Some General Notes on What to Look For When Inspecting a Unit

This is a copy of a letter sent to General Crerar when he commanded the IInd Canadian Corps, by Montgomery as Commander of the "South East Army". I found it as an appendix to John A English's "The Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign." The thing that interests me is the importance Montgomery placed on training. In the FSR we have laid down the principles of war categorically. In no book have we laid down the principles for training; officers are supposed to know all about this subject, actually very few know anything about it, and a great deal of time is wasted in consequence."





This may be one of the missing pieces in the puzzle. Lots of books about tactics. Not so many about ntraining!

 

Great find and sent onwards to an ex-USMC officer who now is in the inspectorate for the US Army.

 

A very good read.

The points about the RSM being the backbone of the unit ring very true.

Can you imagine being a CO on exercise (or worse in the field) when Monty walks into your Orders Group and says 'don't mind me' while listening in on your tactical appreciation?

 

An interesting read! Thanks for sharing it here!

 

Also worth noting that the Army Records Society are planning to issue a volume of letters between Montgomery and Crerar which should be interesting.

Regards

Tom

 

I wonder how Crerar took the receipt of this, honestly. Their relationship was not the best, but I'm not sure what it was like in 1942.

 

This is the nub of why Montgomery was not always the most popular co-worker. Montgomery saw it as his job to teach his subordinates, treating them as his students. He had spent half his career instructing in some capacity. Not every senior officer took kindly to being lectured...

Montgomery thought Harry Crerar was unfit to command an Army. He was the CGS at the start of the war and manoeuvred his way to become 1st Canadian Army with only minimal prior field experience. Whatever he felt, as acting 2nd Corps commander he invited Montgomery to inspect his units - and the notes about are the legacy.
John A English is bitterly critical of Canadian senior commanders who wasted the interwar years

Crerar may have been grateful for the tips Montgomery passed on. According to Stephen Hart's study of the 21st Army group in NW Europe "Colossal Cracks" The First Canadian Army followed the Monty Method. the

 

I haven't read a bio of Crerar but according to Wikipedia he really did want to drop down to command at a lower level in 1943.

But yes, as you say, the Canadian Army was greatly influenced by Monty.

 

According to English, Montgomery wanted Crerar to take over the 1st Division in Italy, but Crerar baulked at that and took over the 1st Canadian Corps at a very quiet time. Kitching (another Canadian general with an axe to grind), commented that by rfusing the command of 1st Canadian Division he lost his only chance to be seen as a real commander. Instead,... he remained a kindly figurehead.

Crerar also disliked Simmonds and tried to fire him, English claims that Crerar saw Simmonds as a career threat. Montgomery told Crerar that he needed to look after Simmonds as one the most experienced Canadian Generals.

Crerar could also be petty. One of his first acts as Army commander was to pick an argument with his sole subordinate Crocker, resulting in sarcastic comments by Montgomery to Brooke about Crocker taking command at 1200 and making his first error at 1205. Monty was not happy with the huge amount of paperwork generated by Crerar's HQ.

There was also a little history between Brooke and the senior Canadian generals. In 1917 Brooke was the senior artillery staff officer to the CCRA of the Canadian Corps. Andrew MacNaughton was the Corps Counter Battery Staff Officer. Two pushy young officers both involved in planning the fire support for the Canadian Army at Vimy Ridge, Hill 70 and Passchendaele. Credit for fireplanning claimed by both party's adherents. Harry Crerar was a an staff officer on the CCRA's staff and took over as Corps Counter Battery Staff Officer when Macnaughton was promoted.