Montgomery, Bernard

Montgomery, Bernard (1887–1976). General and then field marshal (August 1944), Montgomery was the most controversial general of the Second World War. Arrogant, confident, and self-centred, he did not endear himself to equals or superiors, but ‘Monty’ won the confidence of subordinates and ordinary soldiers. After capable service in France and Belgium in 1939–40 and in southern England, he rose to fame as commander-in-chief, 8th Army, in north Africa in 1942. With stronger forces and unequalled knowledge of his enemy's weaknesses, he directed the victory of El Alamein, forcing Italian and German withdrawal back to Tunisia. He was criticized for failure to cut off the retreating enemy. In Sicily and the south of Italy, he was alleged to show indifference to the needs of formations not under his command. The climax of his career was the command of ground forces in the attack on Normandy in 1944 until September. He aroused controversy after D-Day when his progress in capturing Caen was thought perilously slow. Montgomery undermined his reputation, then and since, by insisting that in battle everything followed his ‘master plan’, including the enemy. He showed high qualities in making cautious, ‘balanced’ provision for the unexpected: he claimed, however, that for him nothing was unexpected. After Eisenhower took over command, Montgomery continued to insist that he should control active operations. He delayed the clearance of the approaches to Antwerp for his unsuccessful Arnhem gamble. His boastfulness after the battle of the Bulge, when he was given temporary command, helped to reduce his influence in 1945. He became a viscount.

R. A. C. Parker