IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM; PICTURE OF SURRENDER BEING SIGNED; DOCUMENT IN SHOWCASE; MONTGOMERY INTERVIEWED (SOF).



TRANSCRIPT: REPORTER: COULD I ASK YOU, FIELD-MARSHAL, FOR JUST A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT THESE HISTORIC PICTURES?



MONTGOMERY: YES, IT'S VERY INTERESTING. YOU KNOW, ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE DEAD NOW EXCEPT ONE ADMIRAL....WHO WAS ADMIRAL (INDISTINCT) WHO IS NOW MINISTER OF DEFENCE, NAVAL PORTION, IN BONN. I REMEMBER IT VERY WELL BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS FILM BEFORE.



REPORTER: WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS AT THE TIME WHEN THIS WAS SIGNED?



MONTGOMERY: WELL, IT'S A LONG TIME AGO. A LONG TIME AGO. MY THOUGHTS WERE THAT I AM GLAD IT'S ALL OVER, I'M GLAD IT'S ALL OVER, WHICH I THOUGHT IT IS....(INDISTINCT).... HE WAS MY CHIEF OF STAFF. HE WAS THERE WITH ME RIGHT THROUGH. HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW WHO WENT RIGHT THROUGH FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END.



REPORTER: COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW THE DATE NEARLY BECAME THE WRONG DATE?



MONTGOMERY: WELL, THAT'S QUITE EASY. IT WAS, ER....I SIGNED... I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING INTO EFFECT, YOU SEE, ON THE FIFTH, SO I PUT THE FIFTH OF MAY.




Initials PW/V/JB/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AT THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM IN LONDON TODAY, BRITAIN'S MOST FAMOUS WARTIME GENERAL, NOW FIELD-MARSHAL LORD MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEIN, HANDED OVER THE DOCUMENT WHICH HE AND THE DEFEATED GERMAN COMMANDERS SIGNED TO END THE WAR IN EUROPE IN 1945.

TODAY LORD MONTGOMERY WAS AT THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM IN SOUTH LONDON TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE DOCUMENT ROOM WHICH CONTAINS THE PAPERS SIGNED BY HIMSELF AND THE MILITARY COMMANDERS OF NAZI GERMANY IN MAY, 1945.

LORD MONTGOMERY DECIDED TO GIVE THE PAPERS TO THE NATION AFTER A NUMBER OF ROBBERIES AT HIS HOME.

AT THE OPENING OF THE DOCUMENT ROOM, LORD MONTGOMERY WAS ASKED ABOUT THE HISTORIC PAPERS.