"Montgomery and the Boers - is this genuine? " Topic

There is a 'quote' that floats about the internet, and which was allegedly made by Field Marshall Montgomery:

"Give me 20 Divisions of American soldiers, and I will breech Europe. Give me 15 consisting of Englishmen, and I will advance to the borders of Berlin. Give me two divisions of those marvellous fighting Boers, and I will remove Germany from the face of the earth".

Does anyone know if he ever really said this? It doesn't ring true to me, given the furore (fairly or unfairly) over the South African surrender of Tobruk, and the fact that about two divisions worth of 'those marvellous fighting Boers' failed to capture Natal, or, indeed, a single significant town during the Boer War.

Can't add a neutrino to the OT, but I want to know the answer to this one, too.

C'mon, Someone! Let's hear the truth on this one.

And if it makes Monty look more like the cocky git I think he was, so much the better….

TVAG

If you conduct a search for the phrase then you get a few links, but the sites all look a little suspicious to me. And none of them state where or when this "quote" was made. I'd expect more results if he really had said this.

LOL. you mean ol 4score wanted to do Texas and all the secessh? hem! Bit harsh and they would have sided with Jeb and Co. anyway:)
As for Monty he was a strange one but doubt he was prone to such statements. Funny if it turns out to be true though. Cheers

Sounds more like something Churchill might have said.

Last time I looked there was no convincing evidence of its authenticity. It is often quoted on websites pushing a racial agenda along with this one from Patton.
"The Americans fight for a free world, the English mostly for honour and glory and medals, the French and Canadians decide too late that they have to participate. The Italians are too scared to fight; the Russians have no choice. The Germans for the Fatherland. The Boers? Those sons of bitches fight for the hell of it."
American General, George "Guts and Glory" Patton

And if it makes Monty look more like the cocky git I think he was, so much the better….

I think Patton wins hands down in the cocky git contest! :-)

It is true, Monty did say that, but the full text of the quote is: "Give me two divisions of those marvellous fighting Boers, and I will remove Germany from the face of the earth, but I cannot be expected to commence operations until the supply situation has sorted out to my total satisfaction."

SJDonovan

Please can you provide a source? Where and when did he say it?

….ummm I think SJ might be having a little joke, Imperium.

ah – sorry – he got my hopes up there for a moment!

DOH!

SJ: a classic!

A further confirmation as to the amount disinformation on the internet that masquerades as fact.

I have an old 'dictionary of war quotations' and, while it has a few from or about BLM, it doesn't include that one. The old saying about absence and evidence aside, I'd be surprised they missed that one.

Gary

1st and 2nd South African infantry divisions were in the desert war.

Monty was 13 or 14 at the time of the 2nd Boer War so I don't think that this quote is genuine.

Apparently Miles Dempsey said he wished 9th Australian were around for D-Day though……………

I've seen the same sentiment attributed to both Freddie de Guingand and to Monty himself.

Worth noting that 1st and 2nd South African infantry divisions were by no means all 'marvellous fighting Boers' – plenty of units in them from English-speaking parts of South Africa and also Rhodesia etc.

All in all, and on balance, I am tempted to think the 'quote' is bulldust.