Bernard Montgomery Facts & Worksheets

SICILY AND THE ITALIAN MAINLAND

• Following their successful defeat of the Axis powers in North Africa, the British and Americans made preparations for an assault on Sicily. The attackers aimed to weaken the Third Reich by targeting Italy, which Churchill described as the vulnerable part of Europe. 
• Montgomery objected to the early preparations for Operation Husky, the codename for the island attack. He desired to deploy his 8th Army in the southeastern region and requested Lieutenant General George Patton to protect his side. Patton disagreed with this concept, leading to friction among the Allied leaders.
• Montgomery successfully seized control of Syracuse on 1 July 1943 with no difficulties. As the Allies continued their march into Catania, the German resistance became more intense. 
• Intense combat occurred in locations such as Gerbini and the River Simeto, resulting in significant casualties for the British forces. After the successful completion of Operation Husky, the Allies initiated a military campaign to invade mainland Italy. 
• Montgomery’s 8th Army advanced northward along the Adriatic Sea coastline, facing obstacles due to the Germans destroying all bridges as they retreated. The American 5th Army and the British 8th Army established communication on 25 September.
• The 8th Army successfully seized control of the Foggia plateau, which provided strategically valuable airfields for conducting bombing operations against objectives located in southern Germany and Austria. In November 1943, the progress of the 5th Army came to a stop in front of the heavily constructed Gustav line, which stretched between Rome and Naples.
• Montgomery faced challenges related to the availability of resources and strong opposition from the German forces. Montgomery ceased all operations on 21 December 1943. The casualties were excessively high, and the air force had significant operational challenges due to adverse weather conditions.

OPERATION OVERLORD

• Montgomery was summoned back to Great Britain in the latter part of December 1943 to engage in the strategic organisation and groundwork for Operation Overlord, the collective military assault by the Allies on the beaches of Normandy. 
• Upon the request of American General Dwight Eisenhower and Montgomery, the number of troops from the first draft was increased from three to five divisions, and the objective of capturing the Cotentin peninsula was also included. 
• Montgomery assumed command of the 21st Army Group, which consisted of British and American soldiers, during the initial stages of the Normandy campaign, acting as Eisenhower’s representative. 
• Patton and American General Omar Bradley were highly infuriated by the fact that an Englishman was appointed to lead American troops, as they found it incomprehensible.
• Montgomery confidently claimed that Operation Goodwood, which was launched in July 1944, would result in a more significant triumph than the one achieved at El Alamein in November 1942. 
• The final instructions sent to General Miles Dempsey, the commander of the British 2nd Army, and Lieutenant General Richard O’Connor, the commander of VIII Corps, a division of the 2nd Army, were notably lacking in heroism.
• On 6 August 1944, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler compelled Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge to initiate a retaliatory assault using three armoured divisions in the vicinity of Mortain, with the objective of advancing towards Avranches in order to sever Patton’s 3rd Army. 
• Nevertheless, the onslaught was successfully repelled, and the Allies commenced a massive effort to surround the enemy forces. 

OPERATION MARKET GARDEN

• After stabilising the situation, Eisenhower established his headquarters in mainland Europe and assumed command of all Allied ground forces. As of 1 September 1944, Montgomery’s authority was restricted to the 21st Army Group, which comprised the British 2nd Army under General Miles Dempsey and the Canadian 1st Army under General Harry Crerar.
• Montgomery was deeply distressed by this decision, even though it had been planned from the outset. The alterations in the Allied command structure were also subjected to criticism by the British press. 
• The British disregarded the fact that the American war efforts were considerably more substantial than those of Great Britain, and the transfer of leadership had always been included in the planning for Operation Overlord.
• After the Allied forces retreated from Normandy, the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS units were compelled to escape, enabling the Allied army to advance rapidly.
• Historian Robin Neillands asserts that Montgomery’s progress across France and Belgium demonstrated his mastery of military tactics comparable to that of Patton.
• Montgomery was elevated to the rank of Field Marshal. The promotion was met with dissatisfaction among American commanders, particularly Patton, as it theoretically elevated Montgomery to a higher rank than Eisenhower.
• Unfortunately, Operation Market Garden did not achieve the anticipated level of success. The mission was unsuccessful mostly due to the significant distance between the drop zones and the objectives, malfunctioning radio communication, and the unexpectedly swift response from the Germans.
• Following the unsuccessful outcome of Operation Market Garden, Montgomery persisted in advocating for the narrow front plan and emphasising the utmost need to grant absolute primacy to his 21st Army Group.
• He partially achieved his desired outcome in this situation. He was provided with extra provisions to remove obstacles at the mouth of the Scheldt. In addition, he was granted shared accountability for the American 1st Army, along with Bradley.
• Montgomery was dissatisfied with Eisenhower and frequently voiced criticism towards him. He asserted that he was better qualified to serve as the supreme commander of the ground troops.

