The 9th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment was an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. Part of the
Volunteer Force
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated ...
, later the
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...
(renamed the
Territorial Army in 1920), the battalion was part of the
Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) and recruited from the north-western suburbs of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. It served as infantry in the
Mesopotamian campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and as an air defence regiment during and after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Origins
The battalion's origins lay in the enthusiasm for joining local Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) engendered by an invasion scare in 1859. Two of the many units formed in the populous county of Middlesex were the 'Marylebone & West Middlesex Rifles' and the 'Harrow Rifles'.
[Westlake, pp. 166 & 168.][Beckett, Appendix VII.]
Marylebone & West Middlesex Rifles
The 9th (Marylebone & West Middlesex) Middlesex RVC was formed at
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
on 14 October 1859 under the command of
Lord Radstock
Baron Radstock, of Castletown, County Laois, Castletown in the County Laois, Queen's County, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Vice-Admiral the Honourable William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, William Waldegrave. ...
. Initially consisting of six companies, it rose to eight by April 1860.
[Frederick, pp. 212–3.][9th Middlesex at Regiments.org.]
/ref>
Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced in 1872 by the Cardwell Reforms
The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...
, the 9th Middlesex RVC (with the 18th attached, ''see below'') formed part of Brigade No 49 (Middlesex and Metropolitan) alongside the Regular battalions of the Royal Fusiliers
The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881.
The regiment served in many wars ...
(the City of London Regiment).[''Army List''.]
The unit was renumbered the 5th (West Middlesex) Middlesex RVC on 3 September 1880 and was attached as a Volunteer Battalion (VB) to the Royal Fusiliers on 1 July the following year, transferring to the King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...
(KRRC) as the 4th VB in July 1883, without changing its title in either case. Its original uniform was grey with red facings, but in 1891 it adopted the KRRC's Rifle green
Shades of chartreuse are listed below. Historically, many of these colors have gone under the name of either yellow or green, as the specifics of their color composition was not known until later.
Wrapping the spectrum into a color wheel
In a ...
with red facings. Its HQ was at 29 Park Road, Regent's Park
Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...
.[Barnes, Appendix III.]
The Stanhope Memorandum The Stanhope Memorandum was a document written by Edward Stanhope, the Secretary of State for War of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on 8 December 1888. It set out the overall strategic aims of the British Empire, and the way the Br ...
of December 1888 proposed a Mobilisation Scheme for units of the Volunteer Force
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated ...
, which would assemble by brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime the brigades provided a structure for collective training. The 5th Middlesex RVC (with the renumbered 9th still attached, ''see below'') formed part of the South London Volunteer Infantry Brigade. By the time the Volunteer Force was subsumed into the Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...
in 1908, the battalion had moved to the 1st London Brigade.[
Volunteers from the unit served in the ]Second Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
, earning it the Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
South Africa 1900–02.[
]
Harrow Rifles
The 18th (Harrow Rifles) Middlesex RVC was formed at Harrow as a single company on 30 December 1859.[ Many of the original recruits came from the staff and senior pupils of ]Harrow School
(The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God)
, established = (Royal Charter)
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school
, religion = Church of E ...
, which formed a cadet corps of the unit in 1870. The first commanding officer was Captain John Charles Templer
John Charles Templer (1814–1874) was an English barrister.
Life
Born in Bridport, he was the son of James Templer (1787–1858), a lawyer, and his wife Catharine Lethbridge. He was educated at Westminster School, and entered Trinity College, C ...
, who was the agent for Rajah Brooke of Sarawak, and in 1861 became editor of the ''Volunteer Service Gazette'', the official journal of the Volunteer Movement. The unit also ran its own athletic club.[ It was always associated with the West Middlesex; together, they formed a battalion-sized unit within the Volunteer Infantry Brigades.][
In the renumbering of 1880, the Harrow unit became the 9th Middlesex RVC and like the 5th was attached to the Royal Fusiliers in 1881, transferring to the KRRC in 1883. Its uniform was Rifle green with green facings. On 1 August 1899 (now 4 companies strong) it amalgamated with the West Middlesex, the Harrow School Cadet Corps becoming the 27th Corps until 1906 when it too joined the West Middlesex as a cadet company.][
]
Territorial Force
On the formation of the Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...
in 1908, the 5th (West Middlesex) RVC became the 9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment
The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers Re ...
