Councillor Writes Book On 'Monty'

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Military hero with Chiswick links is subject of book by Robert Oulds

Chiswick Councillor Robert Oulds, who has written a book on General Montgomery, believes the famous Field Marshall should be commemorated in W4.

Known to his men as 'Monty', the Commander of the Eighth Army which defeated Rommel in the North African desert lived in Chiswick for several years in Bolton Road. His wife Betty grew up in Church Mall, and the couple were married in St. Nicholas' Church. After the Second World War he also received the Freedom of the Borough of Brentford and Chiswick.

Cllr Oulds (on right) said; " Many people are unaware of his close links with Chiswick and I think it would be a fitting tribute to mark this in some way.

The book, Montgomery and the First War On Terror which has taken him two years to complete, concentrates on the general's experiences in guerrilla warfare and insurgency campaigns.

"I think his experiences from the inter-war years where he was involved in combating a number of guerrilla wars has much to teach us today especially regarding the failing of the current British strategy in Afghanistan," he says.

Mr. Oulds, whose grandfather fought in the Second World War at El Alamein and Arnhem, is Standard Bearer and Treasurer for the Chiswick Branch of the Royal British Legion and is a councillor (Cons) for the Homefields ward in Chiswick. This is his first book and involved extensive research at the Imperial War Museum and the Kew Archives. He believes the book deals with an area of Field Marshall Montgomery's life which has been overlooked by military historians and hopes it will be of interest to academics and ordinary people with an interest in the life of the famous war hero.

Montgomery and the First War On Terror is published by Bretwalda Books in paperback, at £8.99 and is available to order online through Amazon

January 10, 2013