TO EIGHTH ARMY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3251, 12 April 1943, Page 5

TO EIGHTH ARMY

COMMANDER’S j MESSAGE COPY RECEIVED IN PAEROA GREETINGS AT CHRISTMAS A printed copy of the following personal message sent at Christmafe time by General B. L. Montgomery to all officers and other ranks, of the Eighth Army has been received by .Mrs M. E. Conolly, Hill street, Paeroa, from her son, Lieut.-Colonel J- Conolly, who is with the Eighth Army in North Africa. The message read as follows: EIGHTH ARMY [Personal message from the Army Commander to all Officers and other Ranks.] .1. The Eighth Army has turned the enemy out of the famous Agheila position and is now advancing into Tripolitania. It is wonderful what has ■been achieved, since the 23rd. October, when we started the Battle of Egypt.

Before the battle began I sent you a message in which I said: Let us pray that “the Lord mighty in battle” will give us the victory. He has done so and I know you will all agree with me when I say that we must not forget to thank Him for His great merdies. 2. It is now Christmas time and we are all thinking about our families and friends in the home country. I-want to send all my very best wishes, and my hope that 1943 will be a very happy year for each one of

• you. '3. I have received a Christmas greeting from Hull, in Yorkshire. It is quite the nicest that I have ever received; my only regret is that I cannot answer it, as the writer gave no ’ address. But I shall treasure.it all my life. It is intended for you as well ■as me, and is as follows:— “ Dear sir, “To wish you and our lads of the Eighth' Army a very happy Christmas. Good health. Good luck and by the Grace of God Victory in 1943 ** “Keep ’em on the run Monty. Best wishes from a Yorkshire lass with a lad in the Eighth Army. 4. What better Christmas greeting can I send on to you than the one from the Yorkshire lass? I would like to tell her, from us all, that we will do our best to “keep em

on the run.” 5. Good luck to. you! And in the words of Tiny Tim, in Dickens’ “Christmas Carol”: — “6dd bless us all, each one of us.” B. L. MONTGOMERY, General, G.O.C. in C. . Eighth Army. Christmas, 1942.