beeb also bizarrely moved Amsterdam 50 miles south to where Rotterdam is on another map
Fiona Bruce hosted the special edition of Antique Roadshow, commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. It included special guests, including Field Marshal Montgomery’s grandson – Henry Montgomery
Viewers of last night’s show were left baffled and confused by the fundamental errors.
One posted on social media: ‘Excuse me Fiona Bruce but where exactly is Weymouth?
‘I was stunned that something so fundamental could go so wrong; about such an important episode of one of their flagship programs.
“A poor researcher is probably getting a hairdryer treatment right now; how embarrassing.’
Another opinion stated: ‘Although Poole and Weymouth are in the same county, they are miles apart.
‘Weymouth was an important embarkation point for the Americans going to Omaha Beach and this should not have been so overlooked.
“It’s a good thing those who planned D-Day didn’t make such fundamental mistakes in their mapping.”
The correct location of Weymouth in relation to Poole
A map of the Netherlands with the correct locations Amsterdam and Rotterdam
A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘A graphic representation of a wartime map has incorrectly positioned the town of Weymouth. This has been corrected for future broadcasts.’
The special edition of Antique Roadshow commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day, including Field Marshal Montgomery’s grandson, Henry Montgomery.
Field Marshal Montgomery was commander-in-chief of the ground forces during Operation Overlord. His grandson met with militaria specialist Mark Smith to talk about his grandfather.
In a letter sent to troops the evening before D-Day on June 6, Monty wrote: “Good luck to you all, and happy hunting in mainland Europe.”
His grandson Henry explained the importance of the letter, saying: ‘Grandfather really understood that through all the careful planning, especially in the run-up to Normandy and the D-Day invasion, he knew that no matter how good the plans were, it would cost the men were those on the ground who had to do the work.’
He added, “Grandfather always had almost bullet points. Very spicy. Very to the point. Limited use of words, that was very much his way of speaking and writing.’
