First Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. British army officer who during World War II commanded the British victories over German forces in North Africa (1942) and the Allied advance through Normandy (1944). ALS, one page, 7.5 x 9, War Office, Whitehall, London, S.W.I. letterhead, July 16, 1948. In full: “My dear Kirkpatrick, I send you herewith a copy of my Report on my visits to Paris and Austria. I would be interested to hear your reactions to my ideas about Trieste; I consider we should hang on to that place like grim death. We have got to face the fact that we may have some dirty work in Corinthia.” In fine condition, with file hole and chip to upper left corner, a few areas of trivial soiling. In 1954, the last troops left Trieste, having been there since 1945 as part of British Forces Element Trieste or BETFOR, which includes both the post-war occupation duty of XIII Corps, from May 1945 to September 1947, and the peacekeeping duty under United Nations auspices of BETFOR, from September 1947 to September 1954. Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick was Under Secretary of State 1953-1957. He played a key role in denying the possibility of rearmament for Germany. "(i)n the present climate of opinion in France no French Government can agree to any proposal involving the rearmament of Germany," since the magnitude of public opposition could easily threaten the survival of the fragile governing coalition. R&R COA.
