Ben Farmer, Defence Correspondent
6 June 2016
Gen Montgomery and his D-Day battle plan
It was one of the most complex military operations ever undertaken, with 160,000 troops crossing the Channel on a single day, accompanied by hundreds of warships and aircraft.
But a handwritten note believed to have been drafted a month or two before the D-Day landings shows that Gen Bernard Montgomery’s battle plan boiled down to a single piece of paper.
The handwritten plan is marked 'Most Secret' Credit: PA
The pencil plan, published for the first time, is headed "Most Secret", and breaks down the armed forces into separate sections, lists the special armoured vehicles to be used by the first units ashore and notes that "The key note of everything to be SIMPLICITY".
The Imperial War Museum is releasing for the first time documents from the British wartime military leader to mark the 72nd anniversary of the operation to liberate occupied Europe.
General Montgomery (centre) with Winston Churchill (right) Credit: PA
The museum has also released a handwritten first draft of Gen Montgomery’s speech to the troops, which was read out by officers to their men just before the invasion.
His message, which he altered as he was writing it, ends: "Good luck to each one of you. And good hunting on the mainland of Europe."
Anthony Richards, head of documents and sound at the museum, said: "While the official nature of much of Monty's papers has already formed the basis for historical studies of the operations in which he was involved, the opportunity now exists for people to look more closely at his personal documents and see Monty as a more human figure.
"The draft of his personal message shows his desire to connect directly with the troops under his command in order to inspire them.”
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