Guide to the Papers of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein [MSS 385]

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Manuscript Name Papers of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Manuscript Number MSS 385
Last Updated October 2021
Extent 2 AV boxes
Location Special Collections, UNSW Canberra
Abstract 20 reels of 35mm microfilm (negative) containing copies of the original Montgomery archive at the Imperial War Museum (London)

Collection Subject Type

Military

Scope and Content

This collection comprises a microfilm copy of the private papers of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, DL.  The original papers are held by the Imperial War Museum, London at PP/MCR/C30.  A highlight of the archive is the extensive sequence of Montgomery’s war diaries, including notes made during the Dunkirk campaign (1940) and more detailed entries covering his command of the Eighth Army in North Africa.  The many hundreds of pages from June 1944 to the end of his period as Chief of the Imperial General Staff in October 1948 were the work of his successive Military Assistants.

Date Range of Content

1887-1948

Biographical Note

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Montgomery 

Bernard Law Montgomery was born on the 17th November 1887 in Surrey, England. In 1889 his father became the Bishop of Tasmania and Montgomery and his eight siblings lived in Australia until returning to England in 1897. After overseas service in India, Montgomery became a senior British Army officer in First World War and Second World War. Commanding the British Eighth Army and the 21st Army Group in significant campaigns in France, North Africa, Italy and the Western Front, earned him a Distinguished Service Order, the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and the Knight of the Order of the Garter. Post war he became Chief of the Imperial General Staff and served as NATO’S Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe before his death in 1976 at the age of 88.

 

Administrative Information

Access and Copying Conditions

Access: By special agreement, Open Access for study and research is allowed only for students and staff of School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), UNSW Canberra. A copy of the Imperial War Museum index can be supplied upon request. HASS researchers must sign a standard agreement form agreeing to terms and agreeing to contact the Imperial War Museum, London if they want to publish the records or their related research.

Copying: By special agreement copying is allowed for private study and research by students and staff of School of HASS, UNSW Canberra. All permissions to publish from the microfilm must be requested from the Imperial War Museum, London.

Preferred Citation

Papers of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Special Collections, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, MSS 385, Box [Number], Folder [Number].

Provenance

The original Montgomery Papers were sold by the Field Marshal to Thomson Newspapers in 1962, and subsequently presented to the Imperial War Museum by Sir Denis Hamilton on behalf of the International Thomson Organisation in 1982. The collection was catalogued (PP/MCR/C30) and a detailed listing created by Stephen Brooks (IWM) in 1986. In 1993, a microfilm copy of the papers was created and purchased by the School of HASS, UNSW Canberra for the purposes of research by its staff and students.

 

Subject Keywords

Subjects

Field marshals – United Kingdom – Archives

Field marshals – United Kingdom – Diaries

Allied operations – Europe

Allied operations – North Africa

Dunkirk (France), Battle of, 1940

World War, 1939-1945

World War, 1914-1918

Personal Names

Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, 1887-1976

Corporate Names

Chief of the Imperial General Staff

Eighth Army (United Kingdom)

21st Army Group (United Kingdom)

Allied Forces

Occupations

Field marshals

 

Container List

An electronic copy of the more detailed Imperial War Museum index (251p) can be supplied upon request

AV 1

10 reels of 35mm microfilm negative (Imperial War Museum PP/MCR/C30)

Folder 1

Notes in relation to papers (16p)

Folder 2

Collection Level Summary, detailed listing prepared by the Imperial War Museum (251p)

Reel 1

BLM1/1 - BLM 1/119

Reel 2

BLM 2 - BLM 5

Reel 3

BLM 6 - BLM 24

Reel 4

BLM 25 - BLM 50

Reel 5

BLM 52 - BLM 57

Reel 6

BLM 58 – BLM 74

Reel 7

BLM 75 – BLM 89

Reel 8

BLM 90 – BLM 95

Reel 9

BLM 97 – BLM 106

Reel 10

BLM 107 – BLM 116

 

AV 2

10 reels of microfilm negative (Imperial War Museum PP/MCR/C30)

Reel 11

BLM 117 – BLM 128

Reel 12

BLM 129 – BLM 144

Reel 13

BLM 145 – BLM 147

Reel 14

BLM 148 – BLM 155

Reel 15

BLM 156 – BLM 170

Reel 16

BLM 171 – BLM 180

Reel 17

BLM 181 – BLM 185

Reel 18

BLM 186 – BLM 188

Reel 19

BLM 189 – BLM 205

Reel 20

BLM 206 – BLM 212