Field Marshal Montgomery’s grandson is the spitting image of the British war hero as he reveals his ancestor’s rallying letters to troops and his ‘completely illegal’ beret in emotional Antiques Roadshow D-Day special

Field Marshal Montgomery’s grandson has explained why the British war hero collected letters to troops and the reasoning behind his ‘totally illegal’ beret.

In an emotional way Antique Roadshow D-Day special – where experts refused to rate their guests’ ‘priceless’ memories – Henry Montgomery met with militaria specialist Mark Smith to talk about his grandfather’s role as leader of Allied ground forces during the D-Day invasion in 1944.

General Bernard Law Montgomery – popularly known as ‘Monty’ – had become an inspirational figure since his victory at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942.

In a letter sent to troops the evening before D-Day on June 6, Monty wrote: “Good luck to you all, and happy hunting in mainland Europe.”

His grandson Henry explained the importance of the letter, saying: ‘Grandfather really understood that through all the careful planning, especially in the run-up to Normandy and the D-Day invasion, he knew that no matter how good the plans were, it would cost the men were those on the ground who had to do the work.’

He added, “Grandfather always had almost bullet points. Very spicy. Very to the point. Limited use of words, that was very much his way of speaking and writing.’

Grandson of Field Marshal Montgomery, Henry Montgomery (photo) at Antiques Roadshow

General Bernard Law Montgomery – popularly known as ‘Monty’ – had become an inspirational figure since his victory at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942

Grandfather Monty meets his grandson, six-month-old Henry Montgomery

Monty’s beret, which his grandson said he always wore

A statue of Monty in the D-Day Story Museum

Specialist Smith said of Monty’s beret, which featured the famous two insignias: ‘I’m standing next to Monty’s beret. The Field Marshal’s insignia on this side, and here the Royal Tank Regiment’s insignia.

‘Completely illegal, two badges on one beret.’

Henry said, “We understand that when Grandfather took command of the Eighth Army in North Africa, he wanted to be recognized by the soldiers.

‘But he started with an Australian bush hat, and apparently it was driven by a driver who was in the tank regiment, and he complained about the bush hat because it kept blowing off in the wind.

“Sergeant Jim Fraser gave him his beret, I think, and said, ‘Sir, you should wear this.'”

Mr. Smith said, “And then he sewed the general’s insignia onto it, but left the Tank Corps insignia on as a link.”

He added: ‘Monty himself said at one point: this beret is worth three divisions. When the men see it in the distance, they say, “There’s Monty!” And then they will fight for everyone.”

Footage from Antiques Roadshow has appeared on social media to comment on the resemblance between Monty and his grandson Henry.

‘Catching up with Antiques Roadshow…Monty’s grandson is like another doppelgänger!’ one viewer wrote on X.

In another emotional segment from Antiques Roadshow, the daughter spoke about her father Reginald Steele’s experience as a staff sergeant in the Gilder Pilot Regiment.

She showed a letter her father had written to his wife and son the day before he left on June 6, 1944.

“I can’t imagine what it must have been like for him, the pilots, they’re so exposed. But it meant a lot to my father to be part of a very important operation,” she said.

Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery almost gave away the date of the D-Day landings in a speech intended to rally the troops

British war hero Field Marshal Montgomery hung portraits of Nazi generals – including a signed photo of his arch-enemy Erwin Rommel – on the walls of his caravan to get to know his enemy

The Allied commander (pictured here in 1946), affectionately called Monty, then defeated ‘Desert Fox’ Rommel’s Afrika Korps in a battle widely hailed as one of the turning points of the Second World War in October 1942.

Two of the three caravans pictured were captured by the Allies – the first from Annibale Bergonzoli in February 1941 in Libya, and the second from another Italian general in May 1943 – while the third was custom-built in Manchester

Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Churchill and Monty in Normandy in 1944

Interior view of General Montgomery’s office van at the Land Warfare Exhibition at IWM Duxford

Monty had a small statue of Saint George and the Dragon on his desk (photo)

D-Day was the largest sea invasion in history. Monty accidentally mentioned the date of the secret mission in a rousing speech he had written

‘The day before he left, he wrote a letter to my mother and brother, who I have here.

“He says, ‘Remember: If you get this, be as proud as I feel that I have been chosen to help launch this drive to rid the world of all its terror and hardship.

‘And then he says, ‘Everything will be fine, my love, because nothing can go wrong.’

“He hasn’t really talked about the war much, but I’m incredibly proud and very emotional.”

Explaining her father’s role in the war, the daughter said: ‘He flew a Horsa glider and took off in the early hours of June 6. He was in the third wave of gliders that landed in landing zone N at about 3:20 am.

“After the gliders landed, the men were expected to help defend the bridges until reinforcements arrived.”

Eighty years ago, Normandy saw the largest naval invasion in history, with an Allied force of more than 150,000 British, Canadian and American troops landing in a combined naval, air and ground assault on Nazi-occupied territories. France.

In another emotional clip from Antiques Roadshow, a soldier who stepped onto the beach at the age of 18 and went straight into battle describes his memories 80 years later.

Ken Cooke, 98, said: “We left [Gold] Beach. I can’t describe the sound. You can’t describe the sound. It was that terrible.

“I stepped into six inches of water. There were explosions and whatever, but the only thing I was worried about was my wet socks.”

He added: “There were bodies rolling around in the water. But we didn’t have time to look around or anything. The sergeants and the officers [said] ‘Right guys, get off the beach as quickly as possible. If someone gets hit, don’t stop.”

‘And that’s what we did. We left the beach as quickly as possible.

American troops wade through water after reaching Normandy and landing on Omaha Beach on D Day

The famous D-Day landings, codenamed Operation Overlord, took place on June 6, 1944.

Reacting to the emotional episode, viewers took to social media to share how they were left in tears

‘It was the next day that it all became clear what was happening. And while you were eating breakfast, you looked around and said, ‘Where’s blondie? Where’s Harry?” And someone would say, ‘Remember that tank that blew up on the beach? They were standing next to it.”

“That’s when it dawned on me that these bullets coming your way were real.”

In response to the emotional episode of Antiques Roadshow, viewers took to social media to share how the program left them in tears.

“I cried my eyes out watching the Antiques Roadshow special from the D-Day beaches last night,” said one viewer on X.

“Just watched Antiques Roadshow commemorating D-Day and now I feel like I have a bit of dust in my eyes,” wrote another.

A third said: ‘Not normally for the Antiques Roadshow but the D-Day special that happened tonight was incredible. Really moving.’

Another said: ‘Fantastic programme, very moving and humbling…’