16 June 1944

No letter today. Just this:

* TIDBIT *

about The VII Corps and the Cherbourg Campaign

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

On the 16th of June, the 438th AAA AW Bn (M) was assigned the task of defending two vital bridges on the main supply line which had just been established at St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte. They were also assigned to defend VII Corps Artillery for the cutting of German forces on the Cherbourg Peninsula and the attack on Cherbourg. Greg's unit was certainly in the thick of it...

On the afternoon of 15 June General Collins announced: "The major effort of the Corps is now to cut the peninsula." By this time the advance westward had progressed sufficiently so that the entire effort could be focused toward that end. For 16 June General Collins ordered an attack all along the line from the Douve River to Gourbesville. The 82d Airborne Division was to continue toward St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte. Developments in the vicinity of St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte suddenly changed the whole tempo of the battle. The 82d Airborne and 9th Division units jumped off at various times between 0500 and 0800 on the morning of 16 June, but it was the attack of the 325th Glider Infantry, Regiment (GIR) assisted by tanks of Company A, 746th Tank Battalion, which touched off the complete rout of the remaining enemy units east of the Douve and paced the 2-division drive to the Douve line.

At noon three regiments -- the 325th GIR, the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment(PIR), and the 508th PIR which had joined the other two -- were poised on the east bank of the river overlooking the town of St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte. From this position the enemy could be observed withdrawing from the town. General Ridgway, realizing the possibilities of the situation, asked Corps'permission to cross the river into town and establish a bridgehead. Meanwhile he had the artillery deliver harrassing fire on the roads leading north, west, and south from the town. The 1st Battalion, 325th GIR, was alerted to cross the river and cut the road to the southwest. An hour after the Corps commander had approved General Ridgway's request, elements of the division were crossing the river, meeting little resistance. By dark a firm bridgehead was established and secured with a perimeter defense 2,000 to 2,500 yards out from the town. Engineers bridged the Douve and tanks entered the town that evening.

The events at St. Sauveur-le Vicomte were a turning point in the whole drive westward. The success of the 82d Airborne Division gave such impetus to the 9th Division's attack that it gathered a momentum which carried it swiftly across the peninsula.

Most of the pictures below come from:
PhotosNormandie's Flickr Photostream.

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Aerial view of Saint Sauveur-le-Vicomte looking west.
In the foreground can be seen bomb craters, the Douve River and
its bridges. At the bottom right 2 trucks head toward Valogne.
The top center road leads to Portbail and across the picture
is the train line between Cherbourg and La Haye du Puits.


Pontoon bridge constructed by American military
engineers near Saint Sauveur-Le-Vicomte
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos


Ruins in Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte.
In this devastated neighborhood, one house was somehow left intact.


American soldiers shovel up the debris on
today's Rue du Vieux Château in
 Saint Sauveur-le-Vicomte.


These GIs shovel the wreckage of a collapsed house
on Rue Bottin-Desylles, next to a Renault garage
in Saint Souveur-le-Vicomte.


The Hôtel de la Victoire is destroyed. An American soldier
walks down what is now Rue du Vieux Château
after it was dug out in Saint Sauveur le Vicomte.


Soldiers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne, accompanied
by a jeep, walk down what is now Rue du Vieux Château.
Saint Sauveur-le-Vicomte is in ruins, 16 June 1944.

15 June, 1944

No letter today. Just this:

* TIDBIT *
about Hedgerows and the French Countryside

CLICK ON DIAGRAM TO ENLARGE

Diagram of a hedgerow

The terrain features of the French countryside had a particularly strong influence on the conduct of operations. The terrain on the Allied left, held by the British Second Army, was an expanse of gently rolling pastures and cultivated fields. The relatively dry and firm ground in the British sector facilitated armor operations and the construction of forward airfields. The boundary line between the British Second Army and the U.S. First Army began on the coast near Port-en-Bessin and extended inland for approximately twenty miles, ending a few miles east of the village of Caumont. The U.S. First Army was responsible for operations along a wide arc that stretched westward from Caumont to the port of Cherbourg, a frontage of more than fifty miles.

