April 1935, Honorary Colonel of the 46th (Lincolnshire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers, from 17 March 1937 and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Malta Artillery from 11 May 1937. In retirement he became Deputy lieutenant and then Vice-Lieutenant of the County of Lincoln. During the Second World War the Air Ministry attempted to build an airfield at Great Steeping in Lincolnshire that would have extended into Sir Archibald's wife's traditional family estate, necessitating the demolition of the magnificent mansion of Gunby Hall. He personally appealed to King George VI and the Air Ministry relented, redrawing the plans that resulted in the resiting of the new RAF Spilsby two miles further south. During the Second World War he also took charge of organizing and recruiting the Home Guard in Lincolnshire for nine months. His major passion in life was horsemanship. He died at his home, Gunby Hall, on 13 October 1947 and was buried at St. Peter's Church in Gunby. Family In 1896 Archibald Montgomery married Diana Langton Massingberd. They had no children. In October 1926, his wife inherited Massingberd family estates, and he changed his name by Royal Licence to add her name to his own. Thus, references to him as "Montgomery-Massingberd" during the First World War are anachronistic. The journalist and genealogist Hugh Massingberd was a great-nephew of both the Field Marshal and, independently, the Field Marshal's wife, and in 1963 he and his father also adopted the Massingberd name to inherit the same estates. References Bibliography External links |- |- |- 1871 births 1947 deaths Burials in Lincolnshire People from Fivemiletown Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich People educated at Charterhouse School British field marshals British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army generals of World War I Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Royal Field Artillery officers Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley People from Spilsby Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States) British Home Guard officers Military personnel from County Tyrone