.[ It formed part of the ]Middlesex Brigade
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbouri ...
of the Home Counties Division
The Home Counties Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army, that was raised in 1908. As the name suggests, the division recruited in the Home Counties, particularly Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex.
...
. Its headquarters moved to Pound Lane, Willesden Green
Willesden () is an area of northwest London, situated 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933, and has formed p ...
.[James, p. 93.][Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 49–54.][Middlesex Rgt at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
World War I
Mobilisation
During the period of tension before the outbreak of war, the 9th Battalion sent two special service sections to guard a cable station at Cuckmere Haven and Birling Gap (28 July). When the mobilisation orders were received on 4 August 1914, the Home Counties Division was on the march from Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
to Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...
for its annual training. The Middlesex Brigade had reached Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It lies about west of the centre of Durrington village and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury.
The settlement ...
, when the battalions were sent back to their headquarters to mobilise. The 9th Battalion entrained at Amesbury on 5 August and reached Willesden that morning. By the end of the day the battalion was entrained again for its war station at Sheerness. Here it dug trenches for a few days until relieved by Special Reserve
The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the Haldane Reforms, military reforms im ...
troops and moved to Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...
.[
On 11 August, in common with the majority of the men of the Home Counties Division, the 9th Battalion accepted liability for overseas service. The Home Service-only and under-age men, together with the recruits who were flooding in, remained at the depots to form 2nd-Line battalions. The titles of these 2nd Line units were the same as the original 1st Line, but the two would be distinguished by '1/' and '2/' prefixes. The 2/9th Bn formed on 18 September; subsequently, a 3/9th Battalion was formed to provide drafts to the other battalions.][
]
1/9th Battalion
India
In October 1914, the Home Counties Division was ordered to India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to relieve Regular troops there. The 1/9th Middlesex embarked at Southampton on 29 October in the transports ''Dilwara'' and ''Dongola'', and disembarked at Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
on 2 December. On arrival, the Home Counties Division was split up and the battalions were distributed to stations all over India. For the next three years they acted as a peacetime garrison, while suffering a steady drain of their best men to officer training and other duties.[
1/9th Middlesex was assigned to the ]Presidency Brigade
The 8th (Lucknow) Division was a formation of the British Indian Army's Northern Army that was first formed as a result of the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army in 1903. The Division remained in India on internal security duties during World ...
in 8th (Lucknow) Division
The 8th (Lucknow) Division was a formation of the British Indian Army's Northern Army that was first formed as a result of the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army in 1903. The Division remained in India on internal security duties during World ...
, based around Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
. The main body was stationed at Dinapur
Danapur is a Indian satellite town and one of the 6 sub-divisions (Tehsil) in Patna district of Bihar state.[Dum Dum
Dum Dum is a city and a municipality of Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of Kolkata urban area and also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
Etymology
During the 19th ...](_blank)
; later D and F Companies went to garrison Barrackpore
Barrackpore (also known as Barrackpur) is a city and a municipality of urban Kolkata of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA ...
, where they were responsible for guarding the Rifle Factory Ishapore
The Rifle Factory Ishapore (also known as Ishapore Arsenal) is an Indian state-owned arms manufacturing unit located at Ichhapur in the state of West Bengal.
History
The first arms manufacturing facility on the site was a gunpowder factory, wh ...
and the Cossipore gun and shell factory. When the four-company system was adopted in May 1915, the companies at Dinapur provided A and B Companies together with the battalion scouts and machine-gunners, those at Barrackpore became C Company, and those Dum Dum became D Company and the signallers.
In May and August 1915, the battalion supplied its first drafts to the 2nd Bn Norfolk Regiment
The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...
serving in Indian Expeditionary Force D
The Indian Army during World War I was involved World War I. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war.
In World War I the ...
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
; of the 50 other ranks sent, 20 died at the Siege of Kut
The siege of Kut Al Amara (7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916), also known as the first battle of Kut, was the besieging of an 8,000 strong British Army garrison in the town of Kut, south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. In 1915, its population ...
or in captivity afterwards. In January 1916, the battalion was transferred to the 5th (Jhelum) Brigade, 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division
The 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division was a regular army division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903 after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. During World War I it remained in India for local defence but it was mobilised for actio ...
