My friend P C-A has just had printed his new book called Monty and Rommel Parallel Lives...... On Amazon for the bargain price of £10...... I did ask Peter a question along the lines of: Why did he think that some authors 'choose' to ignore the fact that Monty was 'second choice' after Gott to command the 8th Army? His reply.... I spent much time on 'Strafer' Gott. Basically because he died suddenly and left no papers or letters, history has unfairly overlooked him, not least because of Monty's efforts. I am... convinced that his death was a mid-air assassination - but not against Gott - that was misfortune (wrong time, wrong place). Churchill had flown the same route the day before, and almost certainly the shooting down of Gott's unarmed Bristol Bombay, which had never happened before, though the route was flown daily, was a bungled attempt to kill Churchill. My thoughts on this..... ....I do recall that Hamilton in his 3 volume work on Monty did go into the background of why Gott was picked first...another of those what if's.....would the Western Desert camapign have gone any better or the same with Gott? What might have happened if he'd failed??? The consequences of this too horrible probably to contemplate.... [*]Anyway will get a copy and read it.....
Gott was Churchill's choice - The CIGS was not in agreement but could not get his way over Gott. Alan Brooke had a high opinion of Gott, yet in the months before the appointment Gott had admitted to Brooke that he had tried everything and was tired. Brooke wanted his protege Montgomery, Auchinleck agreed with Brooke over Gott but had fallen out with Montgomery over South Coast defences sometime before. Brooke wasted no time in getting Montgomery to 8th Army.Taking over before the official date! I listened to a wartime colonel give a staff lecture some years ago titled 'Alan Brooke the finest of all British Generals' the man who won the war. He stopped many of Churchill's 'madcaps schemes and wild adventures'. If you look at the command element at that time, Alan Brooke Ulster stock, Montgomery son of an Irish family father Bishop of Tasmania. and yet another Irishman Alexander!
Wills - and then there was O'Connor and quite a few more of the Ulstermen in high command - with not so many Scots such as Anderson - Auchinlek - Urguhart - Murray - Mac Millan - Rennie - Wimberley - Ritchie but the Ulstermen were half Scots ... Alanbrooke wasted no time to get Monty out there - right - Monty was scheduled for 1st Army's Torch landings so time was of the essence again- MONTY took over three days early when he saw the state of the Army...couldn't be blamed for that - had to be done... Cheers
Wills/Tom, Granted they were from Anglo-Irish familys, but Alanbrooke was born and edcated in France, whilst Montgomery and Alexander were born (London) and educated in England. Alanbroke and Montgomery died in Hampshire and Alexander in Berkshire. I wonder how much of their lives were actually spent in Ireland?!? They were about as Irish as I am, with my Scottish surname and English birth and education, and an Irish great granddad. You'd be closer with the Duke of Wellington of whom it was said "No, he is not an Irishman. He was born in Ireland; but being born in a stable does not make a man a horse." Thank god they/you were/are all British though! Best, Steve.
Scots such as Anderson - Auchinlek - Urguhart - Murray - Mac Millan - Rennie - Wimberley........ Hi Tom, I'm assuming the Urquhart you mention is Roy Urquhart of Arnhem? I know that he is almost universally referred to as a Scot, but did you know he was actually born in Middlesex, England! All the best..............
Perhaps pretty brave to write another 'Parallel Lives' WW2 History. Monty and Rommel: Parallel Lives: Amazon.co.uk: Peter Caddick Adams: Books Might have to order that to see how it sits alongside Bullock's classic on Adolf & Joe - could be a whole new genre in the making.
Paul - yes I did know that Roy Urquhart was born in Middlesex - but that was only because his Mother was there at the time....same with Alanbrooke born in France - not his fault..many others were born in India - same reasons Cheers
Met Urquhart many years ago, he was a a dinner guest at the Tower of London, chatted to the Guardsmen and wished us well. One of my favourite Montgomery tales is one of his own, 'warned off to go to France, report to armourer and have sword sharpened', it was this kind of nonsense that made the young officer think deeply about his profession. The Scots Guards many of our officers lived in Surrey = hence 'Surrey Highlanders' One Major when he was on duty as Captain of the Queen's Guard would when choosing the music on the march to duty, always picked 'Sussex by the Sea!' It was where he lived. Imagine the Jocks marching to that! A tale, that is probably true as Prince Philip told of it. Her Majesty and Prince Philip were dining with a few guests one could not make it, the Captain of the Queens Guard told to attend the evening meal. Sitting at the table the lowly Major joined in the chat, when he was asked by the Prince, do you not wear the boiled shirt in Mess Kit Major? Yes Sir, but only on special occasions. The story goes that whenever the Prince as colonel of the regiment met this officer there was a knowing smile. Thinking about this we had a WO1 (RSM ERE at Beaconsfield) Father had been SG married and moved to Wales where his wife came from, so we had two Jock Taffs! Sons of. Quite funny for the first time meeting, the South Wales lilt to the voice. An Aussie CSgt same thing dad SG. ERE = Extra Regimentally Employed.
