One of the episodes of the pioneering TV show “The Greatest Drama”, this black & white episode entitled “The Black Beret” is a portrait of British Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. This is circa 1954. Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, (1887 – 1976), better known by his nickname “Monty” and “The Spartan General”, served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the Second World War.
Opening: ticker tape parade in New York City. Title: The Greatest Drama – The Black Beret (:09-:51). Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, England’s greatest general, sits at a desk writing. Bernard Montgomery was born in 1887. A bell rings, people attend mass. Bernard Montgomery joins the Royal Army, he attends Sandhurst Military School in the UK. Cadets march (:52-2:02). World War 1, explosions, soldiers shoot and fire artillery. World War 2, Bernard Montgomery had risen to the rank of General. Troops march. Destruction and rubble. Dunkirk 1940. Battleship at sea. Bernard Montgomery’s men survived and returned to shore in the UK. Air Raid Shelter sign, people hide out in the shelter. German air raids destroy parts of London. Fire and destruction, a huge blaze (2:03-3:38). Winston Churchill lives at 10 Downing Street. Plane flies over water. El Alamein 1942. Bernard Montgomery wears a beret. Tanks are at the ready for Bernard Montgomery and his men. Tanks and trucks are camouflaged. Montgomery looks around, uses binoculars. British soldiers ready (3:39-4:56). Artillery is fired, explosions all around. Guns are fired, smoke surrounds all. Germans flee. Destroyed German tanks. Huge smoke plumes. German troops taken prisoner by the British. German Field Marshal Rommel returns to Germany. Tanks and planes do battle. British and American troops celebrate in Tunisia. Montgomery wins Britain’s first decisive battle of the war. People cheer him as he drives away in a car (4:57-6:51). Italy 1943, Montgomery sits at a table. In the Italian hills, British troops under fire. Tanks move slowly.
Montgomery speaks to his men. He heads back to England. Montgomery walks amongst the people. Montgomery speaks to the public. People applaud (6:52-8:22). Montgomery sits with others and plans the invasion of France. Montgomery works with American General Eisenhower. The plan to invade France is shown via diagram. Battleships fire in support of the D-Day Invasion, June 6, 1944, troops storm the beaches of Normandy. Germans get their guns ready and fire. Eisenhower and Montgomery receive news that the beaches were firmly established by the Allied Forces. Gravestone for German Field Marshal Rommel. German buildings destroyed. Bombs dropped from planes. Explosions on the ground. Germany’s best troops surrender. Eisenhower stands and observes (8:23-10:22). Eisenhower and Montgomery. Diagram shows the big push from all sides on Germany. Tanks on the streets of Germany. Allied troops shoot and take over the streets of Germany. Germany surrenders to Montgomery. Montgomery speaks on the surrender. German generals sign the surrender documents. Montgomery shakes hands with King George. The two men walk together (10:23-12:04). End credits (12:05-12:45).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
