ABSTRACT
What is not in dispute is that Slim was far more admired as a personality than Montgomery. The latter achieved renown with the British public as ‘Monty’, but Slim was affectionately and universally known as ‘Uncle Bill’, the soldiers’ general par excellence. Slim has been described as a persuasive leader in contrast to Montgomery who was a dominant one.1 Slim certainly looked every inch the military commander with his stocky figure, strong face and jutting jaw.2 One has only to compare his appearance with the thin and rabbitfaced Percival, who surrendered at Singapore, to see what an advantage this was. But in Slim’s case physical attributes truly reflected a sterling character. He combined the traits of essential modesty with complete self-confidence. He understood the very varied temperaments and qualities of his motley forces – Indian, British and colonial – and seems to have been equally popular with all of them.