Within a few days after the Allied invasion of Normandy, the U.S. Army found itself facing a stubborn opponent on terrain that favored the defender. Units fought desperately for hills, towns, and bridges that had become of strategic importance. At every turn, the Americans faced the seasoned veterans of the German Army. The effects of weather and especially terrain had a direct influence on the conduct of operations, while the dispositions and defensive capabilities of the German Army crucially dictated American actions.

Unlike the terrain in the British sector, the ground held by the U.S. First Army did not favor mobile operations. The American sector on the left, the ground between the boundary line with the British and the Vire River, was broken and uneven.The countryside in this sector was a patchwork of small hills, low ridges, narrow rivers, and steep valleys that hampered long-range observation and impeded cross-country movement. The center of the American sector was low ground that contained extensive marshlands. The whole area was drained by the Taute and Vire Rivers, which empty into the English Channel near Carentan and Isigny, respectively. The marshlands were flat, and the ground was soft and moist making travel by foot difficult, with vehicle traffic being almost impossible. Heavy rains made the marshlands even less passable, restricting movement to the few asphalt roads that traverse the bogs. On the American right, the terrain was more favorable. Between the marshes in the center of the sector and the coastline on the extreme right flank, a group of hills rose up to dominate the northern end of the Cotentin Peninsula. The most important terrain feature on the American right was the city of Cherbourg with its extensive port facilities.

Despite these natural obstacles, the most pervasive and formidable barrier in the American sector was man-made. For centuries, Norman farmers had enclosed the plots of their arable land, pastures as well as orchards, with thick hedgerows. The hedgerows were sturdy embankments, half earth, half hedge. At their base, they varied in thickness from one to four feet, with heights from three to fifteen feet. Growing out of this earthen wall was a hedge that consisted of small trees and tangles of vines and brush. This vegetation had a thickness of one to three feet and varied in height from three to fifteen feet. The hedgerows surrounded each field, breaking the terrain into numerous walled enclosures. Because the fields were small, about 200 by 400 yards in size, and usually irregular in shape, the hedgerows were numerous and set in no logical pattern. Each field had an opening in the hedgerow that permitted access for humans, livestock, and farm equipment. For passage to fields that are not adjacent to regular highways, numerous wagon trails ran through the hedgerows.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Soldiers in trench between hedgerows, 10 June 1944


A breach in a hedgerow


A machine gun is set up in a hedgerow

The military features of the hedgerows are obvious. They divided the country into tiny compartments, providing excellent concealment to the defender a formidable obstacle to the attacker. The thick vegetation limited the deployment of units and restrict observation, making the effective use of heavy-caliber direct-fire weapons almost impossible and hampering the adjustment of artillery fire. Anyone occupying a high place that afforded good fields of observation and a clear view of the surrounding countryside had a distinct advantage.

The uneven and compartmentalized nature of this area meant paved roads were important. The main highways either paralleled the coast or stretched inland to the interior of Normandy. Carentan, in the center of the First Army's sector, was a vital road junction. From there, good highways ran eastward to Périers and La Haye-du-Puits. East of Carentan, two parallel roads ran south to Saint-Lo, which was perhaps the most vital road junction in the First Army sector. Like spokes on a wheel, roads ran from Saint-Lo in almost every direction. The force that could hold Saint-Lo would retain control over much of the road network in the wooded countryside.

Like the terrain, the weather also influenced operations in Normandy. More than anything else, persistent rains during June and July hampered the efforts of the U.S. Army. The early summer of 1944 was the wettest since 1900. Extended periods of rainy weather turned the marshlands west of Carentan into a bottomless morass, making cross-country movement impossible. Rains also added immeasurably to the daily miseries endured by the foot soldier. Low visibility and cloud ceilings often grounded all aircraft, denying the ground forces the support of fighter-bombers and aerial observers that was so desperately needed. The extent of daylight was also important. Extremely long days put a premium on the hours of darkness. Nighttime was used to rearm, resupply, rest, and plan for the next day's operations. Short nights limited the amount of time for these activities, and early dawns often found exhausted American units unprepared to conduct an attack or to defend against counterattacks.

