Mobilisation and Embarkation of the British Expeditionary Force.

If an analysis be made of the War efforts of the Cities, Towns and Counties, which go to form the United Kingdom, it will be found that from a military standpoint no county can claim to have done more during the years 1914-1918 than the County of Middlesex. It might be said that the County, and London, the greatest City in the World, could hardly have done otherwise. But it must not be forgotten that in pre-war days, the Shires produced the greatest number of recruits for the Army and Territorial Force, leading to the pardonable supposition that in war time London and the County of Middlesex might be expected to put forth the maximum civilian effort, leaving largely to the Shires the task of raising the bulk of whatever additional military forces were necessary to augment the standing Army. The military efforts of London and the County of Middlesex were, however, prodigious. To say nothing of the Service Battalions of the New Army raised for war purposes, the Territorial Forces grew out of all proportion to their original strength. Three Regiments, the Royal Fusiliers, the Middlesex and the London (Territorials), were extended to an altogether extraordinary number of battalions, which before the War ended reached a combined total of not less than 100 battalions.The Middlesex Regiment alone sent 26 Battalions into the field, and these fought in ten theatres of war. The number of Battalions of the Regiment serving at home and abroad during the War was 46. We are, however, only concerned with the Middlesex Regiment (The Duke of Cambridge's Own), to which the name Die-Hards is now frequently given from the proud soubriquet earned by the 1st Battalion in the Peninsular War.

When war was declared between Great Britain and Germany on the 4th August, 1914, the Middlesex Regiment numbered ten battalions, four of which were regular (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th), two Reserve (5th and 6th), and four Territorial (7th, 8th, 9th and loth).

The 1st Battalion (the 57th Foot) was stationed at Woolwich under the command of Lieut.-Colonel B. E. Ward. The 2nd Battalion (the 77th Foot) was at Malta and formed part of the Mediterranean garrison; Lieut. -Colonel R. H. Hayes commanded the Battalion. Of the 3rd and 4th Battalions, the former was in India- in the 8th (Lucknow) Division and stationed at Cawnpore- while the latter was quartered at Devonport, one of the four battalions which formed the 8th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Division, then in the Southern Command. The 3rd Battalion was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel E. W. R. Stephenson and the 4th by Lieut.-Colonel C. P. A. Hull.

The Headquarters of the two Reserve Battalions-the 5th (Royal Elthorne Militia) and the 6th (Royal East Middlesex Militia), were at Mill Hill, where also the Depot of the Regiment was situated. Lieut.-Colonel C. S. Collison commanded the 5th Battalion and Lieut.-Colonel G. E. Barker the 6th Battalion. The Depot was under the command of Major W. D. Ingle. The four Territorial Battalions constituted the Middlesex Infantry Brigade of the Home Counties Division, then part of the Eastern Command. The 7th Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel F.J. King) had its Headquarters at Hornsea; the 8th (Lieut.Colonel W. Garner) at Hounslow; the 9th (Lieut.-Colonel J.L. Blumfeld) at Willesden Green; and the 10th (Lieut.-Colonel C.R. Johnson) at Ravenscourt Park. The Middlesex Infantry Brigade was commanded by Colonel W. R. Cliflord, and the Home Counties Division by Major-General J. C. Young.

This fine Regiment was therefore able to put into the field, immediately war was declared and mobilisation had been ordered, at least 10,000 officers and men, well-trained, eager for battle, well-equipped and endowed by past generations with glorious traditions of esprit de corps and devotion to duty.

The Die Hards

To those who do not know the derivation of The Die Hards it may be stated that the name was given to the Regiment by its own comrades of Wellington's Army of the Peninsular Wars. It was conferred on the 57th Foot after the Battle of Albuhera, and had its origin as follows:- In the Battle of Albuhera, fought on the 16th May, 1811, Colonel Inglis, who commanded the 57th Foot, having already had his horse shot under him, lay dangerously wounded on the ridge which was the key position of Wellington's Army, then being heavily attacked and outnumbered by French troops under Soult. Refusing to be carried to the rear, lie lay in front of the Regimental Colours, encouraging his men and calling out to them "Die Hard, 57th, Die Hard ! From that day the Regiment was dubbed by its comrades of Wellington's Army The Die-Hards. And it will be seen how, over a hundred years later, in the year 1915 another gallant officer of the Regiment died with the old cry, "Die Hard," on his lips.

The 1st Middlesex goes to War

A state of war was declared to exist between Great Britain and Germany "as from 11 p.m. on the 4th August, 1914." Seven hours previously (at 4 p.m.), when it was evident that war was inevitable, the British Government had given orders for the mobilisation of the Army and the Territorial Forces; the Naval Reserves were also called out. The rapid and secret transfer of the British Expeditionary Force, under the command of General Sir John French, from England to France was one of the early marvels of the War, for it was not until the British public read newspaper accounts of the arrival of British troops at Boulogne that anything was known of the silent departure of our little Army.

The 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment was the first British Regiment to arrive in France (along with the other battalions below that were to form the 19th Brigade), and was accorded a tremendous reception by the French. The War Diary of the 1st Battalion does not begin until 23rd August, the first entry being made at Valenciennes on that date when the 19th Independant Brigade was formed.

Before the Expeditionary Force sailed, certain troops were sent across to France to guard the Lines of Communication, and amongst these was the 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment. The Battalion landed at Havre, two companies on 11th and two companies on 12th August, remaining in camp for ten days until the 19th Infantry Brigade was formed and moved up to the Mons-Condé Line, arriving at Valenciennes about 3 p.m. on the 23rd August, during the Battle of Mons.

The BEF

The original British Expeditionary Force consisted of Ist Corps (Lieut. General Sir Douglas Haig), 1st and 2nd Divisions; IInd Corps (Lieut.-General Sir James Grierson, who, however, died in a train en route for the Concentration Area, and was succeeded by Lieut. - General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien), 3rd and 5th Divisions; the Cavalry Division (Major-General E. Allenby). The IIIrd Corps, which for the time being was not sent overseas, was to be commanded by Lieut.-General W. P. Pulteney.

The 1st Devonshire Regiment, 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers, 1st Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 1st Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), 2nd Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders). All but the first-named subsequently formed the 19th Infantry Brigade (Major-General L. G. Drummond).

On the morning of the 20th August, the force was disposed as follows:- Allenby's Cavalry (Cavalry Division Headquarters at Aibes) ready to join hands with the French Fifth Army (Lanrezac) east of Maubeuge, Jeumont, Damousics and Cousolre; IInd Corps east of Landrecies (Corps Headquarters at Landrecies), 3rd Division-Marbaix, Taisnières, Noyelles; 5th Division-Maroilles, Landrecies, Ors; 1st, Corps east of Bohain (Corps Headquarters, Wassigny), 1st Division, Boué, Esqueheries, Leschelle; 2nd Division-Grougis, Mennevret, Hannappes.

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