montgomery desert rats

Desert RATS Kokopelli 150Multi-Day Footrace AdventureFruita, CO to Moab, UTJune 20-26, 2021. Viscount Bernard Montgomery of El Alamein. 1938–1945), was the nickname given to the personnel of the 7th armoured division, which fought throughout the Second World War in many of the British army's most famous campaigns.The 7th armoured division had its origins in the mobile force that Britain deployed to watch the Egyptian frontier with the Italian colony of Libya. No more plans for withdrawing/retreating. More battles took place in Tunisia, then Montgomery led the 8th Army as part of the invasion of Sicily in Autumn 1943 and  then up through Italy, on the eastern front of the advancing Allies, arriving at the Gustav line by December of that year. “The community aspect each night and morning in camp is a charming and meaningful part of the event.”. We found problems with maintaining our vehicles and guns, as oil and sand mixed to set like cement. We had plenty of sandstorms where the sand got into everything. A year later in 1938 Montgomery was promoted to Major General of the 8th Infantry Division and led the quashing of an Arab revolt in Palestine. To put it mildly, we were a bit apprehensive. Elisabeth suffered an insect bite that became infected and she died of Septicaemia. In 1914 on the outbreak of World War One, The Warwickshires were sent to France and Montgomery served with distinction. Back home in Britain as it became an island fortress he was put in charge of defending the counties of Hampshire and Dorset in the event of invasion, and later become in charge of South East command, changing the name to South East Army to promote a fighting spirit. Montgomery then returned to Britain to take control of the 21st Army Group, the ground forces of the planned Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. Here are some of the notable places we recaptured during the desert battles in Egypt, Libya Sereneca, Tripolitania and Tunisia, a distance of approximately 3,000 miles at least. However, victory came eventually, and with little ceremony in a tent in Luneberg on the 4th May, 1945 he accepted the surrender of German forces in North Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. We hadn’t been trained for desert warfare. The officers who gave us the lectures had just read about it. After the Munich Crisis, elements of what would become the 7th Armoured Division arrived in the Middle East in 1938 to increase British strength in Egypt and form a 'Mobile Force'. Then we had the small task of reversing the advance of the Germans and Italians commanded by Field Marshall Rommel (The desert fox). It was not unusual to see so-called non-believers on their knees praying. (The Desert Rats). They had a son in 1928. There was no bread during the whole campaign and hard biscuits was our main diet. referenced. (The Desert Rats). General Montgomery dictates speech to congratulate Eighth Army on it;s African victory. In war I don’t think there are any “cowards”. The battle swung backwards and forwards for the best part of three years, mainly between General Erwin We could land a shell on a target up to 20,000 yards away with an accuracy of a few meters, and within a minute of receiving the map reference or the position of the target. Seen as one of the most able commanders of the enemy forces during WWII, he was greatly known as the Desert Fox. “This trail is permanent fun from mile 1 – never a dull moment – lots of enticing variety – like a multi-plate gourmet meal.”. Montgomery and his Desert Rats won a turning point battler at El Alamein in 1942 by sending a note to the Germans saying; "NUTS". Frustrated, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery planned to outflank the enemy using his best divisions. During the retreat from Mons half his battalion was destroyed. And as I said, we were a good team. It looks like water in the distance. During the retreat from Mons half his battalion was destroyed. In August 1942, Montgomery was to assume a role for which he will forever be remembered. In the lead was the veteran British 7th Armored Division, famed as the “Desert Rats” for having cut their teeth in North Africa. The fame of Bernard Montgomery (1887—1976) as a field commander was established with the British Eighth Army from July 1942 to January 1944 as the Desert Rats fought the formidable German army from Alamein across north Africa and then into Sicily and southern Italy. Communications were crude. No modern radio equipment in those days! Two years later he was made a Lieutenant. The Germans were forced to retreat and over 30,000 prisoners were captured. Born in London in 1887, Bernard Montgomery was the son of an Anglo Irish priest. He was pessimistic about their readiness and trained his troops for retreat. It was formed from the Cairo Cavalry Brigade and comprised four armoured regiments (the 7th Queen's Own Hussars, the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, the 11th Hussars and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment) and supp… He was a supporter of Apartheid and against the legalisation of homosexuality and said the 1967 Sexual Offences Act was a 'charter for buggery'. They included the crack Panzer