I have been wondering why Monty is always seen in photos wearing a beret with two cap badges. Can anyone please fill me in on why this was and which two badges they are? He. Is also seen in photos in North Africa wearing an Australian hat with many badges attached to it. What regiments were on this hat? Cheers John

email (option): Tinley@btinternet.com

John,

Montgomery wore the black beret of the Royal Tank Regiment with both their RTR cap badge, as well as his generals bullion badge. Regarding the Australian slouch hat, the story goes that while visiting the 9th Australian Division in North Africa has was given the Australian hat after he had commented that it gave much better protection from the sun. It's said that he then asked for the Australian badge for it as well. Later that same day he also visited the 5th Indian and 2nd New Zealand Divisions and asked for and was given their badges and added them to his hat also. Or so the story goes....

Cheers

email (option): wingco40@hotmail.com

John the two badges are A) Generals or later Field marshals cap badge. B) Other ranks Royal Tank Corp cap badge.
The story goes that an ordinary Tank Corp soldier offered Monty his black beret one day when he was either hatless or was wearing the wrong hat to enter a tank. Monty kept the beret and just added his rank badge.

Monty was eccentric to say the least, often wearing Corduroy trousers a woolly pulley and an Irvin flying jacket.....But who's going to tell a Field Marshal that he can't do that. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Quite a war time hero but it seems he was sometimes a rather difficult man. But here in the Netherlands his reputation got a nasty scratch when he blamed the Polish Para Brigade of the failure of Market Garden. The Polish General Sosabovsky was disgraced and he died dishonoured, it seems as a miner.
But shortly after the war, our Prince Bernard discovered what really happened, and he urged the then government to honour Sosabovski and his men. However, for political reasons his letter was filed deep in a drawer, so nothing happened.
Fortunately, it surfaced again a few years ago, and as a result, the Polish Brigade received the highest Dutch military order (Militaire Willems Orde) and the Queen herself gave individual medals to the grandsons of Sosabovski.

email (option): viaconsu [at] planet [dot] nl

Thanks for that bit of info Hans.

email (option): unpob@yahoo.com

Many thanks for your answers. John

Many thanks for your answers. John