“MONTY’S” TRIBUTE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 3, 5 January 1944, Page 5

“MONTY’S” TRIBUTE

FAREWELL TO MEN “NOT A SINGLE FAILURE” Reed. 7.30 p.m. Rugby, Jan. 3. General Montgomery has arrived in Britain to assume his new appointment, announces the War Office. General Montgomery will be commander of the British group of armies under General Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces for the liberation of Europe. Before he left Italy General Montgomery spoke to a gathering of the Eighth Army men from the stage of the opera house in a little town behind the lines, a correspondent says. General Montgomery was wearing among his decorations the ribbon of the Africa Star, and about half the men were wearing it, too. He declared that tne outlook for the Allies was bright. There was no possible doubt that the end of the war was in sight, although he did not think it was going to end to-morrow, next week or even next year. He referred to comments about the slowness of the Allied advance in Italy and said he did not think there had been any slowness. The Eighth Army had landed in Italy on September 3 and by December 3 had fought its way several hundred miles. General Montgomery revealed that he was taking with him to England some of the very experienced officers who had served under him in the Western Desert, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. He explained that the Eighth Army was the only really experienced army they had and its experience should be shared with all other British armies that would soon be fighting. When General Montgomery had finished, the New Zealand commander, General Freyberg, jumped up and called for three cheers, and while these were ringing out General Montgomery stood at the salute.

There was a break in his voice when he said “good-bye,” and tears in his eyes when 2000 officers and men cheered him in response to the call from General Freyberg.

Dealing with the present, General Montgomery said: “I probably have been long enough with this army, and it is high time I moved on and somebody else came to give you new ideas and inspirations. I remember. August last year when I came to join the Eighth Army. Things were not good. Plans were actually being worked out to move the army headquarters back to Cairo. It was clear the army required a firm lead. The Eighth Army required somebody to say: ‘lf we are attacked we fight where we stand.’ Once that had been said there was no further trouble. You know what happened. The Eighth Army from that ti?ne never looked back.” The General added: “I am going to England. It is natural I want some of our very experienced men. The Eighth is really the only experienced army we possess in the Empire. I feel now we have to get battle experience spread over all armies that are going to deal the knock-out blow. The first, essential in war is the human factor, on which everything depends. I have never since commanding this army issued a written order to my generals about operations. Commands must, be verbal. How can a soldier know what’s wanted unless told clearly and personally?” During the whole time he commanded tiie Eighth Army, said General Montgomery, he had only two anxious moments. The first was on January 15, 1943, when he attacked Tripoli. “I knew we must get there in ten days otherwise it would be an awakward position from the administrative viewpoint. I knew that if the Germans could hold us we might have to go a long way back. I was slightly anxious for about one day in that battle, hut we got Tripoli in eight days. The second anxious occasion was when w? left Tripoli and were advancing on the Mareth Line. Rommel about the same time was attacking the Americans at Gafsa. We had to do something. We were very weak and stretched when we reached the Mareth Line in March, and it was clear that Rommel was pulling out from th n American front to attack us. We rushed up. the New Zealand Division and I think the only thing that saved us was air superiority. Rommel attacked us, and you know the result. Il was the only time we had to tight a defensive action after leaving El A lamein. It is interesting that everyone had forgotten how to fight a defensive battle. I even found generals looking up their tex.-books.” General Montgomery concluded by reading a message to all troops in the Eighth Army in which )r i said he had been ordered to take command of the British arrrfies in England that are to operate under General Eisenhower.