Monty's Iron Sides

The British 3rd Division, known as `Monty's Iron Sides' after their old commander, was chosen by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery to spearhead the Allied attack on the Normandy beaches on D-Day. So began a savage sequence of operations in North West Europe which finally led to VE day. With machine gunners from Middlesex and field gunners from the Scottish Highlands, the 3rd Division was probably the most British of the Army divisions fighting in North West Europe in 1944-5. Monty's Iron Sides' contribution to victory in Europe was immense and won them two Victoria Crosses, but the price was high. The division suffered 15,000 casualties including over 2,500 killed in action. Following a successful formula adopted in his other divisional histories, Patrick Delaforce draws on contributions from the dozen fighting regiments of the 3rd Division. In Monty's Iron Sides, privates, NCOs and young officers alike relate the stories of their battles in their own words - the words of the soldiers who fought at the sharp end of war.