Personal Messages to the Eighth Army signed Field Marshal Montgomery 1st 1945
Printed and bound by Printing and Stationary Services: 21 Army Group [1945]
4to; bound by the army’s printing services in black cloth, with gilt on the front stating Eighth Army along with its formation insignia also in gilt; pp. 20. Consisting of a blank, title page, forward and 17 printed personal messages from Montgomery to his troops; overall about very good with the boards displaying several marks in particular to the lower board, a couple of biro marks on the fep and blank, but in collectible condition overall.
Bernard Montgomery would send a printed personal message to his army personnel on a regular basis, explaining clearly what their continuing objective was, and this book covers these in a period between El Alamein to the taking of Ortona in Italy. His messages relay some stirring sentiments such as “let no man surrender so long as he is unwounded and can fight” and “forward to Tunis. Drive the enemy into the sea!”. There is an additional loose and original message at the back dated 25 August 1945, about the formation of the British Army in the Rhine, bringing his messages up to date.
This is an important presentation copy, as on the front free end paper, Montgomery has inscribed “To, Ernest Bevin, Foreign Secretary of England, B.L. Montgomery, Field Marshal, Berlin 29-8-45”.
Shortly after the surprise election result in July 1945, new Prime Minister Clement Atlee gave close ally Ernest Bevin the job of having an active role in the military alliance in Europe. His first assignment as new foreign secretary was to meet with Montgomery in Berlin. It was the eve before Montgomery was to meet Georgi Zhukov, Dwight Eisenhower and Jean De Lattre Ele Tassigny, to form the Allied Control Council. The 30 August 1945, the following day was the councils inaugural meeting to set its objective to exercise supreme governmental authority over allied occupied Germany. On the agenda of that first meeting, was for them to discuss and task the four countries foreign secretaries with negotiating peace treaties and settlement for the former axis of power countries.
The first meeting of the council of foreign ministers was to take place on 1 September 1945. So, Ernest Bevin met with Montgomery on 29 August 1945 in Berlin to discuss the Allied Control Council, and the Council of Foreign Ministers, to share notes, be clear on their stance and what they wanted to see happen. It was a pivotal meeting between the two, and at some point, during this meeting, Montgomery signed this book and gave it to Bevin.
This signed book constitutes a moment in history, between two key figures that represented Britain in the initial stages of setting up allied controlled Germany and making a settlement with the axis of power.