Archibald Armar Montgomery-Massingberd
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal Sir Archibald Armar Montgomery-Massingberd GCB, GCVO, KCMG (6 December 1871 – 13 October 1947) was a Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
, County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
on 6 December 1871. He married Diana Massingberd in 1896, and took her surname hyphenated to his in 1926 when she inherited family estates (meaning references to "Montgomery-Massingberd" during World War I are anachronistic). His father, Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery, was a landowner and Ulster Unionist politician. The journalist and genealogist Hugh Massingberd
was great-nephew both to the Field Marshal and, independently, to the Field Marshal's wife.
and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was commissioned a second lieutenant
in the Royal Field artillery
in 1891 and became a lieutenant
in 1894. He served with the Royal Field Artillery during the Second Boer War
from 1899 to 1902. In 1900 he was promoted captain.
Montgomery attended Staff College
from 1905 to 1906 and in May 1909 was appointed a general staff officer at the Indian Army Staff College
at Quetta
in British India.
At the outbreak of World War I
in 1914 Montgomery was appointed a general staff officer to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. He subsequently was appointed Chief of Staff to the 4th Corps in France. From 1916 to 1919 he was Chief of Staff of the 4th Army of the BEF.
From 1920 to 1922 Montgomery was Deputy Chief of the General Staff in India
. The follow year he became General Officer Commanding
1st Infantry Division at Aldershot
and in 1926 he was promoted to lieutenant-general. From 1928 to 1931 he was General Officer Commanding
, Southern Command
in the United Kingdom
. He was promoted general in 1930 and from 1931 to 1933 he was adjutant-general of the British Army
.
The pinnacle of his career was a term from 1933 to 1936 as Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Among his main achievements at this time was the mechanising of the Cavalry
. However according to Williamson and Millett, he was a great obstacle to innovation of mechanized forces and suppressed the analysis of the British army's performance in World War I
initiated by his predecessor, Lord Milne
.
He was made a field marshal in 1935.
attempted to build an airfield at Great Steeping
in Lincolnshire
that would have extended into Sir Archibald's wife's traditional family estate, necessitating the demolition of the magnificent mansion of Gunby Hall
. He personally appealed to King George VI and the Air Ministry
relented, redrawing the plans that resulted in the resiting of the new RAF Spilsby two miles further south. Gunby Hall was one of the first British mansions to be presented to the National Trust
(in 1944) and is today open to the public on a few limited days of the week during the summer, while remaining a private family residence for the rest of the year.
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Name and personal life
He was born Archibald Armar Montgomery in FivemiletownFivemiletown
Fivemiletown is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 16 miles east of Enniskillen and 26 miles west-south-west of Dungannon, on the A4 Enniskillen-to-Dungannon road. Its population as of 2009 is estimated to be 1,128. The village is most famous for its creamery, which...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on 6 December 1871. He married Diana Massingberd in 1896, and took her surname hyphenated to his in 1926 when she inherited family estates (meaning references to "Montgomery-Massingberd" during World War I are anachronistic). His father, Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery, was a landowner and Ulster Unionist politician. The journalist and genealogist Hugh Massingberd
Hugh Massingberd
Hugh John Massingberd , also known as Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, was an English journalist and genealogist....
was great-nephew both to the Field Marshal and, independently, to the Field Marshal's wife.
Army career
Montgomery was educated at Charterhouse SchoolCharterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Royal Field artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1891 and became a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1894. He served with the Royal Field Artillery during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
from 1899 to 1902. In 1900 he was promoted captain.
Montgomery attended Staff College
Staff college
Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...
from 1905 to 1906 and in May 1909 was appointed a general staff officer at the Indian Army Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
at Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in British India.
At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914 Montgomery was appointed a general staff officer to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. He subsequently was appointed Chief of Staff to the 4th Corps in France. From 1916 to 1919 he was Chief of Staff of the 4th Army of the BEF.
From 1920 to 1922 Montgomery was Deputy Chief of the General Staff in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The follow year he became General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
1st Infantry Division at Aldershot
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
and in 1926 he was promoted to lieutenant-general. From 1928 to 1931 he was General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
, Southern Command
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He was promoted general in 1930 and from 1931 to 1933 he was adjutant-general of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
The pinnacle of his career was a term from 1933 to 1936 as Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Among his main achievements at this time was the mechanising of the Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. However according to Williamson and Millett, he was a great obstacle to innovation of mechanized forces and suppressed the analysis of the British army's performance in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
initiated by his predecessor, Lord Milne
George Milne, 1st Baron Milne
Field Marshal George Francis Milne, 1st Baron Milne, GCB, GCMG, DSO , was a British military commander who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1926 to 1933.-Army career:...
.
He was made a field marshal in 1935.
Gunby Hall
During the Second World War the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
attempted to build an airfield at Great Steeping
Great Steeping
Great Steeping is a village and civil parish about from Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Monksthorpe.There are two churches dedicated to All Saints, one being redundant and now known as Old All Saints....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
that would have extended into Sir Archibald's wife's traditional family estate, necessitating the demolition of the magnificent mansion of Gunby Hall
Gunby Hall
Gunby Hall is a country house in Gunby, near Spilsby, in Lincolnshire, England, reached by a half mile long private drive. The Estate comprises the 42 room Gunby Hall, listed Grade I, a fine Clocktower, listed Grade II* and a Carriage House and Stable Block which are listed Grade II...
. He personally appealed to King George VI and the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
relented, redrawing the plans that resulted in the resiting of the new RAF Spilsby two miles further south. Gunby Hall was one of the first British mansions to be presented to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
(in 1944) and is today open to the public on a few limited days of the week during the summer, while remaining a private family residence for the rest of the year.
Further reading
- The British Field Marshals 1736-1997, Tony Heathcote, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 1999, ISBN 0-85052-696-5
- The Story of the Fourth Army in the Hundred Days, Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd, Hodder & Stoughton, 1919, ASIN B000TXVIJ0
- Archie - A Biographical sketch of Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, National Trust, 1997
- Military Innovation in the Interwar Period, Murray, Williamson & Millett, Allen R., Cambridge University Press (1996), ISBN 978-0521637602
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