#Fake ireland from outerspace series

Receiving wide publicity in the United States, the fake broadcast would be reproduced by all Hearst newspapers, with the New York Daily News running the story under the inflammatory headline вЂApplause to Monty: apple-sauce to YanksвЂ™ ( CAB 106/1107).

Needless to say, American outrage at the implied slur on their military competence underlined the true destructive force of the fake radio broadcast. This radio broadcast was heard by large numbers of American service personnel stationed in Europe, who were accustomed to listening to the BBC on the same wavelength, and who naturally assumed that the broadcast was genuine. It purported to be an official BBC comment on the press conference which, according to Ellis, вЂcleverly slanted the whole affair in a way calculated to give most offence to the AmericansвЂ™ ( CAB 106/1107). The above broadcast, recorded by the American Monitoring Service on the morning of 8 January, the day following MontgomeryвЂ™s press conference, would be picked up on the same wavelength used by BBC to broadcast to Allied forces in Europe. However, the initial press reactions to the speech were favourable on both sides of the Atlantic, and it seemed that poorer impressions at an official level would die away, being remembered as little more than a small quarrel between British 21stВ Army Group and American 12thВ Army Group commanders.ДЄt this point, GermanyвЂ™s propaganda machine intervened. Although, as Ellis observes, Montgomery delivered a вЂhandsome tribute to the American army, its general tone and certain smugness of delivery undoubtedly gave deep offence to many American officers at SHAEF and Twelfth Army GroupвЂ™ ( CAB 106/1107). In addition, while he went to great lengths to describe the valiant efforts of key American units in the battle, such as the 101stВ and 82ndВ Airborne Divisions, as well as the US 7thВ Armoured and 106thВ Infantry Divisions, he also underlined British involvement in the battle, such as that of the British 6thВ Airborne Division. Indeed, his defence of Eisenhower appears disingenuous. Montgomery, while clearly defending Eisenhower as his superior, did not labour in his efforts to condemn the criticism of the British press outright. The American military setback in the Ardennes gave the British press an opportunity to revive this argument they critiqued American military chiefs and their handling of the German offensive, singling out Eisenhower for particular criticism. According to Ellis, certain factions of the British press, particularly the Daily Mail, had never given up hope of Montgomery being appointed overall commander of Allied Land Forces in Europe, making him second only to Eisenhower in terms of authority over Allied forces on the continent. However, Montgomery had a far more pressing reason for holding this press conference. Catalogue ref: CAB 106/1107ДЄt first glance, the text of the press statement appears relatively innocent, and seems to be nothing more than a typical briefing on the military situation since the German attack on 16 December 1944, with a glowing tribute to the resilience and fighting abilities of American soldiers in the battle. The notes read that Allied Supreme Commander, General Dwight D Eisenhower, later recalled this incident as one that caused him вЂmore distress and worry than did any similar one of the warвЂ™ ( CAB 106/1107).ДЇield-Marshal MontgomeryвЂ™s press conference, 7 January 1945. The author, Major L F Ellis, dedicates a section of notes to the debacle that ensued from the Montgomery press conference, held on 7 January 1945, which took on the proportions of a crisis seemingly greater than the Ardennes Offensive itself. These were compiled for the second of an 18-volume official history of the Second World War, prepared by the Historical Section of the Cabinet Office and published by Her MajestyвЂ™s Stationery Office in 1968, which describes the 1944-1945 military campaign in Western Europe.

#Fake ireland from outerspace series

Within the CAB 106 series are the working papers for the text of вЂVictory in the West, Volume IIвЂ™. It all began with a dull and clumsily-worded press statement delivered by Field-Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, the commander of British 21st Army Group, who was placed in command of the northern segment of the Allied line throughout the German offensive.

This inflicted lasting damage on Anglo-American relations during the final four months of the Allied campaign in North-West Europe. Field-Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, commander of British 21st Army Group, photographed with British Airborne Cap badge and wearing a British camouflage paratrooper jacket, 1945.