After leaving St Paul's School, Montgomery easily gained a place at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, quickly . Montys decision to retreat and save his men (and his badly bruised ego) drew criticism from politicians back in London. His real achievements, however, still lay ahead of him. The winter fighting was bitter. . He started the discussion However, he went on to make a full recovery. Marshal Bernard Montgomery is best known for his achievements during the Second World War. Britannica Quiz Pop Quiz: 17 Things to Know About World War II Bernard Law Montgomery In August 1942 Prime Minister Winston Churchill appointed him commander of the British Eighth Army in North Africa, which had recently been defeated and pushed back to Egypt by German General Erwin Rommel. Bernard Montgomery or 'Monty', as he was affectionately known by his troops, was one of Britain's greatest generals, delivering the Allies one of their first significant victories in the Second World War - defeating the Germans at El Alamein. By 1942, the tide was turning in favor of the Allies and Winston Churchill needed a new field commander in North Africa. Retrieved June 29, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bernard-law-montgomery. Even the London Gazette hailed his early heroics. Try as he might, however, Montgomery could not escape tragedy. While Montgomery dominated the scene in North Africa and Europe, another British officer was making a name for himself in another part of the world. The Oxford Companion to British History. The most famous British general of the Second World War, Bernard Montgomery - known popularly as 'Monty' - took command of the Eighth Army in August 1942. Bernard Montgomery | World War II Wiki | Fandom And she didnt exactly have a lot of mercy. From 1959 to 1965 he was chief of the United Kingdom Defense Staff and chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He should have chosen his words more wisely. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Monty at Close Quarters. Montgomery's most famous action came in 1942, when he led the British Eighth Army in expelling General Erwin Rommel and the German Afrika Corps out of North Africa. Public Domain. When he retired in 1965, Mountbatten had reached the rank of admiral of the fleet. Encyclopedia.com. The Many Mistakes of Bernard Montgomery | War History Online It got as high as Eisenhower who, with his renowned skill in diplomacy, ensured Montgomery did get his Flying Fortress, though at a great cost in ill-feeling from Montgomery. He then continued in command of the 21st Army Group for the rest of the campaign in North West Europe. Bernard Montgomery was a career officer in the British Army and one of the major Allied military leaders during World War II. . Before he retired for the evening, he gave his men just one order: not to disturb him. They won a decisive victory against Rommel's troops at Alam Halfa in late August and early September. Bernard Montgomery, World War II Field Marshal - ThoughtCo In Sicily, he was annoyed to be given a lesser role in the fighting. Front line, 16 December Front line, 20 December Front line, 25 December Allied movements German movements Encyclopedia.com. Erwin Rommel is know, Alan Francis Brooke 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, Considered a master strategist, Alan Francis Brooke (1883-1963) was instrumental in orchestrating the victory of Allied forces in the Second World Wa, Ridgway, Matthew Bunker Montgomery, Bernard Law, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Brilliant World War II field marshal. In August 1942 Prime Minister Winston Churchill appointed him commander of the British Eighth Army in North Africa, which had recently been defeated and pushed back to Egypt by German General Erwin Rommel. The 3rd Division was deployed to Belgium as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Bloody business. First World War The First World War began in August 1914 and Montgomery moved to France with his regiment that month. To be fair, Monty was quite the rebel: He liked to order about his brothers, steal sweets from his mother, and sold off the bike she had gifted him for a stamp collection he liked rather more. How Bernard Montgomery Helped Defeat the Germans in Africa During WWII His strategic brilliance, however, was second only to his massive ego and total lack of tact. In Ireland, Montgomery unleashed a scorched earth campaign of utter barbarism. Less than a year later, however, he was back in England and pining for another fight. Montgomery as Military Commander. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Encyclopedia.com. All throughout his life, he was a teetotaller (i.e., he didnt drink anything intoxicating), a particularly dedicated vegetarian (hed probably seen too much carnage in his life), and a practicing Christian. Montgomery remains a controversial figure. Eventually, in fighting off the Greek island of Crete, the ship was sunk and Mountbatten almost drowned. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? If we cannot stay here alive, then we will stay here dead. Despite his familys illustrious history, Monty didnt exactly grow up in luxury. In addition to being 21st Army Group commander, he was named the Allied ground forces commander for the invasion of Normandy. ." He was quickly promoted to the rank of major-general and sent to Mandatory Palestine, far away from the tragic memory of his dearly departed wife. Known to be difficult to work with, "Monty" was nevertheless exceptionally popular with the British public. We want our readers to trust us. This mission was a great failure3,336 of the 5,000 men who took part were killedbut it did provide crucial information that helped in the planning of the Normandy invasion, which would take place in June 1944. Battle of the Bulge - Wikipedia When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Encyclopedia.com. Montgomery had hoped that his show force would compel the IRA commander, Charlie Browne, to spill the beans. Then he became chairman of the Western European Union's (with representatives from Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg) Commanders in Chief Committee. He was involved in the negotiations that led to India's independence in 1947 (as well as the establishment of Pakistan, which broke off from India to become a separate country). In 1926 he became an instructor at the Staff College, and in 1929 he was assigned to head the committee to rewrite the army's manual on infantry training. Montgomery was the fourth of nine children born to a clergyman and his wife. Nigel Hamilton , Monty, 3 vols., 198186. Even though his abrasive personality and arrogance had made him unpopular with some people, Montgomery's skills and experience were noted by his superior officers. Too big, in fact, to fit inside the Allies camp. Life and death of Bernard Montgomery - D-Day, Normandy and Beyond His grandfather was General Sir Robert Montgomery, a well-known soldier who was also a proconsul in India. I have canceled the plan for withdrawal. But Monty had his victory and, most, importantly, the opportunity to thumb his nose at those who had doubted him. Montgomery ordered all contingency plans for a retreat to be destroyed. His father, Henry Montgomery was the Anglican priest in St. Mark's Church in Kensington. It came to a climax on Dec. 16, 1944, when the Germans launched their Ardennes counteroffensive and created the Battle of the Bulge. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. worked on his memoirs. Wikipedia 4. While Monty would have seen all kinds of grievous injuries and diseases during his service, nothing could have prepared him for the tragedy that came next. Montgomery kept the initiative, applying superior strength when it suited him, forcing Rommel out of each successive defensive position. Bernard Montgomery (November 17, 1887-March 24, 1976) was a British soldier who rose through the ranks to become one of the most important military leaders of World War II. General Sir Bernard Montgomery (center), and U.S. First Army commander, Lieutenant General Omar Bradley (left), 10 June 1944. Monty responded by saying, I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about Rommel! For all of his bravado, however, victory against the Desert Fox would not come easy. Bernard Law Montgomery - HISTORY Tapped to take command of the Eighth British Field Marshall Bernard. As such he was the principal field commander for the failed airborne attempt to bridge the Rhine at Arnhem and the Allied Rhine crossing. Montgomery's own books include El Alamein to the River Sangro (1948), Normandy to the Baltic (1948), Memoirs (1958), The Path to Leadership (1961), and A History of Warfare (1968). Instead of following the conventional military tactic of concentrating only on the beach areas, Montgomery spread his troops out to a variety of locations, using the double-decker 29 Jun. Brief History Of The Battle Of El Alamein WW2 - Imperial War Museums And he had no problem reminding them to play safe, as it were. The battles in Sicily and Italy that followed the successful North African campaign were somewhat less glorious for Montgomery, for they exposed more of his weaknesses. In May of 1922, he led a substantial force into the town of Macroom in search of some British officers who had gone missing. As far as he was concerned, even civilians were fair game, referring to them in derogatory terms. Lacking the right family connections and a basic ability to follow his superiors orders, Monty failed to get into Staff College. Bernard Montgomery Facts for Kids When Montgomery was two years old the family moved to Tasmania, an Australian island in the south Pacific Ocean, where his father had been appointed bishop. But as any armchair psychologist will tell you, this was likely all just a cry for help and attention. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Died December 21, 1945 ." Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. During this time, Montgomery faced serious trouble from his military superiors and the clergy for his frank attitude regarding the sexual health of his soldiers. Died October 16, 1959 'The end of the beginning': Montgomery & El Alamein It crossed the Rhine on 24 March 1945, in Operation Plunder, which took place two weeks after the First United States Army had crossed the Rhine after capturing the Ludendorff Bridge during the Battle of Remagen. In late October 1942, much to his superiors delight and relief, Monty launched his much-anticipated counter-offensive. It was largely Montgomery's plan, one of concentrated rather than dispersed landings, that dictated the invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943.