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Across Europe with "Monty".
Whilst Margaret Rayner was chopping down trees in the Timber Corp her brother, Bill Hall, was guarding Field Marshal Montgomery's headquarters.
When he left school in 1937, Bill was unable to find work on Tyneside but he managed to gain employment in Welwyn Garden City. Consequently, when in 1939 he was called up, he found himself serving in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. He was posted to "Monty's" headquarters where he carried out guard duties at the inner camp.
"Monty" preferred using caravans rather than a building. (The map caravan formerly belonged to Italian generals.) He liked to be surrounded by hedges and trees, which made task of guarding him more difficult! It was at times like a gypsy camp with Monty's two dogs (a wire haired terrier called Hitler and a cocker spaniel called Rommel) and a menagerie of other animals. When camped near Hamburg zoo these were peacocks, black swans and ducks from the local zoo they varied according to where they were.
Bill's personal view of "Monty" was that he was an infantryman who was a cavalryman at heart; a good soldier, too thoughtful to be an officer! He considered that "Monty" was very upset at the failure of the initiative at Arnhem. A nonconformist to some extent, Montgomery was an infantry officer but always wore a tank regiment Beret.
Bill himself was not keen on army regulations and considered himself an armed civilian. He reached the dizzy heights of lance corporal for one week! A printer in by trade, he had attended night classes in engineering for two years. One day in the mess an officer asked if any one was an engineer. A friend volunteered the information that Bill knew something about engineering! He was asked to draw a plan and he did so by pacing out the area in question. The officer was impressed. After that, he was responsible for making the plans for the advanced H.Q. until a draughtsman was brought in to carry out this duty.
On June 6th at 1pm., after leaving of the Isle of Wight, they sailed to the Normandy beaches and then journeyed through France, Holland, Belgium and into Germany. There, on May 4th 1945 at Deutsch Evern (near Luneburg), Field Marshal Montgomery accepted the surrender of all armed forces opposing 21 Army Group. Three days later Germany surrendered to the Allied Expeditionary Force and to the Soviet High Command, under which all forces would cease active operations at midnight 8/9 May 1945.
There were many interesting events along the way; at one camp "Monty" had his portrait painted. During a lull in the fighting King George V1 invested him as Sir Bernard Montgomery. Bill was in the guard of honour. The event was filmed a newsreel.
In Holland people were starving. Bill helped one family with 13 children; he gave them the left over bread from the mess. This family kept in touch for years with Bill by sending Christmas cards.
One night on guard duty (3 hours on - 3 hours off), he challenged two men who ran away. Later they turned out to be American airman who had escaped from a prisoner of war camp. They were taken to holding camp behind the lines then back to their camp in England.
The only time he came actually came under fire was during training with live ammunition! Bill has many, many more stories.
After the war, H.Q. became a regular army camp with white painted sentry boxes. Monty's reaction was "If these are for me take them away!" He did not care for army bull.
THE JOURNEY OF FIELD MARSHAL MONTGOMERY'S HEADQUARTERS IN N.W. EUROPE
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June 6th 1944 1 pm Standing off Beaches.
" 7th " FRANCE Moved to St Croix-sur-Mer.
" 8th " " " Croullet.
" 23rd " " " Blay.
Aug 3rd " " " Foret-de-Cerisy.
" 14th " " " Campeaux (near Beny Bocage)
" 19th " " " Proussy (near Conde-sur-Noireau)
" 25th " " " Avernes-sous Exmes
" 30th " " " Fontaine (near Evreux)
Sep 1st " " " Dangu (across Seine)
" 3rd " " " Conty
" 4th " " " Saulty (Pas de Calais)
" 6th " BELGUIM " Chateau Houtaing
" 8th " " " Everberg (BRUSSELS)
" 21st " " " Hechtel
" 27th " HOLLAND " Eindhoven
Nov 9th " BELGIUM " Zonhoven
Feb 7th 1945 HOLLAND " Geldrop
Mar 10th " " " Venlo (2 miles N.W.)
" 17th " GERMANY " Straelen
" 29th " " " Bonninghardt
" 31st " " " Brunen
Apr 3rd " " " Nottuln (West of Munster)
" 6th " " " Rheine (Bombed Barracks)
" 10th " " " Ostenwalde (West of Osnabrucke)
" 14th " " " Nienberg (River Wesel)
" 21st " " " Soltau
May 1st " " " Deutch Evern (near LUNEBURG)
" 4th " " Field Marshal Montgomery accepted
Surrender of all armed forces opposing 21
Army Group.
" 7th " " Germany surrendered to the Allied Ex-
peditionary Force and to the Soviet High
Command at 070241, under which all forces
will cease active operations at midnight
8/9 May 1945.
Comments
The map caravan was the only one of the three that WASN'T previously owned by the enemy, in fact. It was constructed to Monty's specifications and presented as a personal gift to him by Fordson trucks.
The first caravan was indeed captured from an Italian general and transferred to a Leyland Retriever truck. This became his office when the second caravan came to him. This was previously owned by an enemy general, I don't know whether he was Italian or German, and when captured used by a General subordinate to Monty. On seeing it Monty commandeered it! It was transferred to an American made Mack truck and became Monty's living quarters.
I learned this from the information at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, where all three caravans are displayed. They are very atmospheric exhibits, enhanced by the recordings of Monty describing their history. Well worth a visit.
Thanks for making this post, it is very interesting.
Posted by: Stephen Gash at October 23, 2008 4:18 PM
Thanks for the information about the map caravan and we're interested to learn that the three caravans are in a museum.
Posted by: Whickham Web Wanderers at October 24, 2008 8:13 PM