Born in London to the family of a clergyman, Montgomery was raised in Tasmania until he returned to London as a youth to attend St. Paul's School. In 1906, he enrolled at Sandhurst, the British military academy, graduating in 1908 with a commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He saw action with this regiment during World War I and fought with distinction at the first Battle of Ypres in October-November 1914, suffering a severe wound and earning the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). He was invalided back to Britain and assigned training duties during 1915. At the beginning of 1916, Montgomery was sufficiently recovered to return to France, where he served as brigade major of the 104th Brigade at the Somme from June 24 to November 13, 1916. Promoted to staff officer for the 33rd Division at Arras during April 9-15, 1917, and then for IX Corps at Passchendaele from July 31 to November 10, he ended the war as a staff officer with the 47th Division.

Montgomery saw service in the army of occupation in Germany after the armistice, then enrolled in the staff college at Camberley in 1921. He served in various home posts until 1926, when he was appointed an instructor at Camberley. In 1929, he rewrote the army's Infantry Training Manual, then was posted for three years in Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Poona (India), where he commanded a regiment from 1930 to 1933. Appointed chief instructor at Quetta Staff College (in India; now Pakistan), he served there from 1934 to 1937. Back in Britain, Montgomery assumed command of the 9th Brigade at Portsmouth until October 1938, when he was named commander of the 8th Division in Palestine. Through August 1939, he was involved in suppressing anti-British Arab insurrection.

Montgomery was recalled to Europe at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 and assigned command of 3rd Division, II Corps, during the failed British offensive in Flanders. He won distinction for his role in managing the Dunkirk evacuation, in which he led a brilliant rearguard action during May-June 1940. He was knighted for this action and named to replace Sir Claude Auchinleck as commander of V Corps in July, then transferred to command of XII Corps in April 1941. By November, he was in command of the entire Southeastern Army.

Montgomery played a role in planning the ill-fated Dieppe raid of August 1942, but (fortunately for his reputation) he was transferred to Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa, before the Dieppe raid was executed. Originally Montgomery was to command the First British Army, but, after General W. H. E. Gott died in August, he took over the Eighth British Army in Egypt. With this body he would make his greatest contribution to the war. . .

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