The lecture on 23 May found Ian Binnie from the UK talking about Field Marshal Montgomery and World War Two.
Coming from a large family and spending part of his childhood in Tasmania, Montgomery was nearly expelled from Sandhurst for setting fire to a fellow cadet's bed! But he graduated from there in 1908 and spent time in various positions until being badly wounded in October 1914 in Meteren near the Belgian border, earning a DSO for the battle. It was only late in 1917 that he returned, in time for the third battle of Ypres - often incorrectly termed Passchendaele.
Between the wars he also spent time training in India and writing a new infantry training manual. He was part of General Plumer's staff, where he saw meticulous planning for "bite and hold" attacks, which usually succeeded. His BEF troops (but not their transport) were successfully extricated from Dunkirk thanks to his planning - but he then spent the best part of 2 years making plans for invading the Portuguese Azores, Cape Verde islands and even Ireland - none of which were carried out.
December 1941 saw him appointed to commander of South Eastern England where he insisted on upgrading fitness and continuous training for all the troops there. By the middle of 1942 he was in North Africa, having declared that the disastrous raid on Dieppe - which he helped plan - "should be permanently shelved", according to historian Neillands.
Many more members are aware of his activities in the Northern desert. Ian covered those then followed Montgomery to Sicily, Italy and eventually D-Day.
Crossing France into Germany until Montgomery's acceptance of part of the German Army's surrender in Luneberg was all covered in Ian's slides.
He finally summarised his reasons for considering Montgomery as a great British general, despite the latter's self-aggrandisement - especially using press conferences and tactless criticism of particularly allied (i.e. American) generals.
Perhaps modern historians have let their personal distaste of Montgomery's character count more than their sound historical judgement of his military achievements, Ian queries?
The recording of the Zoominar is on the website in the Video Library.
FORTHCOMING ATTRACTIONS - ZOOMINARS
Eastern Cape Branch (SAMHSEC) Zoominars
Monday 10th June 2024 at 19h30 and then at 20h15:
Speaker: Arnold van Dyk
Subject: "Viva Os Boers - the history of the Boers interned in Portugal during the Anglo Boer War".
Johannesburg Branch
Thursday 13th or 20th June 2024 at 19h30 and then 20h15
Speakers and topic to be confirmed by invitations.
SAMHSEC RPC
The RPC (Request the Pleasure of your Company) Zoominar will be held on
Monday 24th June at 19h30 and then 20h15.
Speakers and topics to be confirmed by invitations.
Members of all Branches are always
Welcome to Attend all ZOOM Meetings
Let scribe@samilitaryhistory.org know in order to be sent an invitation to the next ZOOMinar
Time to join the Zoominars
For those members still anxious about Zoom lectures, please give them a try! Go onto the internet and find www.zoom.us then download the program. If using a cellphone visit the app store. Once you have it on your device - computer or cellphone - choose to join a meeting. Either use the link which is provided in the invitation or type in the meeting code and then the password, also from the invitation, as requested.
You do NOT need to have a camera - unless you are the speaker or a chairman - although it is always interesting to match faces to voices. As in the auditorium, you do not HAVE to ask the speaker any questions, but there are ways in which you can draw the chair's attention so you can do so.
KwaZulu-Natal Branch Meetings
June Meeting - 8th June 2024
The KZN Branch of SAMHS will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day on 6th June 1944
in both the DDH starter and the main presentation.
DDH: Fellow member Charles Whiteing will present "Normandy Cameos" being
an illustrated recollection of his visit with former chair Bill Brady to the Normandy battlefields
on 6th June 2008. Apart from the official Govt activities the locals celebrated by dressing up, and parading
vintage equipment and vehicles.
Main: This will be followed by Phil Everitt, himself a civil engineer, who will give a presentation on the two unique and somewhat controversial Mulberry Harbours, each the size of the Port of Dover. This incredible undertaking necessitated the conceptual design, testing and construction of 2 miles of offshore floating breakwaters, and 146 concrete caissons along with 70 scuttled ships to form some 6 miles long of fixed harbour breakwaters. Finally, a further 6 miles of floating steel piers connected the shore to depth-adjustable steel pierheads, where ships could berth and discharge men and equipment. All of these had to be constructed in secret and towed across the channel beginning the day after D-Day for erection. The presentation will utilise original papers published by the Institution of Civil Engineers UK after the war, as well as numerous other sources.
Lectures are held on a Saturday afternoon, usually the second of each month. The starting time is 1.30 for 2.00pm. The venue is the St Cyprians Church Hall off Umbilo Rd, with secure parking and liquid refreshments available for cash from The Vicar's Alms. All attendees are asked to pay R10 each for the car guard and the raffle - entrance being free.
Query about horses at Garup, German East Africa, in World War I
Sarat Colling e-mailed in early May, quoting from a Journal article:
"AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS IN THE GERMAN COLONIES, 1911-1916.
The Fliegertruppe of the Imperial German Army"
by J O E O Mahncke
as follows:
'On 19 February, the South Africans captured the important waterhole of Garup and erected
a camp. Fiedler again dropped bombs and rifle grenades under heavy enemy fire. His
photographs gave a very accurate record of the enemy's strength. Further attacks were made
against Garup on 23 and 27 March and bombs were dropped 'with excellent results on the
enemy camp and among the approximately 1 700 cavalry horses. This created frightful
confusion'.
Do you happen to know the origin of the 1,700 horses mentioned? Were they at the camp when the South African troops arrived, or did they come with the South Africans?And is there anything known of them from prior to this, like were they brought from Germany?'
If anybody can help with information please reply directly at saratcolling1@gmail.com
Report back on Zonderwater case in Italy
The Society Committee was shocked to hear about a case instituted in Italy by a Consul General against the President of the Zonderwater Block ex-POW Association - Dr Emilio Coccia. It therefore welcomes the news from Dr Coccia that the court found there was no case against him and the matter has been dismissed.
BRANCH CONTACT DETAILS
Eastern Cape details contact Malcolm Kinghorn 041-373-4469 culturev@lantic.net
Gauteng details contact Joan Marsh 010-237-0676 joan@rfidradar.com
KwaZulu-Natal details contact Prof Phil Everitt 084-437-1636 everitt@iafrica.com
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