Plaque unveiled to D-Day hero from Dalkeith

Last Thursday, 75 years to the day since D-Day, when the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, James’s hometown honoured him with a memorial plaque unveiled by his son Peter Stagg.

Group Captain James Stagg and his team predicted a break in the weather and persuaded Allied commander Dwight D Eisenhower that if he delayed the operation’s launch by just 24 hours the plan could still go ahead. Eisenhower did so, and the landings changed the course of the war and turned the tide in favour of an Allied victory.

Thanks to the crowdfunding efforts of local history enthusiast Sharon Mackintosh, the plaque was unveiled outside Dalkeith Library last week. She said: “It was great, absolutely brilliant. It’s not before time. I’m really happy, it’s job done. It couldn’t have went any better. I reckon there was about 150 people there.

“Everyone was very welcoming to Peter. He and his family were really lovely.

“People were wanting photos of him which he was happy to do. It was like the paparazzi.

“I was pleased for Peter and his family. Back at the museum after the unveiling was great as well. The whole day was well worth it.”

A small plaque was also placed at the site of James Stagg’s Dalkeith home on the High Street last week.