MONTY SETS OUT ON TRIP TO DOMINIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 24 June 1947, Page 2

MONTY SETS OUT ON TRIP TO DOMINIONS

LONDON, June 22. Field Marshal "Viscount Montgomery left Northolt yesterday in a Transport Command Avro Yoik for India, Singapore, Australia,. iNew Zealand and Japan. - , " I feel, now that: the war is pver, I ' must visit the Dominions, whose soldiers f ought with ; me, ' ' he said rat the airport. "The Dominions produce very fine soldiers d'rom citizen arinips and we ourselves have citizen armies under the National Service Act. I am anxious to study the Dominions ' methods . Of training their citizen armies, because I feel we have a.lot to learn from them. ; "In the 12 months during which we shall have our new soldiers, we haye to do the job properly. We have no time '(o lose. I have been to Canada and Ameriea and studied what they 'do. When I have seen Australia and JNew Zealand I think we shall be able to give training without wasting time." Field Marshal Montgomery said he was anxious to meet organisations of former soldier». ; The main purpose of his tour was to visit Australia and New Zealand. "General MacArthur sent me a very warrh invitation, and as he is the only ■ senior Ameriean general I have never met I am very anxious to see him. ' ' Field Marshal . Montgomery hopes that the trip will ; help to solve his housing problem. iGerman bombs in 1941 destroyed his Portsmouth home. He lived in a caravan from Alamem to Berlin. Now he. occupies a room in a friend-'s house at Hindhead and works in the same caravan, which is parked in the gardens. He has bought an old mill in Hampshire which he hopes to turn into a house. England is short of timber for the job, but he hopes to pick up . some hard oak in Australia. The plane and erew are those which tojk him to Moscow. The co-pilot is Flight-Lieut. M. L. Crequer, D.F.C., of New Zealand. Four personal stalf members accompany tfye field marshal.