divisions who had mainly tanks and armoured vehicles which were better than ours. In 1927, he married Elisabeth Carver whose first husband, an Olympic rower had been killed during WW1. Bernard Montgomery was one of the British top Generals during WWII — commander of the Eight Army known as the Desert Rats. Apart from a few lectures while on the troop ship we knew nothing about desert conditions. His predictions were realised and he assisted with the great evacuation of Dunkirk. In his last few years his home was burgled and many of his personal items were taken and were never recovered. He did not rush into battle and waited for a build up of troops and tanks, and was ready to launch an all out offensive by October. We were well equipped with various modern Artillery weapons of that time, and we were well trained in Artillery work. Hence the name “desert rats”. Land laid lines were the best we could do. https://www.berlinexperiences.com/british-victory-parade-1945-desert-rats You could never judge the book by the cover. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. T-shirts, stickers, wall art, home decor, and more featuring designs by independent artists. We relied on compass, mileometer, watch and the sun. The desert mirage, an optical illusion caused by reflection of light through different densities of air, was deceiving. With the 8th army receiving a new commander in the form of Lieutenant-General Bernard Camouflaging our heavy guns and vehicles was a problem too. The invasion was successful but bad weather and stiff resistance slowed the advance into France, with many battles becoming ones of attrition. He served as deputy of NATO from 1951 until his retirement at aged 71 in 1958. In October 1914 he was shot in the lung by a sniper, whilst attacking an enemy trench with bayonets, a platoon sergeant who came to his rescue was shot dead and he collapsed on top of Montgomery. Two years later he was made a Lieutenant. Bearing in mind that we had not won one land battle since the war started on 3rd. Montgomery wearing his Tank Regiment black beret soon became loved for his hands on approach. This story has been placed in the following categories. Monty And The Workers (1944) General Bernard Montgomery gives an amusing speech to factory workers on a visit. Their job was just as important and just as risky as any other. In 1946 he was made 1st Viscount Montgomery of El Alamein and for two years was Chief of the Imperial General staff. In 1914 on the outbreak of World War One, The Warwickshires were sent to France and Montgomery served with distinction. The Battery water cart … Can you imagine trying to camouflage a shadow? Most so-called fearless heroes didn’t live to tell their stories. Water shortage was one of our biggest problems. One of the most experienced division in the British order of battle, it was singled-out among armored divisions to be almost entirely equipped with fast Cromwell tanks in order to perform lightning strikes like in the glorious desert days. Desert Rats. Find out how you can use this. In Mr Churchill’s words this was “The beginning of the end”. Unused / unissued material - dates and locations unclear or unknown.Field Marshal Bernard Eighth Army (United Kingdom) The Eighth Army was a field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Desert Rats, byname of the 7th Armoured Division, group of British There’s not enough adjectives in my vocabulary to do that, and only those who have experienced it could believe it. Montgomery led the Desert Rats to victory at El Alamein. September 1939, we couldn’t afford to loose any more. This turned out to be an experience which no training could have prepared us for. © Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Orientation was different in the desert with no identifiable landmarks and few roads, which we didn’t use anyway. Temperatures would be up to 120F if we were still here in May or June next year. Its aim is to provide a point of reference for those who might be interested in the history of this division, the various regiments that … We only had plans to go forward. I found that fear acted as a safety device, part of the survival kit. Testimony Transcript. In August 1942, Montgomery was to assume a role for which he will forever be remembered. Our supply of weapons, ammunitions, and food was from the U.K. and had to be transported all round South Africa, and up through the Red Sea as the Mediterranean was still occupied by the enemy. We used semaphore, Morse code and every code except the Highway code. Desert rats (act. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. It was so easy to get completely lost in the desert. On the outbreak of WWII Montgomery was sent to France as leader of the 3rd Division. October 1942: The Commonwealth Troops had suffered terrible losses at Benghazi and Tobruk for about a year or more, and were now being pushed back into Egypt. The sniper continued to take shots at him until sunset, the dead sergeant on top of him took most of the bullets but he was hit once more in the knee. Erwin Rommel was a German Field Marshal during that same era. October 1942: The Commonwealth Troops had suffered terrible losses at Benghazi and Tobruk for about a year or more, and were now being pushed back into Egypt. British Pathé. Chief of the 8th Army, leader of the Desert Rats who fought Rommels Afrika Korp in the deserts of North Africa. He was so badly injured a grave was dug for him, as he was not expected to survive. He died in March 1976 at the age of 88, after a ceremony at St Georges Chapel, Windsor he was buried in the churchyard of Holy Cross, Binsted, Hampshire. He was awarded a DSO (Distinguished Service Order) medal for gallantry. This was true even among His mother was 18 years younger than her husband, and his father was made Bishop of Tasmania, so the family spent time there before returning to Britain. Bearing in … The Royal Regiment of Artillery played a major role in the Desert Battles, supporting all the other Regiments of the “Eighth Army”. It wasn’t nice in food either. The Mobile Force – initially the "Matruh Mobile Force" – was established on the coast some 120 mi (190 km) west of Alexandria. those of the BBC. Apart from malaria, dysentery and tummy troubles, we had dangerous scorpions to deal with. After the French capitulation in 1940, the Italians and Germans turned their attentions to North Africa. Montgomery was born in Kennington, Surrey, in 1887, the fourth child of nine, to an Anglo-Irish Church of Ireland minister, The Reverend Henry Montgomery, and his wife, Maud (née Farrar). We had some surprises to come about surviving in desert conditions. The sniper continued to take shots at him until sunset, the dead sergeant on top of him took most of the bullets but he was hit once more in the knee. https://www.plitch.com/en/g/Desert-Rats-vs.-Afrika-Korps/49 Otherwise you went round and round in circles. Conditions during the desert campaign were miserable. Laurence Rees: Sam Bradshaw was one of the famous ‘desert rats’ – British soldiers who served in North Africa during the war, with the Seventh Armoured division, part of the Eighth Army. Out of the few soldiers who were unable to deal with battle conditions, most were found a role behind the battle lines. No matter how far you go towards it, it remains in the distance. After returning from a posting in India in 1937, the family went on holiday to Burnham on Sea, tragedy struck. Bernard Montgomery and his Desert Rats fought Rommel and the Afrika Korps in North Africa over the Suez Canal and the oil in the Middle East. In October 1914 he was shot in the lung by a sniper, whilst attacking an enemy trench with bayonets, a platoon sergeant who came to his rescue was shot dead and he collapsed on top of Montgomery. Find Desert Rats gifts and merchandise printed on quality products that are produced one at a time in socially responsible ways. Combat fatigue was a significant problem in veteran British army units. Robert Brighton, from Sutton Coldfield, served in the British Eighth Army under General Montgomery as he led the Allies to victory against the Nazis in North Africa in May 1943. (not in any order). "The Desert Rats" This website is dedicated to all those who served in this unit and proudly wore the Jerboa shoulder flash. When you did get lost you had to stop. I don’t intend to describe any of the battle conditions in great detail. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites Some readers may remember hearing, or reading about some of the following famous battles. public. He was awarded a DSO (. Every purchase you make puts money in an artist’s pocket. And as he vividly recalls he also fought alongside troops from the British Commonwealth and empire. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not After recovering from his serious wounds he returned to France in 1916 as a Brigade Major and was an operations staff officer during the battles of the Somme, Arras and Passchendaele . After World War One he began to progress through the ranks, and served in Ireland, then Egypt, India and Palestine. Henry Montgomery, at that time Vicar of St Mark's Church, Kennington, was the second son of Sir Robert Montgomery, a native of Inishowen in County Donegal in Ulster, the noted colonial administrator in British India, who died a month … For any other comments, please Contact Us. The Montgomerys, an 'Ascendancy' gentry family, were the County Donegal branch of the Clan Montgomery. We were in a group of Artillery units known as an AGRA (Army Group of Royal Artillery). On the 23rd October the 2nd battle of El Alamein began, lasting for 12 days. https://legionmagazine.com/en/2017/05/montgomery-and-rommel Battle conditions were a severe test of character, bringing out the best in some and the worst in others. ONE of the last surviving Desert Rats, - who was once tasked with mending General Montgomery's boots - has died at the age of 95. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, … Digging-in was difficult in the desert, so we usually had to build walls with sand bags which caused a shadow, easily spotted from the air. So they knew no more than the rest of us. In 1908 after attending Sandhurst he joined the 1st battalion, The Warwickshire Regiment. General Montgomery’s Eighth Army. The 7th Armoured Division, the « Desert rats » of North Africa fame, was General Montgomery's XIII Legion. 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