Viscount Montgomery of Alamein's visit to the Isle of Man
Date(s): 1948
Creator(s): Royston, J. Walter
Scope & Content: In May 1948, amateur filmmaker J. Walter Royston managed to capture Viscount Montgomery of Alamein's visit to the Isle of Man. "Monty", as he was better known, was a senior British Army Officer and served in both World Wars. During his trip to the Island, Monty went to King William's College and took a close look at the Junior Training Corps, inspecting their uniforms and granting the boys a day off to mark his visit.
As part of his itinerary he also attended the Cenotaph ceremony held at Douglas Borough War Memorial on Harris Promenade. The poppy wreath he was presented with was in the shape of the Three Legs of Man. The standard bearers of the British Legion formed a guard of honour from the War Memorial to the Villa Marina and trumpeters sounded “The Last Post" and "Reveille" as part of the ceremony. Hundreds of Manx people lined the streets waiting to catch a glimpse of the renowned war hero.
Administration / Biographical History: J. Walter Royston was born in 1894. His father, Joseph Royston, was a dentist from the Isle of Man who owned "The Hermitage" dental surgery in Douglas, where J. Walter Royston was born.
He followed in his father’s footsteps and went on to become a dentist himself, working predominantly in Rodney Street, Liverpool. Some years before the Second World War J. Walter Royston came back to the Isle of Man to retire. He died at his home, "Sunnyside", in Douglas on the 3 February 1961, aged 67. He left behind a widow, Anna Cunningham (who he married in 1919), and two adult children who lived in England.
He was particularly known for his work as a member of the Airports Board from 1943 onwards, and was connected with the founding of the Air Training Corps on the Island, of which he was President up until his death. He had been a member of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and served as part of the Home Guard in the Second World War. He was a member of Noble's Trustees, the Douglas Licensing Bench and also on the committee of the Children's Home for a long period of time.
Mr Royston was also a keen amateur filmmaker, capturing footage of the Isle of Man in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Language: eng
Collection: Film Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: FA 0718/20
Comments
Archive catalogue
Linked Records
People: