The Ven David Rogers, communications officer who served with Montgomery at Lüneberg Heath – obituary As a member of Monty's 'Phantom regiment' he was on duty when the message came through that the German army wanted to surrender The Ven David Rogers The Venerable David Rogers, who has died aged 99, served with Field Marshal Montgomery at Lüneberg Heath in 1945 and received the radio message from the frontline that a German general was requesting safe passage to surrender; years later he recalled feeling “exhilaration that at least the German part of the Second World War was over”. Lieutenant Rogers was part of a small innovative communications network Montgomery established to ensure he personally had the speediest, most accurate information from the front. The “Phantom” regiment was established in North Africa when Monty realised that the traditional passing of tactical information up and down the army hierarchy meant that intelligence moved too slowly for rapid modern warfare.