Description:

FIELD MARSHAL BERNARD LAW MONTGOMERY SIGNED VICTORY MESSAGE TO THE 21ST ARMY GROUP
A wonderful keepsake from the day of Germany's surrender in Europe, the "PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE C-IN-C" of the British 21st Army Group to his entire command, signed and dated by that commander, Field Marshal BERNARD LAW MONTGOMERY (1887-1976). This joyous and optimistic 8 x 12 inch letter was printed, distributed, and read aloud to the troops on the day of the signing of the political surrender in Berlin, May 8, 1945. In it, the grateful field marshal declares, in part: "On this day of victory in Europe�What I have to say is very simple�I would ask you all to remember those of our comrades who fell in the struggle. They gave their lives that others might have freedom�'Well done, thou good and faithful servant'�We must remember to give the praise and thankfulness where it is due�In the early days of this war the British Empire stood alone�we suffered some great disasters; but we stood firm�Let us never forget what we owe to our Russian and American allies�great problems lie ahead�It has been a privilege and an honour to command this great British Empire team in western Europe�We have won the German war. Let us now win the peace�" At upper-left, Montgomery signs the message: "B. L. Montgomery Field-Marshall" and at bottom dates the piece "8 [May 1945]" Fine condition. Commanded by Montgomery, 21st Army Group initially controlled all ground forces in Operation Overlord (the United States First Army and British Second Army). When sufficient American forces had landed, the 21st Army Group was left with the British Second Army and the newly activated First Canadian Army. The group formed the left flank of the three Allied army groups and was responsible for securing the ports upon which Allied supply depended, and also with overrunning German V-1 and V-2 launching sites. It was later heavily engaged in MARKET GARDEN, the liberation of Holland, in the Battle of the Bulge, and the drive into northern Germany. Photo for illustrative purposes only and not included.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

June 9, 2020 12:00 PM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000