Bernard Montgomery
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Film credits
41
Awards
Bernard L. Montgomery, the British field marshal nicknamed Monty, defeated the German general Erwin Rommel at the Second Battle of El Alamein in November 1942, a turning point in World War II. He later commanded Allied ground forces during the D-Day invasion on 6 June 1944. Despite his cautious reputation, Montgomery became Britain’s most popular general of the war. He died on 24 March 1976 at age 88 in Alton, Hampshire.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Bernard L. Montgomery — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Bernard L. Montgomery by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Bernard L. Montgomery — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Bernard Montgomery was born on 17 November 1887 in London to Maud Farrar and Henry Montgomery, a Church of Ireland bishop. He was one of nine children. He attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, graduating in 1908. During the First World War, he was shot twice, once through the chest, and lay on the battlefield for three hours before being rescued. These early experiences shaped his disciplined, methodical approach to warfare.
Montgomery’s breakout came at the Second Battle of El Alamein in November 1942, where he decisively defeated Rommel’s Afrika Korps. This victory made him a household name in Britain. In 1944, he was appointed overall ground commander for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June. He also led Operation Market Garden in September 1944, which ultimately failed. Montgomery’s cautious tactics drew criticism, but he remained a key figure until the war’s end. After the war, he served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff and Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO from 1951 to 1958.
Montgomery married Elizabeth Hobart Carver in 1927; they had one son, David. His wife died in 1937, after which Montgomery immersed himself in his military career. He did not smoke, drink, or swear, and his austere lifestyle became a hallmark. Montgomery had contentious relationships with fellow officers including General Patton and Field Marshal Alexander. He also formed an unusual close friendship with an 11-year-old Swiss boy, Lucien Felix Trueb, which declined as the boy reached puberty. Montgomery’s step-grandson later suggested he may have had Asperger’s syndrome.
Montgomery’s legacy is defined by his victory at El Alamein, which remains a symbol of British military success. He was honored with numerous awards, including the Order of the Garter and the Legion of Merit. In a 2002 BBC poll, he was voted the 88th greatest Briton of all time, the only British WWII commander on the list. Critics point to his allowing Axis forces to escape after El Alamein, the failure of Operation Market Garden, and his support of apartheid. Montgomery is remembered as a highly effective if controversial commander who helped defeat Nazi Germany.
The complete filmography of Bernard L. Montgomery — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Bernard L. Montgomery — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Bernard L. Montgomery — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
The African Is a Complete Savage and Is Quite Incapable of Developing the Country Himself.
We Should Have No Nonsense with the United Nations Organisation About Tanganyika; It Should Be Absorbed into the British Bosom.
There Is an Increasing Social and Political Consciousness Developing in the African Peoples; This Is a Very Great Potential Danger and Must Be Watched … Already Communist Agents Are Active in All Parts of Africa and They Are Exploiting to the Full the Lack of Any Uniform Native Policy Throughout the British Territories. Every Colony, as Well as the Union of South Africa, Has Different Native Laws. This Situation Is a Menace.
I Am Delighted to Hear That There Is a Clear Policy … for the Development of Africa. I Went All Round That Continent and Failed to Discover Anything of That Sort Myself. Possibly I Am Very Stupid!!!
I Was Told to Prepare Plans for the Seizure of Cork and Queenstown in Southern Ireland so the Harbours Could Be Used as Naval Bases.
Little-known facts about Bernard L. Montgomery — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Actors who portrayed Montgomery include M.E. Clifton James in Hell, Heaven or Hoboken 1958, Trevor Reid in The Longest Day 1962, Michael Rennie in The Battle of El Alamein 1969, Michael Bates in Patton 1970, Ian Richardson in Ike: The War Years 1979 and Churchill and the Generals 1979.
For his victory against Erwin Rommel at the Second Battle of El Alamein in November 1942, Montgomery was named First Viscount Montgomery of Alamein.
Montgomery was the honorary chairman of the English football team Portsmouth FC, which he followed while his headquarters was near Portsmouth during WWII.
The son of an Anglican bishop, Montgomery did not smoke, drink, or swear.
Montgomery was a British Army Field Marshal.
In 1947 he visited eleven African countries, and in 1948 as Chief of the Imperial Defence Staff secretly proposed a white supremacist plan for Africa, which was disavowed by the Attlee government.
Montgomery was criticized for being too cautious after El Alamein, but the battle made him a household name and Britain’s most popular WWII general.
Montgomery praised General George Patton’s ability to lead troops on the battlefield in December 1945, despite their rivalry during the Sicily campaign.
Montgomery was the overall ground commander of Allied forces landing on Normandy beach on 6 June 1944, code-named Operation Overlord.
Montgomery had a long-standing dislike for fellow Field Marshal Harold Alexander and did not hold Dwight Eisenhower in high regard, once saying Eisenhower was a nice chap but no General.
Montgomery had two puppies named Hitler and Rommel, with which he played in his mobile headquarters.
Montgomery did not attend his mother’s funeral.
He attributed criticism of his cautious approach to Britain’s Manpower Preservation Policy.
Montgomery maintained that Operation Market Garden was mostly successful, though it is widely regarded as a failure.
When nearly 60, Montgomery became close friends with 11-year-old Swiss boy Lucien Felix Trueb; the friendship waned as Trueb entered puberty.
Montgomery was widely condemned for allowing Axis forces to escape after El Alamein.
He suffered a heart attack in 1970 from which he never recovered.
Montgomery was a major supporter of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Defenders argue he was unfairly blamed for Market Garden’s failure, as the plan was radically altered by Americans.
Several biographers suggested Montgomery had a high-functioning form of autism.
In 1967, Montgomery visited Egypt for the 25th anniversary of El Alamein and warned Egyptian military leaders their preparations were insufficient; Egypt was beaten by Israel later that year in the Six Day War.
He assured General John Crocker he would become Chief of the Imperial General Staff, but General William Slim was appointed instead; Montgomery was told to untell Crocker.
Upon assuming command of the Eighth Army in Egypt, Montgomery remarked that things would now get tough for Rommel, not himself.
Montgomery’s extremely close friendships with prepubescent boys drew speculation.
Many suspected Montgomery made himself appear clownish to gain attention, as he lacked the charisma of other generals.
Winston Churchill described Montgomery as In defeat, insufferable. In victory, intolerable.
Historian Antony Beevor argued Montgomery had Asperger’s syndrome; his step-grandson Tom Carver agreed.
Montgomery failed to catch Rommel during a three-month pursuit despite the Axis forces being exhausted.
Arthur Tedder was so infuriated by Market Garden’s failure that he called for Montgomery’s relief.
In a 2002 BBC poll, Montgomery was voted the 88th greatest Briton, the only WWII commander on the list.
Montgomery served as Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO from 1951 to 1958, his final command.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Bernard L. Montgomery.
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