December 2012 Auction Ends Tuesday, December 18th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/18/2012
Exceptional, museum-worthy document signed by Bernard Montgomery as Commander-in-Chief of the British Zone in Germany, dated 30 May 1945, less than a month after the Germans surrendered and before the British Army of the Rhine had been formed. Headed ''Personal Message from The British C-in-C (to the population of the British Zone in Germany)'' and signed ''B.L. Montgomery'', with an autograph emendation in ink, where Montgomery crosses out the typed ''I have nothing against'' the German people and alters it in his hand to: ''No harm is intended'' against the German people. Two page document, labeled ''Top Secret'' at head reads in part, ''1. I have been appointed by the British Government to command and control the British Zone in Germany. This area will be governed for the present by Military Government under my orders...2. The first step will be to see that the population has (a) food (b) housing (c) freedom from disease. The harvest must be gathered in...3. Those who have committed war crimes according to international law will be dealt with in proper fashion. No harm is intended against the mass of the German people; they will work under my orders to provide the necessities of life for the community...4. The German Wehrmacht, and other armed forces, will be disarmed and disbanded. All German soldiers, sailors, and airmen, are being sorted out by trades and occupations...5. I will see to it that all German soldiers and civilians are kept informed by radio and newspapers of how the work is going on. The population will be told what to do. I shall expect it to be done willingly and efficiently...'' File tack to upper left is rusted and minor creasing throughout. Measures approximately 14.25'' x 10'', in very good condition.
Bernard Montgomery Document Signed With Hand Annotations: ''...No harm is intended against the mass of the German people...'' -- Issuing Perhaps His First Message as Commander of Occupied Germany
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