, on the North West Frontier. On arrival at Rawalpindi, it was ordered to mobilise for service with Force D. However, the order was quickly cancelled, and for the next two years the battalion continued to train. During this period, it was constantly moving station:
* March–April 1916 to Nowshera Brigade, 1st (Peshawar) Division
The 1st (Peshawar) Division was a Regular Division of the British Indian Army formed as a result of the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army in 1903. During World War I, the Division remained in India for local defense, but was mobilized for a ...
, for mountain warfare training;
* April–June to Murree
Murree ( Punjabi, Urdu: مری) is a mountain resort city, located in the Galyat region of the Pir Panjal Range, within the Muree District of Punjab, Pakistan. It forms the outskirts of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area, and is about ...
;
* June–November to Galis Brigade, with one company detached to guard Attock Fort
, partof = the History of Pakistan
, location = Attock, Punjab region
, image = Attock Fort - Optographer.jpg
, image_size = 280px
, caption =
, coordinates =
, map_type = Pakistan
, map_size =
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Location within Pak ...
;
* November returned to Jhelum Brigade
* February 1917 to 43rd Indian Brigade
The 43rd Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that formed part of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in March 1917 as part of the 16th Indian Division for service on the North West Frontier ...
in 16th Indian Division, a reserve division for the North West Frontier
* March 1917 to Ambala Brigade
The Ambala Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that formed part of the Indian Army during World War I, Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in November 1914 to replace the original Ambala Brigade that had ...
in 3rd Lahore Divisional Area
The 3rd Lahore Divisional Area was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that formed part of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in September 1914 to replace the original 3rd (Lahore) Division that had been mobi ...
(the 3rd (Lahore) Division
The 3rd (Lahore) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops ...
being absent, serving in Mesopotamia). Here, the battalion received a large draft from the 7th Reserve Battalion (''see below'') and from the Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
, which partly restored its strength after years of losing men to sickness and supplying so many drafts and specialists.
From November 1917, the battalion reverted to the title of 9th Middlesex when the 2/9th Bn disbanded in England (''see below'').
Mesopotamia
In October 1917, the 9th Bn was selected to be the British battalion in a new 53rd Indian Brigade being sent to the Mesopotamian Front. On 5 November it was brought up to full strength with drafts of 100 menfrom the 1/10th Middlesex and 200 from the 1/25th London Regiment. The men from 1/25th Londons, formerly a bicycle battalion, were disappointed at being spread across all 16 platoons of the 1/9th rather than being kept together as a distinct company. The battalion embarked on the transport ''Egra'' at Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
on 19 November. It landed at Basra
Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
on 23 November and the brigade became part of 18th Indian Division at Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
on 24 December.[Perry, pp. 147–50.]
The division was not concentrated until mid-March 1918, and when it moved north up the Tigris
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
, 53rd Brigade was left behind to subdue Nejef, south of Baghdad. After making a forced march of nearly 90 miles in a week through almost waterless country and carried out a demonstration, the brigade was being withdrawn when trouble flared up again. The town was then blockaded from 21 March to 19 May, with the 9th Middlesex being involved in minor actions. The battalion celebrated Albuera Day in the Mesopotamian desert. 53rd Brigade then rejoined the division at Akab, near Samarra
Samarra ( ar, سَامَرَّاء, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The city of Samarra was founded by Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutasim for his Turkish professional army ...
. Summer weather made campaigning impractical in Mesopotamia, so the division was engaged in roadbuilding until the beginning of October, when orders were received to join the renewed advance up the Tigris.
9th Middlesex moved up to Tikrit
Tikrit ( ar, تِكْرِيت ''Tikrīt'' , Syriac language, Syriac: ܬܲܓܪܝܼܬܼ ''Tagrīṯ'') is a city in Iraq, located northwest of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Gover ...
on 10 October, arriving on 14 October, with many men suffering from sickness. The division began its attack (the Battle of Sharqat
The Battle of Sharqat (October 23–30, 1918) was fought between the British and the Ottoman Empire in the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War I, which became the last conflict between the belligerents before of the signing of the Armistice of Mud ...
) on 24 October, with 53rd Brigade in support. The brigade passed through the Fathah Gorge and the following day pushed on under artillery and machine-gun fire to establish a bridgehead over the Little Zab
The Little Zab or Lower Zab (, ''al-Zāb al-Asfal''; or '; , ''Zâb-e Kuchak''; , ''Zāba Taḥtāya'') is a river that originates in Iran and joins the Tigris just south of Al Zab in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. It is approximately long and dr ...
