The Churchill Series – Nov. 6, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

We know Eisenhower had his problems with certain “personalities.” Generals Montgomery and de Gaulle come immediately to mind. Churchill had his problems with those same two “personalities.”

Today we’ll read something Montgomery wrote in November, 1943 about British General Alexander, then commending the 15th Army Group in Italy. It's an example of the kind of things Montgomery was then saying to many in the Allied high command. At the time, he was Alexander’s subordinate:

In my opinion 15 Army Group is a very bad and inefficient H.Q. I think the staff there works under great difficulties since they find it quite impossible to get any decision out of ALEXANDER, or any firm line of country on which to work.

There is no proper planning or thinking ahead. ALEXANDER does not know clearly what he wants; and he has very little idea as to how to operate the Armies in the field.

When he has a conference of commanders, which is very seldom, it is a lamentable spectacle; he relies on ideas being produced which will give him a plan. …

There’s a lot more as they say.

At the time Montgomery wrote the above and similar remarks, the commanders for the D-Day Overlord operation had not been selected. Alexander was seen by many as the likely choice to command the ground forces. I’m sure you know who Montgomery thought would be the best choice.

For Churchill and Eisenhower, dealing with Montgomery and the bitter resentments his comments often caused was all part of a tough day's work.

BTW – Montgomery capitalized ALEXANDER in the original. I guess he wanted to make it easy for everyone to remember who he was talking about.
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Nigel Hamilton, Master of the Battlefield:Monty's War Years, 1942-1944. (p. 468)