大象传媒

Sherry Glasses from Field Marshall Montgomery

Apparently a call had gone out for the conscription of more secretarial staff. I received my call up papers in August 1942 when I was 21 years old. I reported to ATS HQ where I had to undergo a medical and received various jabs for this, that and the other and supplied with uniform 鈥� a tunic and a skirt and a cap plus 2 of everything else, underclothes, stockings, shoes etc. I was then packed off to Halifax to commence my military training. This comprised the usual square bashing, route marches and the barracking of beds. This meant that everything had to be laid out in a certain order ready for the weekly inspection and woe betide anyone who failed the test and got a rollicking from the Duty Sergeant. Fortunately, I passed the test each time. I was then sent to the Highland Hotel in Scotland at Strath Peffer to undergo clerical tests. I passed these 3 grades with distinction and was made up to Corporal. I was then given leave for 10 days and sent to work for General Padgett at South East Command Home Forces on Reigate Hill. On Monty鈥檚 return from Alamein he arrived at HQ 21 Army Group and this meant another posting for me to St Paul鈥檚 School, Hammersmith, which was requisitioned for the duration and became our HQ. General Montgomery had such success in Alamein with his Desert Rats as he had been an awesome Field Commander and was now promoted to Field Marshall.

Ron was with him as his Personal Clerk and I was assigned to Operations Staff. Some of the Americans began to arrive then, among them General鈥檚 Eisenhower and Bradley. Eisenhower was a favourite of mine; he was so friendly and courteous and always thanked me when I had done any work for him while some of the other officers just took me for granted. More and more people began to arrive at HQ, among them Air Chief Marshall, Lord Tedder, and the Naval Commander whose name unfortunately I have forgotten. 鈥� old age has crept up on me I鈥檓 afraid 鈥� then there were others each with their own expertise like Brigadier Belchem and General De Guingand, Colonel鈥檚 Brett and Gore, a truly formidable array of talent all gathered around the huge map of Europe, laid out on the massive table in the Operations Room. Monty knew exactly how he wanted the European offensive to unfold and studied many intelligence and weather reports. Even so he took on board all the suggestions and criticisms of his fellow planners until gradually Operation Overlord was adopted. It was now time for us to be on the move again, this time to Fort Southwark at Cosham. This Fort was in an enormous underground tunnel and housed all the relevant personnel who would be part of the Invasion Force. As D Day approached we would come out of the Fort and lay on the cliffs looking down to Gosport Hard where boats were being massed. I felt rather sad at this time as it meant I would have to say goodbye to the many friends I had made at 21 Army Group. Among the women only trade鈥檚 people were allowed overseas like Signallers, Anti-Aircraft personnel, cooks etc. Monty had his own Personal Secretary who went everywhere with him right through from Normandy to the Baltic.

I must digress here a little 鈥� this Personal Clerk was a man who was later to become my husband. Before the Normandy Invasion both Ron and I had been out together occasionally, but because we had both signed the Official Secrets Act, never once was anything military mentioned between us. We just enjoyed our outings together.

Having said all my goodbyes I returned to ATS HQ at Bagshot Park. This was another requisitioned property, I believe from the Royal Family, I am not 100% sure but I think it became the home of Princess Anne many years after the war ended. There was great excitement and relief when the Germans surrendered to Monty on Luneberg Heath on May 4 1945. I did not know at the time but the Instrument of Surrender Document was actually prepared and typed by my very dear friend Ron.

He was then granted home leave and we were married on 21 July 1945. This was a very exciting day. One of our neighbours lent me her wedding dress of white satin and her white satin shoes. These were rather large and we packed them out with paper to make them fit so that I could walk down the isle with my father. Another neighbour lent me a veil with a little pearl head dress, and yet another neighbour 鈥� who had obeyed the Governments demand to 鈥楧ig for Victory鈥� on his allotment kept a small plot in his own garden for flowers and he presented me with a dozen glorious red roses tied round with white ribbon for a bouquet. It was so exciting and we more or less had a street party after this. I was still not yet demobbed and the cook at HQ knew that I was going to get married and he managed to make a beautiful wedding cake and iced it with our names on the top. I didn鈥檛 ask where he got the rations from and he wouldn鈥檛 have told me anyway.

All in all I had a very exciting and filling time when I was with 21 Army Group. One of my most treasured possessions is my autograph book signed by all the top brass and there are many personal compliments on my work with them. I was eventually demobbed on 12 September 1945.

After the surrender had been signed Monty went out to Yalta with Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt and Josef Stalin. They had to discuss the partitioning of Germany after the surrender and it was agreed that each Super Power would be responsible for the administration for 6 months, I believe, this of course was later shelved when the Berlin wall came down.

After Monty finally returned home he invited both Ron and I to his Mill House home in Alton, Hampshire, where he presented us with a set of Waterford Sherry glasses. He also gave Ron a copy of his book 鈥� From Normandy to the Baltic 鈥� one of a very limited edition with all the decisions that had been made and masses of photographs, including several of Churchill. The book was inscribed 鈥淭o Sergeant Vigar who has been with me during the whole of this campaign鈥�. When my husband tragically died aged 39 I gave this to my son who is so very proud of what his father achieved.

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