Burnham and Highbridge’s Mayor and the Chairman of Burnham’s Royal British Legion have laid wreaths at the Burnham-On-Sea grave of the wife of the late Lord Montgomery as part of the local events to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day.
Lord Montgomery was among the most-decorated military leaders of World War II.
His wife, Elizabeth Montgomery – who was also known as Betty – died in Burnham in 1937 and her grave is in the town’s Westfield Road cemetry, where Mayor Cllr Mike Facey and the Royal British Legion’s John Crosby laid wreaths on Saturday (August 15th).
A local historian explains Betty’s story: “When Lord Montgomery – then Brigadier Monty – was 40, he went on a skiing trip to Lenk in Switzerland, hoping to meet a young lady of his acquaintance. She did not turn up. However, he met a widow with two sons, Elizabeth Carver, known as Betty, who was about to study at the Slade School of Art. Her first husband was Oswald Carver, an Olympic rower in 1908, who was killed at Gallilpoli.”
“After meeting up a few more times, Monty proposed, and he and Betty were married in Chiswick in 1927. The marriage seemed odd to her friends, particularly as he insisted on a meticulous house and was a stern husband. She threw herself into being an army wife. They had a son, David, who was born in 1928. In the late 1930s Monty could see war coming.”
“Convinced that England would soon be fighting, Monty set about training his new brigade in Portsmouth, leading them through gruelling manoeuvres. For a treat, and to get away from this gloomy talk, Betty took 10 year-old David for a beach holiday at Burnham-On-Sea, staying at the Richmond Hotel.”
“On August 21 1937 she was on the beach with David when she was bitten by an insect. That night her leg began to swell and she was taken to the hospital in Love Lane. Montgomery only visited her briefly, but by September he could see it was serious.”
“He insisted on sending David back to school, although the boy seemed to be the only one who seemed to realise his mother was dying. In October the doctors amputated Betty’s leg, but sadly on the 18th she died of septicaemia in Monty’s arms, at the age of 48.”
“Monty allowed no-one from the family to attend the funeral. He was desolate. For four days he refused to see anyone. Betty’s death had caught him off guard, the man who prepared for every thing in such detail, had not foreseen the biggest tragedy of his life. She was the only one who loved him unreservedly, in spite of his eccentricities. From then on, Monty sank himself into his work, and had no more distractions in his life.”
Betty was laid to rest in Burnham’s Westfield Road cemetry soon after her death in 1937 and her grave is maintained by Burnham and Highbridge Town Council.
Mayor Cllr Facey told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we were not able to take part in this year’s VE Day celebrations in May but we received a phone call a couple days later from a resident who suggested that when the anniversary of VJ Day is marked, it might be nice for the Town Council to remember the life of Betty Montgomery who is laid to rest here in Burnham.”
Pictured: Mayor Cllr Facey, Deputy Mayor Cllr Andy Hodge, Burnham’s Royal British Legion Chairman John Crosby and his wife Ruth during Saturday’s ceremony. More here.
