Bernard Law Montgomery was born this day in 1887, but unlike his American and German counterparts, Patton and Rommel, respectively, ‘Monty’ would survive World War II and its after occupation and live into the middle 1970s. Montgomery was the fourth of nine children born to Reverend Henry and Maud Montgomery. Henry was an Anglican Priest, and inherited a large estate at the death of Sir Robert Montgomery. The family sold some assets to try and keep the inheritance, but it was not until Henry was made Bishop of Tasmania, that the  family had true financial stability. Henry would be away from Tasmania for 6 months at a time. While Henry was away Maud was a strict disciplinarian, and inflicted many beatings on Monty and his siblings. The children were mostly ignored as she tended to duties customary of a bishops wife. One of his siblings passed away early on, while another three emigrated away quickly. Maud did little to educate the children, instead relying on tutors brought in from England.

This environment made Monty into quite the bully, and he never reconciled the relationship with his mother. Later in life he would not allow his son to see grandmother Maud, and when she died in 1949, Monty did not attend her funeral. After coming back to London in 1901, Montgomery attended St. Paul’s School and later the Royal Military College. He graduated in 1908 and joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a second lieutenant. He would see his first action in India later that year and would make full lieutenant in 1910.

As the first World War began, Montgomery and his unit moved to France. He saw action in several battles, but it was in Bailleul near the Belgium border that Montgomery was almost killed by a sniper. Montgomery was hit in the chest, suffering massive trauma to his right lung, and he was also hit in the knee. He recovered and was back in action in early 1915. He received several promotions, and by early 1916 was a staff officer. Autumn of 1917 he saw action at Passchendaele, and he finished out the war with a temporary rank of lieutenant colonel.

Between the Wars, Montgomery helped control the insurgency during the Irish War for Independence, and served as a lecturer at the Indian Army Staff College. Monty also married Elizabeth Carver, who would bear a son David. On holiday in 1937, however, Elizabeth would die from complications due to an infected insect bite. Though clearly heartbroken, Montgomery insisted on going right back to work after the funeral.

World War II saw Montgomery save a lot of the British Expeditionary Force that was almost overran by the Wehrmacht once Belgium fell, leaving that flank exposed. Some were calling for his head, but eventually his supporters won out. Not long after the evacuation from Dunkirk, Monty was headed to North Africa, where he and Erwin Rommel would face off in many battles, El Alamein and Tunisia.

After pushing Rommel out of Africa, Montgomery was tasked with helping plan Operation Overlord. The D-Day invasion landed at the Normandy beaches and with uncooperative weather the British almost were unable to make their advancement. After several months of many hard fought battles, the British were able to advance, and along with American and Canadian allied forces, push through to the Rhine, liberating France in the process.

Montgomery served as the Deputy Supreme Commander Europe of NATO from 1951-1958.

Montgomery died of unspecified causes at the age of 88. He is interred at the Holy Cross Churchyard in the village of Binstead.