Bernard Montgomery was an outstanding British field marshal in WWII. He was known for being a thorough and cautious strategist. This often tested the patience of other Allied commanders; however, his successes earned him tremendous respect from troops and other commanders alike.
Bernard Montgomery was born on November 17, 1887, in London, England, the son of a clergyman. He attended St. Paul’s School in London, and then the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst. He graduated from the Academy in 1908. Upon graduation Montgomery received a commission in the infantry. He served in France and Belgium in WWI, where he was injured twice. By the completion of WWI, Montgomery had reached the rank of Major General.
Early in World War II, Major General Montgomery led a division in France, and, subsequently, he commanded the southeastern section of England awaiting a German invasion. In August of 1942, the British army had been suffering great losses at the hands of the Germans in Egypt. At this time Prime Minister Winston Churchill appointed Major General Montgomery to command the British Eighth Army in North Africa. There Montgomery defeated German field marshal Erwin Rommel at the Battle of El-Alamein in October 1942. In this act, he became the first General to defeat the Germans; a significant accomplishment and a turning point in Rommel’s career. Montgomery was knighted for his actions and promoted to full General . Throughout the rest of 1942 and through May of 1943, General Montgomery and the Eighth Army continued to relentlessly attack the Germans in North Africa. In May 1943, the Germans surrendered to the British in North Africa at Tunisia.
Working under United States General Dwight D Eisenhower, General Montgomery played a major role in the Allies invasion of Sicily in 1943. The invasion was successful and Montgomery continued to lead the Eighth Army methodically up the east coast of Italy.
Montgomery was called home to lead the Allied armies into France in 1944. On June 6, 1944, again under Untied States General Eisenhower, Montgomery headed the ground forces in the initial stages of the invasion of Normandy. Beginning August 1, 1944 the now field marshal Montgomery led his troops victoriously across northern France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and into northern Germany. The Allied forces had successfully worked together to defeat the Nazi’s.