Two letters addressed to Mrs Frank Kendall

“IT IS A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO VICTORY, MADE BY THE WOMEN OF ENGLAND"

MONTGOMERY, B[ernard] L[aw] & H[arold] R[upert] ALEXANDER

Two letters addressed to Mrs Frank Kendall 

1944

An original ALS letter from B L Montgomery to a Mrs Kendall (16 x 20cm), written on 21 Army Group headed notepaper, dated 21-5-44, on both recto and verso, and signed; together with the original handwritten and stamped addressed envelope (13 x 10.5cm); the letter folded with creasing still evident; some creasing and brown spots to the envelope; an excellent survival; 

[together with] 

An original TLS from H. R. Alexander (11 x 17.5cm), typed on embossed army paper headed with ‘Headquarters, Allied Armies in Italy’, dated 16th December, 1944, on recto only, and signed ‘Yours Sincerely H. R. Alexander’; together with the original typed and stamped official envelope; the letter a little creased but else near-fine; the envelope roughly opened with some tears and chips. 

Two interesting letters written by the infamous Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery, First Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, and Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis. The first, written on the 21st May 1944, precedes what was later revealed as Operation Copperhead (itself part of Operation Bodyguard, the cover plan for the invasion of Normandy), by just a few days. Here, Montgomery addresses the loss of several parcels sent by Mrs Kendall to the troops, which “It may well be that the parcels went down”, he writes, “and I am so very sorry. But please tell all you ladies how very grateful I am for the truly wonderful work they are doing in sending parcels to the soldiers on the battle front. It is a great contribution to victory, made by the women of England”. 

The second letter, Alexander, (who was at the time the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces Headquarters, and responsible for all military operations in the Mediterranean), writes with similar thanks “I am writing to thank you very much for your letter and for the bundle of newspapers you have sent for the troops under my command. Reading material of any description is always appreciated by my soldiers”, he types. 

Two interesting letters acknowledging the contribution of women to the war effort, written by two army commanders who had a somewhat turbulent relationship for the duration of the war.