Monty and Moville

Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery  (1887 – 1976) was born in Kennington, England. He was the son of Rev. Henry Montgomery and Maud Farrer.  Montgomery played a pivotal role in both WWI and WWII, aiding the evacuation at Dunkirk, and commanding troops at El Alamein, the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Normandy.  Following this, he was honoured with many titles, Viscount and Field Marshall among them, in recognition of his huge military contribution to the Allied cause. 

Henry Montgomery, his father, inherited the estate in at New Park, Moville, Co. Donegal in the year 1887.  Rev. Henry Montgomery and his family had little money when they moved to Ireland so they sold much of the land that surrounded the house at New Park.  Bernard, along with his siblings, was taught to be self sufficient and disciplined, a trait which served him well in his illustrious career in two world wars. The young Montgomery spent some time in Tasmania with his parents and siblings, eventually returning to England in 1897.  He was educated in Canterbury but returned to his home place of Moville frequently.

Bernard Montgomery continued his education in the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.  Upon his graduation in 1908, he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a second Lieutenant. Two years later, in 1910 in India, he was promoted to Lieutenant.  Montgomery moved quickly through the ranks of the military and during WWI he saw action in battles such as the Battle of Le Chateau, the Battle of Passchendaele.

Between war times, Montgomery served in Palestine, England and India and was promoted to full Colonel.  In 1927, Bernard met and married Elizabeth Carver.  They had one son called David.  He returned from India with his family in 1937.  This year was a tragic one for Montgomery as his wife died. He, himself died in 1976 at his home in Isington, Hampshire at the age of 88 years. 

The town of Moville is inextricably linked with the Montgomery family, the first settlement being leased by Hugh Dougherty from Bernard Montgomery’ s great, great grandfather, Samuel in 1780.  This busy, community town can be justifiably proud of its links with a Great War hero.