. Between 11.00 on 25 October and 17.00 on 26 October, the infantry covered . On 26 October, the brigade patrolled forward up the left bank of the Tigris and the right bank of the Little Zab, and demonstrated towards Humr Bridge, to make the Turks think that a crossing was planned. That the night the Turks began to retreat and on 27 October, 53rd Brigade began a pursuit march, delayed only by Turkish artillery fire.
The Turkish force surrendered on the evening of 29 October, when 9th Middlesex was about to support an attack on the opposite bank of the Tigris. 18th Indian Division pushed a flying column on to capture Mosul, while the infantry retired towards its railhead at Baiji
The baiji (; IPA: ; ''Lipotes vexillifer'', ''Lipotes'' meaning "left behind" and ''vexillifer'' "flag bearer") is a possibly extinct species of freshwater dolphin native to the Yangtze river system in China. It is thought to be the first dolph ...
for supplies. After the Armistice of Mudros
Concluded on 30 October 1918 and taking effect at noon the next day, the Armistice of Mudros ( tr, Mondros Mütarekesi) ended hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I. It was signed by th ...
came into effect on 31 October, the division began preparing for the postwar occupation of Iraq as the Turks withdrew.[
]Demobilisation
Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and militar ...
began in early 1919, but on 23 May the battalion (now reduced to three companies) was ordered to join a punitive column marching into Kurdistan
Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, Kurdish la ...
. The column was in contact with insurgents from 28 May to 18 June when the rebel leader was wounded and captured. While 'mopping up' after the formal surrender, two companies of the 9th Middlesex and two squadrons of Indian cavalry found themselves surrounded near Kirkuk
Kirkuk ( ar, كركوك, ku, کەرکووک, translit=Kerkûk, , tr, Kerkük) is a city in Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate, located north of Baghdad. The city is home to a diverse population of Turkmens, Arabs, Kurds, ...
. They were pinned down for three days under heavy rifle fire, with rations being dropped to them by the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, before being relieved.
The battalion was demobilised on 11 September 1919.[
]
2/9th Battalion
The 2/9th Bn formed at Willesden Green in September 1914 and was assigned to the 2/1st Middlesex Brigade (later 201st Brigade) in what became the 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division
The 2nd Home Counties Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Force division of the British Army in World War I. The division was formed as a duplicate of the 44th (Home Counties) Division in November 1914. As the name suggests, the division recruit ...
. The battalion was billeted in Staines for training, but the shortage of equipment was so great that the men had to train with .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles.[Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 75–82.]
Late in 1915, 201st Brigade moved to Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506 situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parishes in England, civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter South Eastern Main Line, main line railway into Lon ...
, later camping at Barham. The 67th Division had dual responsibility as part of the mobile force for Home Defence, and to train drafts for overseas service. Twice it was ordered to prepare for service in Ireland, and in April 1917 it prepared to go to France. However, nothing came of these deployments, and the division was drained of its manpower as its men were drafted to frontline units. The 2/9th Middlesex was disbanded on 14 November 1917 at Patrixbourne
Patrixbourne is a rural English village south-east of Canterbury in Kent. It is mostly taken up by agricultural hills and along with almost contiguous Bekesbourne to the north it makes up the civil parish of Bekesbourne-with-Patrixbourne in the ...
in Kent.[
]
3/9th Battalion
The 3/9th Bn was formed at Willesden in March 1915, and moved to Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
. It was retitled 9th Reserve Bn, Middlesex Regiment, in April 1915. Its role was to train recruits for service with 1st and 2nd Line units. On 1 September 1916, it was absorbed into the 7th Reserve Bn, Middlesex Regiment, at Purfleet
Purfleet-on-Thames is a town in the Thurrock unitary authority, Essex, England. It is bordered by the A13 road to the north and the River Thames to the south and is within the easternmost part of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater Lond ...
.[
]
Interwar
The 9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment reformed when the TF was reconstituted on 7 February 1920. The following year the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA). The battalion formed part of 132nd (Middlesex and Sussex) Brigade in 44th (Home Counties) Division
The Home Counties Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army, that was raised in 1908. As the name suggests, the division recruited in the Home Counties, particularly Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex.
