Ep 9. D-Day Footage

Brad Meltzer's Lost History is a captivating show that explores some of the most iconic moments in history, shedding new light on lost artifacts, documents, and secrets that have remained hidden for centuries. In season 1, episode 9, titled "D-Day Footage," the show takes us on a journey back to one of the most significant events of the 20th century, the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

The episode begins with a brief introduction by Meltzer, who sets the stage for the story that is about to unfold. He tells us that, despite the millions of words, images, and videos that have been produced about D-Day, there is still much we don't know about this fateful day. In particular, he notes that there are rumors about a lost piece of footage that could shed new light on the events of June 6, 1944, and possibly change our understanding of the war itself.

We are then taken to the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, where we meet Rich Green, an archivist who has spent decades searching for the lost D-Day footage. Green explains that, despite the fact that thousands of hours of film were shot during the invasion, only a small portion of it has ever been seen by the public. This is partly due to the fact that much of the footage was damaged or lost over time, but it is also because the military censored a great deal of it for propaganda purposes.

Green takes us on a tour of the archives, showing us some of the incredible footage that has been preserved over the years. We see images of the amphibious assault on the beaches, the paratroopers dropping behind enemy lines, and the fierce fighting that took place in the hedgerows of Normandy. But Green tells us that there is one piece of footage that has eluded him for years - a reel that allegedly shows General Dwight D. Eisenhower briefing a group of British officers just before the invasion.

The rest of the episode follows Green's quest to find the lost footage. He travels to England, where he interviews several veterans who were present at the briefing. They describe the scene in vivid detail, telling Green about the nervous energy in the room and the sense that they were about to take part in something historic. However, none of them can say for certain whether the briefing was filmed, or where the footage might be now.

Undeterred, Green continues his search, poring over documents and interviewing experts in the field of film preservation. Along the way, he learns about some of the challenges of preserving old film, including the fact that many of the chemicals used in early film stock are highly unstable and can degrade over time.

As the episode nears its conclusion, Green gets a breakthrough. He discovers a lead on a piece of film that might be the missing footage. He travels to a film archive in London, where he meets with a curator who shows him the reel in question. At first, Green is skeptical - the footage is badly degraded and has never been cataloged or identified. But as he watches the film carefully, he begins to see signs that this might be the missing footage he's been looking for.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger, as Green rushes back to the National Archives to have the film analyzed and restored. We are left wondering whether this lost piece of history will indeed shed new light on D-Day, and what other secrets might be hidden in the millions of pages and terabytes of data that remain unexplored.

Overall, Brad Meltzer's Lost History season 1 episode 9 is a thrilling and informative exploration of one of the most important events of the 20th century. The episode demonstrates how much we still have to learn about our own history, and how much effort and expertise is required to uncover even the smallest detail. Whether you are a history buff or just interested in a good mystery, this episode is sure to captivate and inspire.