14 June, 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

14 June, 1944

Dearest sweetheart –

Again I can write you just a few lines with not much in the line of news, I know, but just to let you now that everything is well with me. I hope you are not worrying too much, darling, although I know a certain amount would be natural these days. But honestly, dear, I’m comfortable, relaxed, eating and sleeping regularly and taking things in stride.

That’s all for now, sweetheart. I think of you constantly and find great solace in the thought of our love for each other – for which I am ever thankful. Give my love to the folks, dear.

All my love to you

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about D-Day plus 8

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

On 14 June, VII Corps launched an offensive to seize the badly needed portfacilities at Cherbourg. There was much to do to get there.

In the West, the American forces moved towards the north of Utah Beach. The 9th Infantry Division, near the 4th Infantry Division, was ordered to liberate the town of Quinéville, home of Germany's Regional Headquarter. With the capture of Quinéville on 14 June, the enemy's main line in the North was broken, depriving him of his best natural defense against the advancing northern flank. The capture of Quinéville and the clearing of the coast to the south also helped to speed the landing of supplies and personnel for VII Corps. In the early days of the landings German artillery had prevented the use of the Navy pontoon causeway built on D plus 1, and difficulties in beaching landing craft and in the functioning of the ferry control organization had resulted in a lag in unloading of about thirty-six hours.

Cherbourg, which was to be under the Ally control on June 14th according to the May 1944 plans, was still far away. But the 9th American Infantry Division progressed all the same towards Valognes, despite heavy losses while the men of the 82nd Airborne Division attacked in direction of the village of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte. This description of the action of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) of the 82nd Airborne Division to take Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, beginning on 14 June, was written by Pat Curran for a former page on DdayHistorian.com:

On Wednesday, 14th June the attack to take St.-Sauveur-le-Vicomte began from a jump off west of Etienville. This phase of the 505th Normandy campaign lasted for four days. The attack commenced at 9:30am on Wednesday 14th June with the 507 PIR in the lead and the 505th in Division reserve following behind. The two paratroop regiments advanced westward on the north of Etienville to St.-Sauveur-le-Vicomte Road.

To the 507th's right was the U.S. 9th Infantry, which overall was an experienced Division, having seen action in North Africa. However, some of its regiments had no battle experience at all. On the left flank and south of the road was the 2nd Battalion 401st Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR), attached to the 325th GIR. The 507th had suffered huge losses prior to this attack. It's 1st Battalion numbered just over 100 men, and fewer still by the time it reached the eastern outskirts of La Bonneville that night. The day had seen ferocious fighting on both sides of the road with the 2nd Battalion 401st GIR eventually pulling up in line with the 507th PIR as dusk fell on Wednesday night.

During the final leg of Company E, 401st's advance, the night became dark from overcast sky. Unbelievably, a German squad, by-passed during the day by the Americans, heard Company E troopers talking indistinctly through a hedgerow and thinking they were German troops, fell in behind the marching column. They only realized their mistake when the column halted and began to dig in. The German squad wisely surrendered without a fight!

From the World War Photos site comes this picture of the 82nd in Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte:

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Meanwhile, northeast of the city of Bayeux, on the beach of Courseulles, General Charles de Gaulle, chief of the Free French Army, landed after crossing the English Channel aboard the destroyer "La Combattante", a ship of the Free French Navy.

DeGaulle walking in Couseulles, 14 June 1944

He met General Montgomery at his Headquarters at the castle of Creuilly. He then went to Bayeux, liberated on June 7, where an immense crowd applauded him and sang the "Marseillaise". He moved on to the towns of Isigny-sur-Mer and Grandcamp at the end of the afternoon, pressed by the Allies to come back as quickly as possible.

Creully Castle, Montgomery's Headquarters, France

13 June, 1944

No letter today. Just this:

Greg arrived on Utah Beach on 12 June, 1944 to join the VII Corps under Collins. The progress of VII Corps can be seen on the map below, where Allied forces are shown in blue and German forces in red.

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

Map of the movement of Allied and German Forces
from D-day to D-Day plus 6 (12 June, 1944).

The small town of Carentan occupied a pivotal position between Omaha and Utah Beaches, and its capture was one of the most important American priorities in the days immediately after D-Day. Carentan was naturally protected by the swamps of the lower Taute and Vire rivers, and artificially by inundations created by German flooding. The only good road across this area ran through Carentan and on to Périers, but this single road was very easily defended.

The 101st Airborne was given the task of taking Carentan. The only available approach to the town ran along another causeway that entered the town from the north. The attack had begun on 8 June, but progress was very slow. It took two days to reach Carentan, but on 10 June the 101st had begun to surround the town. On 11 June the paratroops had finally fought their way past the outer defenses of the town. The beleagured defenders of the town called for supplies to be dropped from the air, but no supplies appeared. On the night of 11-12 June, under heavy American fire, the Germans had abandoned Carentan. The gap between the beaches had seemed to be closed.

However, this battle wasn't over. Germany's Field Marshall Erwin Rommel saw the recapture of Carentan as essential to successfully defeat the Allied invasion. On 12 June he informed Keitel that he intended to move the focus of his operations west to Carentan and Montebourg, in an effort to destroy the American beachhead on the Cotentin Peninsula. On the same day he ordered the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment to retake the town. Fortunately for the Allies, Rommel's promised reinforcements were severely delayed by a combination of air attacks and sabotage by the Resistance.

The counterattack took place on the morning of 13 June. The SS troops reached to within 500 yards of the town before they were defeated by the 101st Airborne with help from the U.S. 2nd Armoured Division. The coordinated efforts of the tanks, infantry, and artillery threw the enemy back several thousand yards, inflicting an estimated loss of 500 men. Worse was to follow for the Germans, for the movement of the 17th SS had left a gap in their lines, which the U.S. 1st Division would exploit.

The capture of Carentan again closed the gap between the Utah and Omaha beachheads, the last gap between the D-Day landing zones. This was one of the most important moments in the battle of Normandy, for it removed any danger that the Germans might have been able to destroy the isolated Utah beach head. However, although the Allies were safely ashore, and their bridgehead, unless they made a major error, unlikely to be threatened, a grim battle of attrition lay ahead. The first major task was to complete the capture of Cherbourg, for nature was about to demonstrate the frightening vulnerability of the Allied forces until they held a major port.

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

The entrance in Carentan by Rue Holgate,
coming from Periers road.


Medical Jeep rides down Rue Holgate, Carentan


M-7 Tank rolls by Aid Station, Rue Holgate, Carentan


101st Airborne patrolling Carentan street


American howitzers shell German forces near Carentan

12 June, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

12 June, 1944

My dearest Sweetheart –

I can’t write very much now, but I thought a little would be better than nothing at all – while the opportunity presented itself. Naturally I can’t tell you yet where I am or what we’re doing but soon perhaps – I will. The fact is, though, darling – that no matter where I am or what I’m doing – you are constantly in my mind – and more so now than ever before. The thought of you and your love and constancy is wonderful tonic and a letter of yours written June 2 which miraculously reached me today – certainly helped in keeping my spirits up. I don’t know where you learned it – or if you took a course – but your letters are made to order for a guy overseas, sweetheart, and I can only say that you’ll never know my appreciation. I have to admit over and over again that I love you more and more – and hope that you won’t tire of hearing just that. But if you’re interested in knowing that I was never more certain of anything than I am of my desire to make you my wife and live with you happily in Salem – then I’ll tell you just that – because darling I mean to do just that. Remember dear that it is you and only you I love, think of, dream about and desire – everywhere and always.

Dearest – I can’t write more now. I do hope you’re hearing from me by now – and don’t worry because everything is going along fine. I don’t believe I wrote you yesterday or the day before – but I’m not positive, dear. I’ll try to write as often as I can. Love to the folks and my love is yours forever,

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about D-Day plus 6

On 12 June, 1944, the Americans of the 502nd and 506th regiments of the 101st Airborne managed to control a part of the town of Carentan in the evening, after difficult street fighting. The junction between the American troops coming from Utah Beach and those coming from Omaha Beach was now carried out. The five bridgeheads were joined together representing a 80 kilometers long zone from Sainte-Mère-Eglise in the West and to Ouistreham in the East, reaching 10 to 30 kilometers of depth.

