Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

He met Elizabeth Carver, the widow of Oswald Carver who was killed in World War I, in 1927 and married her. The couple had one son, David. His beloved wife died of an infection in 1937 leaving him devastated.

He died on 24 March 1976 in Alton, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, at the age of 88.

Bernard Law Montgomery was born on 17 November 1887, in Kennington, London, to an Anglo-Irish Church of Ireland minister, the Reverend Henry Montgomery, and his wife, Maud. He was the fourth of their nine children.

His father travelled a lot, leaving his wife to tend to the children. His mother used to beat the children frequently and was indifferent to their needs. Bernard became a bully as a result of the hardships he suffered.

He received his schooling from King's School, Canterbury, and St Paul's School, London. Then he enrolled at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from where he graduated in 1908.

Upon his graduation, he was commissioned into the 1st Battalion the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a second lieutenant. His first overseas service was in late 1908 in India. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1910 and was made adjutant of the 1st Battalion of his regiment at Shorncliffe Army Camp in 1912.

When World War I broke out, Montgomery was deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). He was severely wounded in October 1914 when he was shot through the right lung by a sniper. He rejoined duty soon after recovering and became General Staff Officer 1 by the time the war ended.

In the years following the World War I he attended the Staff College and was promoted to the rank of Major in July 1925. He went on to serve in India, Egypt and Palestine.

The World War II broke out in 1939 and during the early months of the war he led a division in France and commanded the southeastern section of England in anticipation of a German invasion after the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk.

The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill appointed him commander of the British Eighth Army in North Africa in 1942. His assumption of command boosted the morale of the staff working under him. A meticulous planner, he was determined that the Army, Navy and Air Forces should fight their battles in a unified, focused manner. Under his direction, the Battle of El Alamein proved to be a great success and Montgomery was promoted to full General.

His services to the British Army during the World War II were of tremendous significance. Montgomery was the one who accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces on May 4, 1945 at Lüneburg Heath, east of Hamburg. The surrender marked the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe.