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11A, THE GATEWAYS, CHELSEA, S.W.3. 01-550 0977
20. 9. 74
Dear Mr. Ryan.
I am writing to thank you so much for being instrumental in getting Bunty and me on that most memorable MARKET GARDEN, 30th Anniversary, trip.
We shall remember every moment of it, not forgetting the ligther side of social. life on M.V. "Holland Emerald", which was all so pleasant! We much hope you and your wife were not utterly exhausted by the strenuous nature of the programme. The speed and variety
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{Eisenhower file}
of events were enough to tax energies of anyone
Incidentally I am enclosing a copy of that letter from. Eisenhower to my brother, dated 16th September 1944, which I mentioned to you and which you said you would like to see.
Finally I hope you will accept, from myself, a copy of [?my?] recent book, which I am asking my New York publishers (TAPLING to send direct to you. It is due for publication some time in October.
With our very best and warmest [illegible] to you both, and grateful thanks
yours sincerely Brian Montgomery
{21 ARMY Group orders for MARKET GARDEN}
16 September, 1944
"Dear Monty, Your M.525 has just arrived here and I must say that it not only is designed to carry out most effectively my basic conception with respect to this campaign but is in exact accordance with all the understandings that we now have.
I sent a senior staff officer to General Bradley yesterday to see that all of his intentions both with respect to application of his forces and distribution of his supplies will co-ordinate completely with this idea. While he had issued a temporary directive on September 10 that on the surface did not conform clearly to this conception of making our principal drive with our left, the actual fact is that everything he is doing will work out exactly as you visualize it. I believe the enemy is capable of only one more, all-out defensive battle in the West. His major forces will, I feel, try to cover the Ruhr. When our present pushing and thrusting has forced him to his stand we shall close on him rapidly. It is my concern so to shape our operations that we are concentrating for that purpose, and by concentrating I include all troops and supplies that can be efficiently employed in the battle. So Bradley's left is striking hard to support you; Third Army is pushing north to support Hodges; and Sixth Army Group is being pushed up to give right flank support to the whole.
I hear that our frantic efforts to scratch together ad hoc truck companies to deliver you 500 tons a day did not get the supplies flowing on September 15. However, I am assured that the first batch will arrive there tomorrow morning, September 17. My new headquarters will open at Versailles on Wednesday morning. Personally I will be there only a few days and am going forward wherever I can locate a really good landing ground somewhere in the Compiegne-Reims area. I will give you the exact location later. Best of luck.
Sincerely (Signed) Dwight D. Eisenhower
A copy of this will go to Bradley."