By this time, a third wave of Allied forces had landed. There are now 326,000 troops, 104,000 tons of supplies and 54,000 vehicles deployed in Normandy, France. Elements of VII Corps advanced across the Cotentin Peninsula and southwest. Also, the 4th Division was engaged at Montebourg, Crisbecq and near Azeville to the northward drive on Cherbourg. V Corps assisted VII Corps and advanced toward St Lo. Caumont was captured and Foret de Cerisy and the Bayeux road were reached.

[Note from FourthChild: Although it will not be written in a letter here, Greg later told of arriving on Utah Beach on D-Day plus 6. He would joke that he rolled onto the beach in a jeep, without even getting his feet wet. Perhaps his experience was something like this...]

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Troops aboard an LCT on 12 June, 1944


Jeeps roll off an LST on 12 June, 1944


Newly landed U.S. Forces move along Utah Beach
at Les Dunes de Madeleine, on their way to the front
to reinforce troops facing the enemy on 12 June, 1944.

11 June, 1944

No letter today. Just this:

Route of the Question Mark

Part of Page 11 of The Route of the Question Mark gives this timeframe:
June 11: An advance party composed of half the battery leaves Sherborne on the first move of the journey across the channel.

Page 21 includes this portion:
The night before D-Day when we saw all the bombers go over, and suspected that something important was about to happen... Departure of our Advance Party for France, and the desolate appearance its absence caused in Sherborne...

Meanwhile, on Utah Beach:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Nazi 88mm guns pound Utah Beach as
American troops push into Normandy, France.
11 June 1944

And in the air, here is an account of just one bomber raid, this on the 21st Panzer Division (click to listen ):

"

10 June, 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

10 June, 1944

Dearest sweetheart –

Sorry that I have to use this V mail, but if I’m going to get anything at all off to you today – I’d better write this – now. As things looked last night, I didn’t think I’d be able to write you today, but for one reason or another, here I am, dear.

I got a letter from Charlie yesterday, written in this country on the day he left for the States. He was remarkably frank and said he was going to ask Pauline to divorce him – which I don’t think she’ll do. I really feel sorry for the guy and I hope he readjusts himself.

Darling – there’s not much else I am able to write you from this point except to remind you that I love you and not to worry. Everything is fine here. Love to the folks and I’ll write as soon as I can.

All my love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Montgomery and his Message


Photo of Montgomery from LIFE magazine

The following message from the 21st Army Group's Commander-in-Chief, Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, was distributed to Greg as Commander of his Medical Detachment on D-Day plus 4.

The 21st Army Group, commanded by General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, was a British headquarters formation consisting primarily of British and Canadian forces. The Army Group was an important Allied force in the European Theater of World War II. It was established in London during July 1943 under the command of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) and was initially assigned to control all ground forces in Operation Overlord, the invasion of Europe. When sufficient American forces had landed, their own 12th Army Group was activated, under General Omar Bradley and the 21st Army Group was left with the British 2nd Army and the First Canadian Army under its control.

Much of what is written below was extracted from the WWII Database's Biography of Montgomery:

In 1914, during WWI, Montgomery was deployed to France and was shot by a sniper. With the bullet passing through his right lung, the wound was so critical that a grave was dug in preparation for his death, but he recovered. He continued his military career following the war. He was promoted to the rank of major general while serving in Palestine. He became the commanding officer of the 9th Infantry Brigade in 1937 at the rank of brigadier. The same year Montgomery's wife, Elizabeth, received an inspect bite in the arm which became seriously infected and required amputation; she contracted septicemia following the amputation and passed away in his arms. He dealt with his sorrow by occupying himself with work.