...
.[
In the 1930s, the increasing need for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, particularly for London, was addressed by converting a number of infantry battalions to the AA role. The 9th Middlesex became a searchlight unit in 1938, taking the subsidiary title of 60th Searchlight Regiment, consisting of HQ and 429–431 Searchlight Batteries at Willesden.][Frederick, pp. 860, 870.][Litchfield, p. 179.]
World War II
60th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment
Mobilisation
The TA's AA units were mobilised on 23 September 1938 during the Munich Crisis
The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...
, with units manning their emergency positions within 24 hours, even though many did not yet have their full complement of men or equipment. The emergency lasted three weeks, and they were stood down on 13 October. In February 1939, the existing AA defences came under the control of a new Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command (AA Command, or "Ack-Ack Command") was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the Territorial Army anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight formations and units defending the United Kingdom.
Origin
...
. In June, a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. 9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (60th Searchlight Regiment) formed part of 40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade in 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division
The 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division (2nd AA Division) was an Air Defence formation of the British Army from 1935 to 1942. It controlled anti-aircraft gun and searchlight units of the Territorial Army (TA) defending the East Midlands and East Anglia ...
, covering the area north of London.[
In August 1940, all the TA's AA units became part of the ]Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
(RA), the 9th Middlesex becoming 60th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, RA. However, the regiment continued to wear its Middlesex cap badge and buttons, with RA collar badges.[Farndale, Annex M, pp. 338, 340.]
By that time – the height of the Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
– the regiment had been transferred within 2 AA Division to 41st (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, which had special responsibility for defending Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
airfields in East Anglia
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
.
The regiment supplied a cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
of experienced officers and men to 231st S/L Training Rgt at Blandford Camp
Blandford Forum ( ), commonly Blandford, is a market town in Dorset, England, sited by the River Stour about northwest of Poole. It was the administrative headquarters of North Dorset District until April 2019, when this was abolished and it ...
where it provided the basis for a new 523 S/L Bty formed on 14 November 1940. This battery later joined 85th S/L Rgt. On 23 January 1942 371 S/L Bty joined 60th S/L Rgt from 43rd (5th Duke of Wellington's Regiment) S/L Rgt.[
]
126th (Middlesex) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Home Defence
On 10 January 1942, the regiment was ordered to convert again, becoming 126th (Middlesex) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA on 23 February.[Frederick, pp. 806, 839.] It comprised 415, 429, 430 and 431 LAA Batteries, and after training at No 8 LAA Practice Camp at Watchet
Watchet is a harbour town, civil parish and electoral ward in the county of Somerset, England, with a population in 2011 of 3,785. It is situated west of Bridgwater, north-west of Taunton, and east of Minehead. The town lies at the mouth of ...
, it returned to 41 AA Bde in May, deploying its 40mm Bofors gun
AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years.
History
Located i ...
s to defend Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
and the nearby airfield of RAF Horsham St Faith
RAF Horsham St Faith is a former Royal Air Force station near Norwich, Norfolk, England which was operational from 1939 to 1963. It was then developed as Norwich International Airport.
RAF Bomber Command use
The airfield was first developed ...
. In September, the regiment was reduced to a three-battery establishment, 431 Bty transferring to a newly raised 144 LAA Regiment.[126 LAA Rgt War Diary 1942, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 166/7712.]
The regiment continued to serve in Home Forces until 1944, by which time it was at Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
forming part of 74 AA Bde. In January 1944, it moved to Bournemouth
Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
to take over Air Defence of Great Britain
The Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB) was a RAF command comprising substantial army and RAF elements responsible for the air defence of the British Isles. It lasted from 1925, following recommendations that the RAF take control of homeland air ...
commitments around Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth, England. Historically in Hampshire, but today in Dorset, it is located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne.
Originally a sparsely inhabited area of heathland, from around 1865 B ...
, Poole
Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...
and Swanage
Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
. It handed over these commitments in late February and moved to No 11 LAA Training Camp at Stiffkey, followed by deployment exercises in Lincolnshire. In March, the regiment joined Second Army in preparation for Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
, and in April was deployed to Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census.
The town lies on the River Itchen, o ...
to defend the Overlord concentration areas, engaging night intruder raids.[126 LAA Rgt War Diary 1944, TNA file WO 171/1140.]
