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History of Viscount Montgomery School |
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Bernard Law Montgomery, or otherwise affectionately known to the world as "Monty", was born in London in 1887. Growing up 3rd out of 9 children, Monty said of himself, " I was the bad boy of the family, the rebellious one, and as a result I learnt early to stand on my own." He attended The Royal Military College in London, and fought in World War I where he was eventually promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. At the age of 37, he married and soon after his son David was born. Devastated by the sudden death of his wife ten years later, he totally immersed himself in military life. He studied everything there was to know about battle manoeuvres, strategies, etc. Many historians believe his wife's death was the catalyst that led Monty to become the man that changed the course of history. When World War II broke out Monty was now Lieutenant General. A great many enemy soldiers were in strategic places in Europe. In particular an area that was an enormous threat was in El Alamein, Egypt. Sir Winston Churchill reluctantly sent Monty to lead the troops into battle after his first choice Lt. General Gott, was shot down by enemy planes on his way to Egypt. With Monty in charge, his genuine concern and compassion for the hot and tired troops help build their self-esteem. In 1944, Montgomery was promoted to Field Marshal, the highest promotion he could receive. In 1946 he received the title "Viscount Montgomery of El Alamein" from the Queen in recognition of his war service. At this time, Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of El Alamein was the most photographed person in the world. Viscount Montgomery Elementary was billed as "the most modern school in North America" and the largest one-storey school in Hamilton, when the sod was turned on March 14, 1951. The Hamilton Board of Education wrote to Field Marshall Montgomery and asked permission to name the school after him. The school officially opened April 18, 1953, with the Viscount in attendance among almost 10,000 well-wishers. At the opening, Monty gave the Motto, "Gardez Bien" from his own family's Coat of Arms. Montgomery referred to the school as his "beloved school" and visited on five separate occasions, the last being in 1960. On is last visit, Monty said the following to "his" students: "Let's make Viscount Montgomery School the best in Hamilton, the best in Ontario, the best in Canada. I don't associate myself with anything that is not good. It is up to you to see that everything about this school is good. It is up to the students to not only be their best in school but in their behaviour outside of Viscount. Education is not just something that will help you pass your exams and get you a job, it is to develop your brain to teach you to marshal fact and do things." The school was built for $740,000 - a large expense at the time - and opened in sections with students filing into the halls almost as the workmen filed out. The school was built to relieve overcrowding at W.H. Ballard, Parkdale and Bartonville schools, but soon surpassed its capacity with almost 1,000 students in classrooms. the auditorium and the library. As of September 2004, Viscount Montgomery School has an enrolment of 440 students. Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of El Alamein was very proud of his school. It is one of only two schools that were ever given the honour of being allowed to use his name. Monty died in 1976 at the age of 99. (Update: GB, Jan 2006) |
Viscount
Montgomery Elementary School Photo Archive
Learning Network - 1st Viscount of Alamein Guts and Glory - Bernard Law Montgomery Teaching History Online - Bernard Montgomery |
Last Update 18-Aug-2005