Figurine British Field Marshall B. Montgomery 1944

During WWI Montgomery saw action at the First Battle of Ypres, Battle of Arras, and the Battle of Passchendaele. At Ypres he was shot through the lung by a sniper. In WWII, he commanded the British 8th Army and lead them to victories at 2nd El Alamein and Tunisia. Although he had impressive victories in North Africa and Sicily, "Monty" was thought by many (especially in the U.S. Service) as cavalier and audacious. This was born out by his disastrous Operation Market Garden. Montgomery's plan to cross the Rhine and end the war by Christmas was overly optimistic, complicated, and protracted. It lead to the term, "a bridge too far" meaning an over reach resulting in failure.