Official Admiralty WWII photo of Montomgery and Admiral Fraser, signed by both for Sale

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Official Admiralty WWII photo of Montomgery and Admiral Fraser, signed by both For Sale

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Official Admiralty WWII photo of Montomgery and Admiral Fraser, signed by both:
$6750.00

Official Admiralty Second World War photo of General Bernard Law Montgomery and Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser on the Flagship HMS Duke of York, signed and annotated by Montgomery as Commander in Chief of the British Group of Armies one month before the Normandy landings
HMS Duke of York: British Admiralty Press Division, 1944
Condition: Fine

This striking Second World War photographis remarkable for location, time, subject, and signature. General Bernard Law Montgomery and AdmiralSir Bruce Fraser are captured striding on the deck of the Flagship H.M.S. Dukeof York on 6 May 1944, one month before the D-Day Normandy landings. In the background is one of the 14 inch gunsthat Fraser himself designed.

Measuring 10 x 8 inches, the photographis annotated and signed by Montgomery in black ink in seven lines. At the top center, Montgomery wrote: “Visitto Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser | C-in-C Home Fleet | 6 May 1944.” At the lower right, adjacent to and below hisown feet, Montgomery signed and wrote “B. L. Montgomery | General. | C-in-CBritish Group of Armies.” A final lineat the bottom center between Fraser and Montgomery reads: “H.M.S. Duke ofYork.” There are two British Admiraltystamps on the verso. At the upper right,stamped and bordered in purple ink, is “OFFICIAL ADMIRALTY PHOTOGRAPH | No.”and hand-inked in blue is “23232 Mas”. Asecond, five-line Admiralty stamp at the center reads: “Suitable fortransmission | through the post not for, | publication | Press Division |Admiralty.” Pencil notation at the upperleft reads: “MONTGOMERY, B. SPN9034”. Condition is excellent, with no loss,tears, apparent toning, or appreciable wear or soiling.

Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery,1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (1887-1976) passed through Sandhurst\"without distinction\" to begin what became fifty years in the BritishArmy during which he became \"the outstanding British field commander ofthe twentieth century.” The First WorldWar “changed Montgomery from a bumptious, querulous infantry subaltern,constantly at odds with authority, into a decorated company commander,outstanding staff officer—and trainer of men.”Fame came in North Africa during the Second World War.

In August 1942, Churchill gaveMontgomery command of the Eighth Army.Montgomery famously beat Rommel and oversaw defeat of North African Axisforces. He went on to command the Eighth Army in Sicily and Italy, and Alliedground forces during Operation Overlord – launched with the Normandy landingsof 6 June 1944. After the war he rose to Chief of the Imperial General Staffand was elevated to Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. He retired in 1958 asdeputy commander of NATO\'s European forces.(ODNB)

Admiral Bruce Austin Fraser, BaronFraser of North Cape (1888-1981) was a career naval officer who saw First WorldWar action in the Dardanelles. By theearly 1920s he was “plainly marked for high rank” and worked “close to theheart of the navy’s gunnery development”.As director of naval ordinance Fraser “devised the armament forBritain\'s last generation of battleships, the 14 inch King George V class” – towhich class belonged the Duke of York.All five King George V class ships saw combat, two of them in the actionthat sank the Bismarck. Fraserbegan the Second World War as controller of the navy and third sea lord. “Fraser won the confidence of WinstonChurchill… and never lost it for the remainder of the war, despite periodicdifferences of opinion.” On 8 May 1940Fraser was appointed commander-in-chief, Home Fleet. In late December 1943, the guns of the Dukeof York – in which Fraser flew his flag – were “the decisive factor” in sinkingthe German capital ship Scharnhorst, “ensuring Fraser\'s perpetualcelebrity in the annals of the Royal Navy”.

Fraser ended the war ascommander-in-chief, Pacific Fleet, and signed the Japanese surrender documentfor Britain, aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September1945. A barony was conferred in 1946 andFraser retired in April 1952.(ODNB) In addition to herconsiderable wartime action, in December 1941, H.M.S. Duke of York transportedPrime Minister Winston Churchill across the Atlantic to meet with PresidentRoosevelt and address the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament. Duke of York was laid up in November1951.

Ref #: 004396
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