The Terrace Lawn at Chartwell grants exceptional views of the Kent countryside and the South Downs. The serene lakes glitter in the late evening sunset. It was here that Winston Churchill frequently gazed after the close of the Second World War. Often at his side during these years was his wartime colleague, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, or Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, as he became. With respect to his acquaintance with the former prime minister, “Monty” stated that it was after the war at Chartwell that “our true friendship began.”1
Churchill, outwardly gregarious and affectionate could not, at least at first glance, appear more different from Montgomery. And yet it was Montgomery who never abandoned Churchill and who “unfailingly cheered [him] up.”As evidence, Montgomery recorded forty-eight visits in the Chartwell guest book, far higher than most. Notably, Montgomery could not resist a bit of cheeky self-aggrandisement, signing himself off as “Montgomery of Alamein.” The Battle of El Alamein defined Montgomery’s character and, arguably, signalled