Eventually, "Monty" was promoted to the rank of major general and was given command of the 8th Infantry Division in Palestine. At that position he was credited in quashing the Arab revolt. In Jul 1939, he was sent back to England to command the 3rd Infantry Division. When the United Kingdom entered WWII in 1939, the 3rd Infantry Division was deployed to Belgium as part of the British Expeditionary Force. Realizing that the British and the French had little intention to invade Germany, Montgomery predicted a defeat should Germany decide to invade France, and trained his troops for tactical retreat, which paid off when the men of the 3rd Infantry Division effectively fell back toward the French coast. In Jul 1940, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and was placed in command of V Corps. In Apr 1941, he became the commanding officer of XII Corps. In 1942, he was a member of the team that planned out the Dieppe Raid which suffered disastrous results. He never took direct blame for the failure as Louis Mountbatten took on the role of scapegoat.

In 1942, William Gott who had been selected as a field commander in North Africa, but he was killed in an airplane crash. Montgomery took command on 13 August and immediately instituted a series of changes, including the creation of a mobile British armored corps and a set of new procedures for improved combined operations with the Royal Air Force. Also among the first things he performed was the destruction of all plans for falling back in the case of a strong Axis offensive. "I have canceled the plan for withdrawal," he told his officers at his first staff meeting. "If we are attacked, then there will be no retreat. If we cannot stay here alive, then we will stay here dead." On 31 Aug 1942, he successfully repelled Rommel's attack against Alam el Halfa by predicting the high ground as a likely target and prepared its defenses before the attack commenced.

In the next month, Montgomery started to receive great quantities of supplies from the United States, including large numbers of tanks. In October of 1942, Montgomery decided that he was ready to launch Operation Lightfoot. On 23 October, the two forces engaged at the Battle of El Alamein, and 12 days later Montgomery achieved his decisive victory, capturing 30,000 Axis prisoners. For this victory, he was knighted and promoted to the rank of general. He continued to use his superior firepower to put pressure against the Axis forces, pushing the Axis lines back time after time, leading to the end of the Desert War.

To the men, Montgomery became the officer who defeated the dreaded Erwin Rommel. His popularity was gained not only through victories, but also his efforts to win the hearts of his men. He made sure that he was visible to the front line soldiers, speaking to them as much as possible. On one of the visits, he visited an armor unit, and spoke with the crew of a tank; one of the tankers gave him a black beret of the Royal Tank Regiment, which he wore for the remainder of the war, becoming part of his signature look. Some of his methods for troop support were unorthodox, however, such as setting up a brothel in Tripoli, Libya to satisfy the sexual needs of his men. This received approval from the men who needed this type of service, but it also added distance between Montgomery and the other officers who found brothels immoral and unacceptable.

Montgomery was next placed in command of the Eighth Army for the invasion of Sicily, Italy. From the onset, his leadership style and battlefield tactics conflicted with those of his American counterpart George Patton. The conflict grew into a personal rivalry between Patton and Montgomery in which Patton moved his troops into territory originally assigned to Montgomery, complaining that Montgomery's troops were advancing too slowly while boasting victories for engagements that should had been fought by the British.

Monty was transferred out of Italy on 23 December, 1943 for the upcoming cross-Channel invasion. Upon his return to England, Montgomery was given the 21st Army Group, which encompassed all Allied ground forces that would take part in Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. He had wished for the responsibility of overall Allied command, but was unable to secure the position due to politics since the United States contributed greatly to the campaign in both men and materiel.

While commanding the British elements closely near the French city of Caen, his troops were bogged down, and were not able to take the city until Jul 1944; he originally set the goal for the British and Canadian troops to conquer Caen within days of the landing. This delay gave his political opponents such as Omar Bradley and George Patton opportunities to further criticize him. Nevertheless, once Caen was captured, he was able to use it as a pivot point that eventually led to the major German defeat at the Falaise Pocket. Once the Allied forces secured their footing in France, Montgomery found himself still unable to obtain the position of the Supreme Allied Commander, again for political reasons, as the overwhelming majority of Allied personnel in Europe were American. To appease him, Churchill offered him the title of field marshal. In 1946, he was made 1st Viscount of Alamein.