After the bulk of the invasion force had embarked, 126 Rgt's batteries were trained at Larkhill Camp in engaging unseen ground targets. Ordered to its embarkation marshalling area in August, the regiment was diverted to Pevensey
Pevensey ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located north-east of Eastbourne, one mile (1.6 km) inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part of ...
, Hove
Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...
and Bexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea (often shortened to Bexhill) is a seaside town and civil parish situated in the county of East Sussex in South East England. An ancient town and part of the local government district of Rother, Bexhill is home to a number of arc ...
to engage incoming V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany), Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buz ...
s as part of Operation Diver
Operation Diver was the British codename for countermeasures against the V-1 flying bomb campaign launched by the German in 1944 against London and other parts of Britain. Diver was the codename for the V-1, against which the defence consisted o ...
.[
]
North West Europe
The regiment finally landed in Normandy on 11–12 October 1944 and served through the campaign in North West Europe as part of 74 AA Bde providing AA cover to 21st Army Group
The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...
. Initially, it was deployed to Gheel
Geel () is a city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp, which acquired city status in the 1980s. It comprises Central-Geel which is constituted of 4 old parishes a/o towns: Sint-Amand, Sint-Dimpna, Holven and Elsum. Further on around the ce ...
, where it covered the artillery of I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to:
France
* 1st Army Corps (France)
* I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...
(49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division fought in the First World War in the trenches of the Western Front, in the fields of France and Flanders. During the Second World War, the divis ...
, 4th Army Group Royal Artillery
An Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) was a British Commonwealth military formation during the Second World War and shortly thereafter. Generally assigned to Army corps, an AGRA provided the medium and heavy artillery to higher formations within the ...
(AGRA) and 59th AGRA) in Operation Rebound. Later, it formed part of 'Bob-Force', holding the line of the Turnhout Canal alongside 104th US Infantry Division (the 'Timberwolves'). During this period, it was frequently used to engage enemy sniper and mortar positions with ground fire, as well as firing at V-1s heading for Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, .[
When the south bank of the ]Scheldt
The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corr ...
at Antwerp was cleared, 74 AA Bde, with 126 LAA as its LAA component, was switched round the city to support the advance of II Canadian and I British Corps towards 's-Hertogenbosch
s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...
. It then took over protection of bridges along the road from the Maas to the Waal
WAAL (99.1 FM "The Whale") is a commercial radio station licensed to Binghamton, New York. It airs a classic rock radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. WAAL is the oldest FM radio station in the Binghamton metropolitan area. It is an ...
captured during Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...
.
From 15 November 1944, the regiment defended the Nijmegen bridges against air and waterborne attack under command of 74 AA Bde and then of 1st Canadian Infantry Division. On 17 December, after weeks of quiescence, the ''Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' made a major effort to support its surprise attack in the Ardennes (the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...
). In 21st Army Group's sector, the Maas and Waal bridges were attacked by waves of Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
and Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' ("Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, t ...
fighter-bombers operating at low level (below radar and HAA), which had to be engaged by LAA guns. Further low-level sweeps followed on 24 December.
The regiment's positions were frequently shelled during the winter. Until the end of March 1945 there were almost daily engagements of single enemy aircraft in the area. During the operations in the Klever Reichswald
The Klever Reichswald is an Imperial forest in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) between the rivers Rhine and Meuse at the German–Dutch border. The forest is located in the municipal territory of Kleve, Goch, Kranenburg and Bedburg-Hau. It is ...
(Operation Veritable
Operation Veritable (also known as the Battle of the Reichswald) was the northern part of an Allies of World War II, Allied pincer movement that took place between 8 February and 11 March 1945 during the final stages of the World War II, Second ...
), 126 LAA continued to defend the critical Waal and Maas crossings in support of II Canadian Corps. Improved radar techniques were allowing effective LAA barrages to be fired, driving the attackers back to higher levels into the range of HAA guns. In April, the regiment formed the basis of 'Kenforce' under its CO, Lt-Col W.D. Kenyon, which included a troop of 2 S/L Rgt, a troop of 93 LAA, two companies of Belgian Fusiliers and Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
detachments operating ASDIC
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on or ...
to detect underwater attacks on the bridges.[126 LAA Rgt War Diary 1945, TNA file WO 171/4965.]
