Bernard+Montgomery

Bernard Montgomery was an English general, that was born in November 17, 1887 and died in March 24, 1976. He was born in Kennington, England and lived there for most of his childhood. Montgomery was in the First World War and was stationed in France; he was in the Battle of Cateau. After the war he received the Distinguished Service Order for his great leadership in the war. Then, when WWII started he joined the army as a Field Marshall for the British army, he was part of the 21st army. When he was in the 21st army he took part in Operation Overload, which is where the British army landed on Normandy.

When Montgomery was in WWII, he was a great leader and fighter. He was always helping his men and he always watched out for them. In WWII he was the Field Marshall for his Battalion of the 21st army. He led a 90 day battle that didn't end until he reached Seine. After he reached Seine, he caught up with the Canadian and British armies and formed a boundary to destroy all the German counter attacks. After the war, Montgomery became the Commander in Chief of the British Army of the Rhine, the leader of the British Occupation Forces, and was the British member of the Allied Control Council. He was named the 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein in 1946. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1946 to 1948, succeeding Alanbrooke. Montgomery toured Africa in 1947 and in 1948 he made a report to the government, that proposed a plan to expose the raw materials of Africa, so the British would rely less on the resources in Asia. Montgomery assessed the African he encountered as "complete savages" incapable of developing their own countries. Montgomery then died in 1976 to unknown causes in his home, in Islington, at the age of 88.

Montgomery affected the area we are visiting because he fought in Normandy and he led a strong battalion that helped the Allies win the war. He also fought in WWI which was a big deal too, because he risked his life twice to defend England and Europe. People were always looking at the way Montgomery led and try to follow his lead too.