Middlesex Regiment

The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambrige's Own) was regiment of the British Army . It was formed in 1881 when the 57th (West Middlesex) and 77th (East Middlesex) Regiments of Foot were amalgamated. It was eventually amalgamated into The Queen's Regiment .

The Middlesex was one of the principal London based regiments with a long tradition. They gained their nickname the “Die-hards” from the Peninsular War when the first battalion (also known as the 57th Foot regiment) served under Wellington. At the Battle of Albuhera on 16 August 1811 their commander Colonel Ingis had his horse shot from under him, severely wounded and outnumbered by the French he called to his men “Die hard, 57th. Die hard!”

At the start of the First World War there were and number of First Line Battalions of the Middlesex Regiment and these were sent off to their war stations including four territorial battalions: the 1/7th, 1/8th, 1/9th and 1/10th. However there was a surplus of volunteers who had sought to enlist; these men had joined the Territorial Battalions, and although the War Office wanted them to transfer to the Regular Army or the New (Kitchener Army), the majority elected to remain with the Territorial Battalions which had enlisted them. General Kitchener was not in favour of the Territorials although he and other critics were silenced after the Territorials fought so well with the BEF after Mons. It became obvious that the First Line battalions that had gone overseas would need reinforcements almost at once and the War Office gave permission to raise Second Line Territorial Battalions and in this way the 2/7th, 2/8th, 2/9th and 2/10th were formed. In due course the 4/8th Battalion was raised in June 1915.