The regiment remained in these positions until cease fire on 3 May 1945. After VE Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the regiment was engaged in occupation duties under the Canadians until it was placed in suspended animation between 1 February and 9 April 1946.[
]
Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the regiment was reformed as 595th (9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA,[Frederick, p. 1025.] with its HQ now at Kingsbury Kingsbury may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Kingsbury, London, a district of northwest London in the borough of Brent
** Kingsbury tube station, London Underground station
* Kingsbury, Warwickshire, a village and civil parish in Warwickshi ...
, and 873rd Movement Light Battery (The Middlesex Regiment), RA at Staines.
595th LAA/SL Regiment
The 595th was redesignated as a Light Anti-Aircraft/Searchlight regiment in 1949. It formed part of 82 AA Bde at Heston
Heston is a suburban area and part of the Hounslow district in the London Borough of Hounslow. The residential settlement covers a slightly smaller area than its predecessor farming village, 10.8 miles (17.4 km) west south-west of Charing ...
.[Frederick, p. 1025.][67–106 AA Bdes at British Army 1945 on.]
/ref>
On 10 March 1955, AA Command was disbanded, and many of its TA regiments were disbanded or reduced. 82 AA Brigade was disbanded and 595 LAA Rgt was amalgamated with two other LAA/SL regiments of the brigade in NW London – 571st (Middlesex) and 604th (Royal Fusiliers) – to form a new regiment: 571st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA, (9th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment, Duke of Cambridge's Own), in which the old 595th formed 'Q' Battery. The new unit was in 33rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade.[Frederick, p. 1023.]
Finally, on 1 May 1961, the 571st (9th Middlesex) amalgamated with the 7th and 8th Middlesex to form a combined infantry battalion (5th Middlesex), and all links with air defence and the Royal Artillery were severed.[Barnes, Appendix V.]
873 M/L Battery
Movement light or ' artificial moonlight' units used searchlights to illuminate ground operations at night. 873 Battery formed at the Drill Hall, Leacroft, Staines, with an establishment of Battery HQ (BHQ) and three troops of eight lights each, with a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's Professional Engineers".
History
Prior to REME's for ...
workshop. In 1958, the battery moved to hutted accommodation at Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
. Because the sole remaining role of searchlights was ground illumination, the battery was converted from RA to Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
in 1961 as 873 (Middlesex) Movement Light Squadron under the command of 27 Engineer Brigade.[Searchlight history at 873 Movement Light Squadron site.]
/ref>
/ref>
/ref>
873 M/L Sqn provided lighting during the construction of the Medway bridges for the M2 motorway This is a list of roads designated M2:
Europe
* M2 motorway (Great Britain), a motorway in England
* M2 expressway (Hungary), a motorway in Hungary
* N2 road (Ireland)#M2 motorway, a motorway in the Republic of Ireland
* M-2 highway (Monteneg ...
in 1962, but its offer to light the rescue efforts after the Aberfan disaster
The Aberfan disaster was the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip on 21 October 1966. The tip had been created on a mountain slope above the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, and overlaid a natural spring. Heavy rain led ...
in 1966 was rejected. When the TA was converted into the smaller TAVR
Percutaneous aortic valve replacement (PAVR), also known as percutaneous aortic valve implantation (PAVI), transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), is the replacement of the aortic valve o ...
in 1967, 873 Sqn was reduced to HQ and one Troop – the only dedicated searchlight unit remaining not only in the British Army but the whole of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
. The squadron moved to the TA Centre at Horns Lane, Acton Acton may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Acton
Australia
* Acton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Acton, Tasmania, a suburb of Burnie
* Acton Park, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, formerly known as Acton
Canada ...
, and in 1975 became part of 73 Engineer Regiment. In 1988, it was transferred to 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the militar ...
(EOD) unit, and its title was changed to 220 (Searchlight) Field Squadron (EOD), with searchlight operation in addition to normal Sapper
A sapper, also called a pioneer (military), pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefie ...
duties. The unit moved to the TA Centre at Vicarage Lane, Heston
Heston is a suburban area and part of the Hounslow district in the London Borough of Hounslow. The residential settlement covers a slightly smaller area than its predecessor farming village, 10.8 miles (17.4 km) west south-west of Charing ...
