The Middlesex Regiment

The Middlesex Regiment 1755-1966

"Ich Dien"
These pages are dedicated to my late father
6200091 BSM G. Powell
9th. Battalion The Middlesex Regiment (1933-1940)
Royal Artillery (1940-1947)

Introduction Welcome to these pages. If you only require a brief insight into the history of the Middlesex Regiment then it can be found here. If however you require more detailed information then I suggest you follow the links on this page.
I have now completed this history. I will not be updating anymore information from my own sources but if any visitors have any information they think might be useful then please contact me with details.
Thanks for your time and I hope you will find these pages both interesting and informative. "Die hard, 57th! Die hard!"

Alec Powell June 2006

The Badge of the "Die-Hards"
The badge so proudly worn by 46 battalions during World War I and a badge to be seen in every theatre of war of these years, and in many climes since, is one that has never been sullied. The wanderer can dig in the sands of the desert, crack the ice in the Arctic, turn a stone in the Italian Alps, help till the soil in France and Flanders, rest in the shade of an Italian village, toil over Greenland's icy mountains, rest awhile in Russian Riga, haul in a well in Hong Kong or disturb the sediment beneath the oceans and the China Seas. In each of these places he is likely to unearth in bronze, in brass or in silver this insignia of the "DIE-HARDS"

'BATTLE HONOURS 1789- 1900
(Awards shown in inverted commas are campaign honours)
'MYSORE', SERINGAPATAM, 'PENINSULA', ALBUHERA, CIUDAD RODRIGO, BADAJOZ, NIVE, NIVELLE, PYRENEES, VITTORIA, ALMA, INKERMAN, 'SEVASTOPOL', NEW ZEALAND,
'SOUTH AFRICA, 1879', 'SOUTH AFRICA, 1900-1902'

BATTLE HONOURS 1914-53
(Bold red signifies only these awards to be emblazoned on colours)

First World War
Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, 18, La Bassée 1914, Messines 1914, 17,
18, Armentières 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Ypres 1915, 17, 18, Gravenstafel, St. julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Hooge 1915, Loos, Somme 1916, 18, Albert 1916, 18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Ginchy, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Thiepval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, 18, Bapaume 1917, 18, Arras 1917, 18, Vimy 1917,
Scarpe 1917, 18, Arleux, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcapelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917, 18, St.Quentin, Rosiëres, Avre, Villers Bretonneux, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Scherpenberg, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, St.Quentin Canal, Courtrai, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Italy 1917-18, Struma, Doiran 1918, Macedonia 1915-18, Suvla, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Rumani, Egypt 1915-17, Gaza, El Mughar, Jerusalem,Jericho, Jordan, Tell Asur, Palestine 1917-18, Mesopotaznia 1917-18, Murman 1919, Dukhovskaya, Siberia 1918-19

Second World War
Dyle, Defence of Escaut, Ypres-Comines Canal, Dunkirk 1940, Normandy Landing, Cambes, Breville, Odon, Caen, Orne, Hill 112, Bourguebus Ridge, Troarn, Mont Pincon, Falaise, Seine 1944, Nederrijn, Le Havre, Lower Maas, Venraij, Meijel, Geilenkirchen, Venlo Pocket, Rhineland, Reichswald, Goch, Rhine, Lingen, Brinkum, Bremen, North-West Europe 1940, 44-45, El Alamein, Advance on Tripoli, Mareth, Akarit, Djebel Roumana, North Africa 1942-43, Francofonte, Sferro, Sferro Hills, Sicily 1943, Anzio, Carroceto, Gothic Line, Monte Grande, Italy 1944-45, Hong Kong,
South-East Asia 1941

Korean War
Naktong Bridgehead, Chongju, Chongchon II, Chaum-ni, Kapyong-chon, Kapyong, Korea 1950-51

Supplementary Information:
For details of the

The Colours

Regimental Marches

Executions in World War One

2/7th Bn. Middlesex Regiment Reunions

Museum

The National Army Museum

Regimental Association

Contributors Pages

The Badges of the "Die-Hards"

Commemoration of the 50th. Anniversary Korean War Cease-Fire

please go HERE

The Die Hard TimeLine
(A Chronology of the Regiment 1755-1973)

