"General Sir Bernard Montgomery" Artist unknown [R.D.?], 1943

Catalogue ref: INF 3/80

A portrait of General Sir Bernard Montgomery, popularly referred to as ‘Monty', wearing his characteristic double-badged tank corps beret and watch chain. Commissioned in 1908, from 1939-40 he commanded the Third Division in France until the evacuation of Dunkirk.

In 1942 he was sent to command the British Eighth Army in Africa. Winning the battle of El Alamein and driving the Germans 2,000 miles across Africa to Tunisia made him a hero to the British public. Montgomery's victory in the desert was characterised by Churchill as being ‘The end of the beginning'. Monty led the Eighth Army in Sicily and Italy until December 1943, and was made Field Marshal in 1944. This image was used as one of a series of famous British heroes' posters, which was accompanied by the following text.

“FOR VICTORY. GENERAL SIR BERNARD LAW MONTGOMERY. Leader of Britain's great Eighth Army, General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery opened his attack on the Axis at El Alamein in October 1942; by May 13th 1943 the victorious British and Allied Armies had reached Cape Bon and all Axis resistance in North Africa ended. General Montgomery is now leading his men to fresh victories in the important Mediterranean area.”