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3. C’est un véritable exploit, et Montgomery veut remercier tous ceux
qui y ont contribué. Cette belle victoire a été apportée plus par les
grandes qualités de combattants des soldats de l’Empire que par
n’importe quoi que lui-même a pu faire…
4. Ils ont été formidablement aidés par la R.A.F., qu’il remercie aussi
chaudement…
5. Leur tâche n’est pas encore terminée. Les Allemands ont quitté
l’Égypte, mais il y en a encore quelques-uns en Afrique du Nord. Il
y a encore une belle chasse à faire plus loin à l’ouest, en Libye… Et
une fois qu’ils seront parvenus jusqu’à Bengasi et aux régions au-delà,
ils ne reviendront plus en arrière.
6. Que cette tâche se poursuive, et bonne chasse à tous…
On joint
2 photographies de Montgomery (tirages de l’Imperial
War Museum).
MONTGOMERY BERNARD LAW
(1887-1976).
British Field Marshal.
Signed autograph MANUSCRIPT, signed « B.L.
MONTGOMERY General G.O.C.-in-C. Eighth Army »,
Eighth
Army. Personal Message from the Army Commander.
To be read out to all the troops,
12 November 1942; 3 pages
in-fol., in pencil; annotations in other hands at head “Army
Com[man]d[e]r wishes to see a proof when ready” and “To
be presented & issued as Army Com[man]d[e]r’s special
message before LIGHTFOOT [code name of the military
operation]” (staple holes and small tears at upper left
corner); in English.
7 000 / 8 000 €
Montgomery’s stirring message to his troops after the victory
at El Alamein.
The comprehensive victory of El Alamein, Montgomery’s greatest
achievement and famously described by Churchill as ‘the end of the
beginning’ of the war, took place over the 14 days from 23 October,
and was the first major Allied victory of the war.
Montgomery’s message raises six points:
1. When we began the Battle of Egypt on 23 October I said that
together we would hit the Germans and Italians for six right out of
North Africa. We have made a very good start and today, 12 Nov,
there are no German and Italian soldiers on Egyptian territory except
prisoners. In three weeks we have completely smashed the German
and Italian Army…
2. The following enemy formations have ceased to exist as effective
fighting formations...
3. This is a very fine performance ... I feel that our great victory was
brought about by the good fighting qualities of the soldiers of the
Empire rather than by anything I may have been able to do myself ...
4. Secondly, I know you will all realise how greatly we were helped
in our task by the R.A.F. We could not have done it without their
splendid help and co-operation. I have thanked the R.A.F. warmly
on your behalf.
5. Our task is not finished yet; the Germans are out of Egypt but there
are still some left in North Africa. There is some good hunting to be
had further to the west ... And this time, having reached Bengasi and
beyond, we shall not come back.
6. On with the task, and good hunting to you all...
Printed in Montgomery’s
Memoirs
(1958), pp. 143-144.
Sold with
2 photographs of Montgomery (prints, Imperial War
Museum).
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