An outstanding commander during World War II, Field Marshal Montgomery led his troops to victory on the beaches of Normandy. Beloved by his troops, yet criticized by many of his peers, he is remembered as a strong-willed, exasperating, but flamboyant national hero.
Born in London in November 1887 to Episcopal Bishop Henry Montgomery, Bernard Montgomery was one of nine children. He experienced an unhappy childhood primarily due to clashes with his mother, who won most of the arguments. He had a strong will and a tendency to be outspoken, traits that followed him throughout his life. Early on he determined that life was a struggle and formed his model for success on the basis of hard work, integrity, and moral courage.
With a life-long interest in military life, Montgomery entered the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in January 1907. The academy had produced generals, but Montgomery passed only seventy-second out of a class of 170. Montgomery served in India until 1913 and achieved the rank of lieutenant before World War I.
During World War I, while leading his troops in the first Battle of Ypres in October 1914, Lieutenant Montgomery was hit by a German rifle bullet that passed through his chest. His comrades gave up Montgomery for dead and dug a grave for him. But, true to his nature, he fought with all his strength against his terrible wound and astonished battlefield doctors with a fierce and successful resolve to recover.
Montgomery had the ability to motivate people with his take-charge attitude. He was promoted to major general of the 3rd Army Division in England in 1939. With the onset of World War II, Major General Montgomery trained his men with a strict emphasis on physical and mental fitness. During this time he weeded out the incompetent and instilled in those who remained a sense of urgency and discipline.
Montgomery demonstrated his superior ability as a commander during the night march in the retreat from Dunkirk. Without lights, he transported his entire division over back roads for twenty-five miles through the enemy front. As usual, Montgomery had accomplished almost the impossible.
When it came time to choose the ground commander for the Allied armies, Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower's first choice was General Sir Harold R.L.G. Alexander. Alexander was needed in Italy, however, and the job went to Montgomery. This pleased the British public who regarded him as a national hero, but alarmed the United States commanders, who were offended by his harsh and egocentric nature.
In August 1942, under Eisenhower's command, Montgomery began working on the plans for Operation Torch, code name for the huge U.S. invasion of North Africa scheduled for November. Montgomery was then appointed commander of the 8th Army in Egypt. The objective: to take or destroy the forces commanded by Field Marshal Rommel.
In twelve grueling days in November 1942, Montgomery and his army forced Rommel's retreat in the Battle of El Alamein. This was the first time that Montgomery and Rommel met in war. It proved to be Rommel's first defeat and a decisive British victory. Montgomery not only won the battle, but the admiration of his countrymen, praise from Churchill, and knighthood. He went on to lead successful invasions of Sicily and France.
With several successes now behind him, Montgomery was promoted to the rank of field marshal. Beginning in January 1944, under Eisenhower's command, Montgomery assisted in planning for the invasion of Europe to be carried out in the summer of 1944.
Known to his men as "Monty," the strong will of his youth manifested itself in his treatment of his comrades. Some men hated him; others mistrusted him. Others saw him as eccentric. On the one hand he could be calculating; Montgomery was notorious for taking credit for the plans of others. On the other, he could be friendly and showed a genuine concern for his troops. He spoke daily with them to boost morale before the invasion. In the end, Montgomery was admired for his ability to "bend" and recover on the field. His accomplishments could not be denied.
The Allied invasion, originally planned as a strong offensive move, turned defensive as the British fought on beaches heavily fortified with German troops and artillery. Fortunately, part of his strategy included the use of duplex drive (DD) floating tanks, or "Funnies," that can operate as boats, then run right up on the beaches and inland. The United States used only a few of these, a decision later regretted on Omaha Beach. Montgomery led his British and Canadian troops across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany until the eventual surrender of the German northern armies on Lⁿneburg Heath in May 1945.
After World War II, the hero Montgomery was made a Knight of the Garter and Viscount in 1946. He served as chief of the imperial general staff, chairman of the permanent defense organization of the Western European Union, and deputy commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He later recounted his military career in his books, "Memoirs," in 1958, and "The Path to Leadership," in 1961.