, in 1988, and was disbanded in 1999.[
]
Insignia
On transfer to the RA, the regiment was allowed the privilege of wearing the Middlesex Regiment cap badge and buttons together with RA collar badges. A regimental arm flash was worn during World War II, consisting of a diamond divided vertically in maroon and gold. Postwar, the Middlesex Regiment cap badge was worn on the beret and forage cap with a maroon and gold diamond backing; however, the arm flash was altered from a diamond to a triangle. Officers wore the cap badge in silver with the other ranks' cap badge as their collar badge. In service dress (which was the darker 'Guards' shade of khaki
The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge.
Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...
) the officers wore the badges in bronze. They are believed to have worn a maroon and gold lanyard
A lanyard is a cord, length of webbing, or strap that may serve any of various functions, which include a means of attachment, restraint, retrieval, and activation and deactivation. A lanyard is also a piece of rigging used to secure or lower ...
.[
The unit's first stand of ]Regimental colour
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt som ...
s, presented by HRH Princess Beatrice of Battenburg in 1910 and laid up in 1950, and their replacements presented that year by Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, (7 September 1895 – 4 January 1985) was a British Army officer, chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World W ...
, are preserved in the Middlesex Regiment Chapel in St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
.
Honorary Colonels
The following officers served as Honorary Colonel of the unit:
* Sir Alfred Plantagenet Frederick Charles Somerset of Castle Goring
Castle Goring is a Grade I listed country house in Worthing, in West Sussex, England about northwest of the town centre.
One of Worthing's two Grade I listed buildings (deemed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to be of exc ...
, late 13th Foot
The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry to form the Some ...
, appointed Hon Col of 9th (West Middlesex) RVC 28 April 1871.[''Burke's'': Dukes of Beaufort.]
* Maj-Gen Sir William Gordon Cameron
General Sir William Gordon Cameron ( Chinese translated Name: 金馬倫; 16 October 1827 – 2 March 1913) was a British soldier and colonial administrator.
Military career
William Gordon Cameron was commissioned into the 42nd (Royal Highland ...
, CB, VD, appointed Hon Col of 5th (West Middlesex) RVC 20 October 1880.[
* Lt-Col W.P. Hewett, TD, CO of the 9th Middlesex in Mesopotamia, appointed Hon Col of 9th Bn Middlesex Regiment 24 March 1937.][
* Col G. Beach, CB, OBE, TD, was Hon Col of 126 LAA Regiment in 1942.][
]
Notes
References
* Anon, ''The London Cyclist Battalion'', London: 25th London Cyclist Old Comrade's Association/Forster Groom, 1932.
* Maj R. Money Barnes, ''The Soldiers of London'', London: Seeley Service, 1963.
* Maj A. F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, .
* Maj A. F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, .
* Ian F.W. Beckett, ''Riflemen Form: A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908'', Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, .
* ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953.
* Col John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938.
* Maj L. F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol I: ''The Battle of Normandy'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, .
* Maj L. F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol II: ''The Defeat of Germany'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, .
* Gen Sir Martin Farndale
General Sir Martin Baker Farndale, (6 January 1929 – 10 May 2000) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1980s.
Military career
Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School, Askrigg, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Farnda ...
, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, .
* J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, .
* J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, .
* Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, .
* Lt-Col W. E. Wilson-Johnston, ''An Account of the Operations of the 18th (Indian) Division in Mesopotamia, December, 1917, to December, 1918'', London: St Martin's Press, 1920/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2006, .
*
* Norman E. H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, .
* F. W. Perry, ''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 5b: Indian Army Divisions'', Newport: Ray Westlake, 1993, .
* Brigadier N. W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
* Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, .
* ''Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army'', London: War Office, 7 November 1927.
* Ray Westlake, ''Tracing the Rifle Volunteers'', Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, .
* Everard Wyrall, ''The Die-Hards in the Great War'', 2 Vols, London: Harrisons, 1926 & 1930/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2002, .
{{refend
Online sources
British Army units from 1945 on
British Military History
The Long, Long Trail
Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
The Royal Artillery 1939–45
Stepping Forward London
873 Movement Light Squadron, RE.
Middlesex Regiment
Military units and formations in London
Military units and formations in Middlesex
Military units and formations in Willesden
Military units and formations established in 1908
1859 establishments in the United Kingdom