Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954), Saturday 26 July 1947, page 1


Bogus Monty Bad

Two colonels and a major at Keswick Barracks got a shock yesterday tvhen a car containing ^Field Marshal Lord Montgomery' siccpl through the main entrance sales, w ..'???'? W - .t ?'? f - .' :

CERGEANTS froze to attention, presented arms* as 'Monty'

airily tossed a salute. Officers in a first-story window gaped momentarily as the small, long-nosed figure in beribboned British battledress and black beret who waved to them from the back seat of an open tourer, then de-cided he was an impostor. They were right. Yesterday's 'Monty' was dimi-nutive Adelaide University arts student Don Porter, whose cari-cature of the field-marshal high-lighted the University students' procession yesterday afternoon. Porter said today the students decided after the procession that 'Monty' should inspect the bar-racks and visit the town hall. He said: 'Four of us piled into the car and drove out. to Keswick. Tom Gawne, dressed as a briga-dier, sat with arms folded in the front seat. Kevin Magarey, as a private, drove the car, and Edgar Castles, in top hat and Lord Mayor's robes, sat in the back with me.

'We drove straight thrdagh the main entrance gates, and I .stood up and saluted. Two sergeants presented arms. Several privates stopped in their tracks and saluted. 'Then we saw the officers gap- ing at us from a window. I waved to them, and one half-saluted, looked very hard at me, then dropped his hand. 'I thtfnght the jig was Up, so we headed round the drive for the gate. 'The car stopped just before we reached the gate. I stood up again and threw a few more pukka salutes, offered to sign autographs. The diggers crowded round and took it very well. 'We got the car going again, left the barracks, and headed for the town hall.

"Castles, as Lord Mayor, led the way across the footpath and we bowled into the town hall. The crowd there was getting pretty noisy, so we decided to shoot through. 'We piled into the car, and Castles suggested it would be a good idea if I gave some school-boys a half-holiday. We headed for St. Peter's College. 'We reached the college at assembly time and walked through the ranks of lads The teachers thought it was a great joke. I examined one boy's cap badge and said, 'St. Peter's, eh? I almost went there myself once'. 'Granted' Holiday 'We heard a rumor that someone was going to throw our inspec-tion party into a mud hole. I told the boys they could have the day off. Then we left for a city hotel. 'Castles ceremoniously ushered us into the lounge, and -then shouted for the waiter. Some drinkers thought it funny, others gave us sour looks. We didn't stay long, and returned to the Uni,' Porter, small, long-nosed, with blue eyes and a sandy moustache, bears a striking resemblance to Lord Montgomery.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE who yesterday saw the Adelaide University students' first post-war procession are still laughing over its highlight — the magnificent impersonation by Arts student Don Porter of Field-Marshal Viscount Montgomery on his triumphal tour of the city. Porter took off perfectly Monty'* breezy salutes and waves to the crowd, but shunned handshakes. He was generous with autographs, especially to the adoring 'St. Peter's 'College boy' (Bob Disher), who ran alongside the car and whose 'Saint's' cap the bogus Field-Marshal frequently removed and admired. The 'Brigadier' in the front seat is Tom Gawne, the driver Kevin Magarey. The 'Lord Mayor' (Edgar .Castles) is hidden by the 'Brigadier'.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE who yesterday saw the Adelaide University students' first post-war procession are still laughing over its highlight — the magnificent impersonation by Arts student Don Porter of Field-Marshal Viscount Montgomery on his triumphal tour of the city. Porter took off perfectly Monty'* breezy salutes and waves to the crowd, but shunned handshakes. He was generous with autographs, especially to the adoring 'St. Peter's 'College boy' (Bob Disher), who ran alongside the car and whose 'Saint's' cap the bogus Field-Marshal frequently removed and admired. The 'Brigadier' in the front seat is Tom Gawne, the driver Kevin Magarey. The 'Lord Mayor' (Edgar .Castles) is hidden by the 'Brigadier'.