On December 31st 1966 The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), after 211 years as a separate entity, ceased to exist. With the imperishable name of "Die-Hards" together with a total of 116 battle honours and the names of eleven officers and soldiers who have won the Victoria Cross whilst serving in its ranks as well as the winner of a George Cross, the memory of this famous regiment will be held in high esteem in the British Army for ever more.
The Die-Hards were formed from two very old regiments, the 57th of foot, founded in 1755 and the 77th of foot founded in 1787. In 1881 these two regiments were renamed, under the changes of the Cardwell system, as The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment). This they remained except for a minor change in the order of the name in 1920 to The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) until being absorbed into The Queen's Regiment in 1966.

THE 18th and 19th CENTURY The Early History of the 57th, 1755-1776
Origins of the 57th~Colonel Arabin~The first uniform~Outbreak of the Seven Years' War~The57th as Marines~In garrison at Gibraltar~Minorca~Ireland~Changes of uniform and equipment~Sir John Irwin~John Campbell of Strachur
The American War of 1776-1781
Orders for America~The results of the Seven Years' War~Breach with the American colonies~The 57th at Charleston~The landing on Long Island~The Battle of Brooklyn~The 57th take Paulus Hook~The flank companies under Cornwallis~Howe's expedition to the Chesapeake~Battle of Brandywine~"NoFflint" Grey defeats Wayne~Germantown and Philadelphia~Burgoyne and Clinton in the north~Capture of Charleston~Cornwallis in Carolina~The fall of Yorktown
Nova Scotia and England 1782-83
End of the American War~Changes in the command~The West Middlesex Regiment~Eight years in Nova Scotia~Changes of uniform~Two years in England~Causes of the French war
The 77th in India 1787-1807
The raising of the regiment~Early officers~Equipment for India~Embarkation for Bombay~Events in India~rise of Hyder Ali~The First Mysore War~Conquest of the Malabar Coast~Capture of Cochin and Colombo~The Second Mysore War~Sedassar:The storming of Seringapatam~Reduction of Canara~Firts assault of Arakeera~Doondia Wao~Assault of Panjalamcoorchy~Colonel Spry takes Calicarcoil~Second assault of Arakeera~Weel-earned repose~Field service in the Wynaad~Last years in India.
Flanders and the West Indies 1793-1803
The war in Flanders~The 57th at Ostend~Abortive expedition to La Vendée~Moira’s Army~The retreat to Ghent~A disastrous autumn in the Netherlands~The retreat to the Ems~Quiberon~The West Indian expedition; St. Lucia Morne Chabot and the Seche Battery~Grenada~Yellow fever~Six years at Trinidad.
The Two Regiments at Home 1803-1811
A skeleton regiment~Gibraltar~The "Steelbacks"~The second battalion~The 77th comes home: The East Middlesex Regiment~Recruiting in England~Changes in command~The Walcheren expedition~Sickness and young soldiers~Changes of uniform
The Peninsular War: Albuhera and El Bodon 1809-1811
After Talavera~Bussaco~The lines of Torres Vedras~Retreat of Masséna~Beresford takes the field~First siege of Badajoz~Albuera : the field and positions ; the attack on the right ; "Die Hard! 57th ; an "incomparably gallant regiment"~With Hill at Almendraejo~The 77th arrives~Blockade of Cuidad Rodrigo~Combat of El Bodon : An officers narrative : "A memorable example"~Winter quarters
The Peninsular War:Cuidad Rodrigo to Toulouse 1812-1814
Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo~Siege of Badajoz; capture of the Picurina; the escalade at the Castle~The 77th goes to Lisbon~With Hill from Estremadura to Madrid~ The retreat from Salamanca~Vittoria~Roncesvalles and Val Carlos~ The battles of the Pyrenees~Elizondo~Nivelle~Nive~ The advance to Toulouse~Siege of Bayonne~Battle Honours
Forty Years of Peace 1814-1854
Chronicle of the 57th~Canada~The Army of Occupation~Ireland~New South Wales,convicts,buhrangers and explorers~India~England and Corfu~Chronicle of the 77th~Ireland~Sir Archibald Campbell~Quartermaster Powell~Malta,Jamaica and Canada~England~a fine regiment~Irish soldiers~Changes in uniform
The Crimean War 1854-1856
The beginning~Landing in the Crimea~the battle of the Alma~The flank march around Sebastopol~Balaklava~Inkerman: Egerton’s charge with the 77th; the charge of the 57th; the two regiments on the Ridge; Action at the barrier, and Shell Hill~The winter~Trench warfare; Victoria Crosses; death of Egerton; a gallant bugler~The assault on the Redan~The close of the siege~Expedition to Kinburn~Honours
Little Wars of the 57th 1856-1881
Malta and Aden~India~Tantia Topi~New Zealand~Bush Fighting~In Taranaki~The pah on the Katikara~Two Victoria Crosses~Attack on Kaitaki~Capture of Otapawa~Six years in England~Changes in command~Ceylon~The Zulu War~Ginghilovo and the relief of Ekowe~marches through Zululand~The last year of the 57th
The Middlesex Regiment 1856-1899
The last years of the 57th: New South Wales; India; The Duke of Cambridge’s Own~Changes~The "linked" battalions~Union of the 57th and 77th~The Militia Battalions~History of the Royal East Middlesex Militia~History of the Royal Elthorne Light Infantry~The Middlesex Regiment, 1880-99~The wreck of the Warren Hastings~Changes in command
The South African War 1899-1902
The 2nd Middlesex joins the army of Natal~Potgeiter's Drift~The attack on Spion Kop~The relief of Ladysmith~On the Waschbank~Van Wyk's Hill~ The assault of Alleman's Nek~General Coke's praise~Guarding the railway~Minor incidents~Gras Kop~the defence of Utrecht~Mounted Infantry~Volunteer companies~The Militia~Honours