LAST YEAR OF THE WAR

• On 16 December 1944, the Germans initiated an unexpected assault in the Ardennes region. The Germans launched an assault on a part of the front that had inadequate defences and achieved several victories during the initial days of the offensive.
• On 20 December 1944, Eisenhower convened a meeting with his army leaders to address the challenging predicament. As per customary, Montgomery was absent and instead sent his Chief of Staff. 
• An action taken by Eisenhower was to temporarily subordinate the 1st and 9th Army to Montgomery’s command. Eisenhower said that the headquarters of the 12th Army Group was geographically isolated in Luxemburg, allowing Montgomery to maintain continuous communication with both armies.
• Montgomery’s hostile and stubborn demeanour exacerbated the tension among the Americans. On 17 January 1945, the 3rd and 1st Army converged at Houffalize. As a result, 1st Army was once again put under the command of Lieutenant General Bradley.
• The 9th Army remained under the command of the 21st Army Group until the River Rhine was crossed. Montgomery received instructions to go northwards towards the Ruhr Valley. In addition, he requested extra military personnel and a prominent position in the operation to cross the Rhine River.
• Montgomery was provided with additional troops from the United States. However, it was ultimately the units of the 1st Army who became the first to cross the river at Remagen on 7 March 1945. In February 1945, Montgomery initiated Operation Veritable in the southeastern region of Nijmegen.
• An action taken by Eisenhower was to temporarily subordinate the 1st and 9th Army to Montgomery’s command. Eisenhower said that the headquarters of the 12th Army Group was geographically isolated in Luxemburg, allowing Montgomery to maintain continuous communication with both armies. The German defence exhibited formidable strength, while the muddy terrain posed a significant hindrance to the advancing soldiers. The operation proved to be successful, as it resulted in the seizure of the left bank of the Rhine.

LIFE AFTER THE WAR

• Following the conclusion of the Second World War, Montgomery was designated as the commander of the Army of the Rhine, which served as the British occupation army in Germany. On 1 January 1946, he was granted the prestigious title of Viscount Montgomery of El Alamein and appointed as the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the most esteemed military position in Great Britain.
• Montgomery maintained this role until 1948, after which he was appointed as the chairman of the permanent defence organisation of the West-European Union.
• He played a role in the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1946. He served as the deputy commander of the military forces of this organisation under Eisenhower, who had become president of the United States in the meantime.
• From 1951 to 1966, Montgomery served as the chairman of the board of directors at St. John’s School in Leatherhead, Surrey. The Viscount Montgomery Elementary School was inaugurated in 1953 in Hamilton, Canada, as a tribute to him.
• Montgomery received several prestigious awards for his actions during the Second World War, including the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion, the Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, the Russian Orden Pobeda, and the Polish Order Virtuti Militari Grand Cross.
• Despite the conclusion of the war, Montgomery remained a source of ongoing dispute. Following a trip to South Africa, he expressed a positive opinion of the apartheid system.
• In addition, he expressed favourable views for Mao Zedong, the leader of China from 1949 to 1976, who is widely regarded as one of the most prolific perpetrators of mass killings in the 20th century.
• Montgomery died on 24 March 1976 at the age of 88 at his residence, Isington Mill, located in Isington, Hampshire. He was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery located in the nearby town of Binsted.