1900—1914 The Expansion of the Regiment, 1900—1914
Two new battalions~Service and Lieut.-Colonels of the line Battalions~General Kent~The yellow facings restored
The Volunteers the 3rd Middlesex Rifles; the 8th or South-West Middlesex; the 11th Middlesex; the 17th North Middlesex~The Territorial Forces Act— Territorial Battalions~Change of the Militia~Allied Regiments~The expansion of 1914—15.

THE GREAT WAR Mons to Ypres 1914
The 1st and 4th Middlesex land in France~The 4th Middlesex at Mons~Defence of the Canal salient~The 1st Middlesex near Condé~The retreat to Le Cateau~Battle of Le Cateau~The retreat continued; unflagging spirit~The fight at Néry~The Battle of the Marne; the bridge at Orly~The Battle of the Aisne; the 4th Middlesex at Vailly~In Flanders~The plan of campaign~The 1st Middlesex; action at Le Mesnil; the fight on October 29
~The 4th Middlesex; capture of Croix Barbée; advance to Aubers; the charge at Neuve Chapelle~The first Military Cross~Distinctions.promotions......Mentioned in dispatches.
1st Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment,TheDie-Hards in the Great War By Howard Anderson To discover the movements of The Diehards in WWI visit the Western Front Association page HERE

BETWEEN THE WARS 1st and 2nd Battalions
The 7th Battalion
The 8th Battalion
The9th Battalion
The Depot

WORLD WAR II

1st Battalion (including an account of the sinking of the Lisbon Maru to be found HERE),
and a very interesting account of the fall of Hong Kong:
The Hong Kong War Diary - a project that documents the 1941 defence of Hong Kong in a book and complimentary website. The book, "Not The Slightest Chance" covers the fighting and the fatalities and is now available. This website contains a complete listing of each individual defender.
2nd Battalion
1/7th Battalion
2/7th Battalion
1/8th Battalion
2/8th and Resuscitated 1st Battalion
The9thBattalion
WWII Home DefenceUnits
Allied Regiments

KOREA 1st Battalion, Korea, 1950-1951

POST WAR Post-War 1945-1966
Cyprus 1955-1959

ROLL OF HONOUR

1939-1945

OFFICERS

A-B

C-D

E-G

H-J

K-M

N-R

S-T

U-Z

KOREA
Roll of Honour:The Die-Hards

Thank you for bothering to visit this modest history of the Middlesex Regiment. It was my fathers wish for me to get a trade in the Army that stopped me joining his regiment- a decision that in some ways I regret. Thankyou

Alec Powell