The Royal West Middlesex Militia, later the Edmonton Royal Rifle Regiment, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

in the

Home counties The home counties are the counties of England that surround London. The counties are not precisely defined but Buckinghamshire and Surrey are usually included in definitions and Berkshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent are also often inc ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. It later became part of 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). Primarily intended for home defence, it served in England and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

(and briefly in Southern France) during Britain's major wars. It was converted to the

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 ...

under the

Haldane Reforms The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the ...

and supplied reinforcements to the KRRC's fighting battalions 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 ...

. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.

Background

The universal obligation to military service in the

Shire levy A shire levy was a means of military recruitment in medieval England and Scotland. As opposed to a levy of noble families, a shire levy was effected within a geographical administrative area (a shire), entailing the mobilisation of able-bodied men ...

was long established in England and its legal basis was updated by two Acts of 1557, which placed selected men, the '

Trained Bands Trained Bands were companies of part-time militia in England and Wales. Organised by county, they were supposed to drill on a regular basis, although this was rarely the case in practice. The regular army was formed from the Trained Bands in the ev ...

', under the command of Lords Lieutenant appointed by the monarch. This is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. It was an important element in the country's defence at the time of the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...

in the 1580s, and control of the militia was one of the areas of dispute between King Charles I and

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

that led to the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. During the Civil War a great ring of fortifications (the '

Lines of Communication A line of communication (or communications) is the route that connects an operating military unit with its supply base. Supplies and reinforcements are transported along the line of communication. Therefore, a secure and open line of communicati ...

') was constructed round London, encompassing

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

and the suburban parishes of Middlesex, whose trained bands came under the London Militia Committee. Middlesex was left with a single regiment recruited from the rural parishes outside the lines, largely in the north and west of the county. This regiment saw some service during the war. The English Militia was re-established under local control in 1662 after the Restoration of the monarchy.Grierson, pp. 6–7. Middlesex had three regiments: the 'Red Regiment of Westminster', the 'Blewe Regiment' recruited from 'within the Bills of mortality' (''ie'' the suburban parishes included within the London health district), and the 'County Regiment', recruited from rural parishes. In 1697 the latter was commanded by

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

R. Shoreditch and consisted of 603 men in six companies, together with a County Troop of Horse with 85 men. These arrangements appear to have continued until at least 1722, but thereafter the militia was allowed to decline.

West Middlesex Militia

Under threat of French invasion during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

a series of Militia Acts from 1757 re-established county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. An

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

and

drill sergeants A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors. Australia A ...

were to be provided to each regiment from the Regular Army, and arms and accoutrements would be supplied when the county had secured 60 per cent of its quota of recruits.Holmes, pp. 94–100. Middlesex was given a quota of 1600 men to raise,Western, Appendices A & B. but failed to do so – possibly because the

Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex. From 1794 to 1965, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Middlesex. The office was abolished on 1 April 1965, with the creation of Greater London and the post of L ...

, the

Duke of Newcastle Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne was a title that was created three times, once in the Peerage of England and twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first grant of the title was made in 1665 to William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle u ...

, was

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

, who had opposed the Militia Acts. A patriotic ballad of the time declared:

All over the land they'll find such a stand,
From our English Militia Men ready at hand,
Though in Sussex and Middlesex folks are but fiddlesticks,
While an old fiddlestick has the command

(the 'old fiddlestick' was Newcastle, who was also powerful in

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

). Claiming insufficient numbers of qualified officers, Newcastle suspended the execution of the Act in Middlesex for two years. However, opinion in the county shifted and in July 1760, the lieutenancy began forming three regiments (Western, Eastern and Westminster) and the arms and accoutrements were supplied from the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

on 7 and 12 August. By then the war was going in Britain's favour and the threat of invasion had lifted: no further militia were required, and the Middlesex regiments were not actually embodied before the war ended in 1762. Parliament did however provide the money to continue training the militia in peacetime (two periods of 14 days or one period of 28 days each year).Parkyn.
/ref> The militia were called out in 1778 after the outbreak of the

War of American Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, when the country was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. The three regiments of Middlesex Militia were 'embodied' for permanent duty for the first time on 31 March 1778, with the 1st Middlesex Western Militia at

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbrid ...

.Frederick, p. 243.Hay, pp. 388–9.Sainsbury, p. 5. A perspective view of Coxheath Camp representing a Grand Review of the Army (cropped)

During the summer of 1778 the West Middlesex Militia under Colonel G.J. Cooke was at Coxheath Camp near

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, which was the army's largest training camp. Here the completely raw militia were exercised as part of a division alongside regular troops while providing a reserve in case of French invasion of South East England. Afterwards, the regiment was sent to the usual winter quarters, spread out amongst inns over several towns and villages. The regiment was ordered to enlarge these quarters, even though Col Cooke complained that his men were already so dispersed that he could not be held responsible for their discipline and 'oeconomy' (internal economy). He had 32 men absent with leave because there were no quarters for them, 40 could not be given medical care, and one detachment had to march in from away every time there was a parade. The Peace of Paris ended the war in 1783, but the militia had already been disembodied in 1782. From 1784 to 1792 the militia were assembled for their 28 days' annual peacetime training, but to save money only two-thirds of the men were actually mustered each year.Davis, p. 112. Nicholas Bayly was appointed Colonel of the West Middlesex Militia on 15 April 1788.WO, 1805 list.

French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

The militia were already being embodied when

Revolutionary France The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. Middlesex remained the worst 'black spot' for militia recruitment: in August 1793 the Western Regiment was 90 men short of the number it should have embodied. Only 11 out of 477 men in the regiment were balloted men serving as principals, all the others being hired substitutes. In 1804 the Middlesex Militia was awarded the prefix 'Royal', the regiment becoming the 2nd Royal West Middlesex Regiment of Militia. The

French Revolutionary War The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

and

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

saw a new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

), which the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the

Volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

and mounted

Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army, British Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve, descended from volunteer British Cavalry, cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of ...

. Legislation was passed in 1811 permitting English militia regiments to serve in Ireland, and the Royal West Middlesex did so for two years.Sleigh, p. 97. From November 1813 the militia were also invited to volunteer for limited overseas service, primarily for garrison duties in Europe. Twenty-one officers and 560 other ranks of the Royal West Middlesex volunteered for this service, and formed the bulk of the 3rd Provisional Battalion, commanded by their own lieutenant-colonel, Edward Bayly. It served in a militia brigade commanded by the

Marquess of Buckingham Marquess of Buckingham may refer to: * George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592–1628) Marquess of Buckingham from 1618 until elevated to Duke of Buckingham in 1623 * George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham (1753–1813), ...

, colonel of the Royal Bucks Militia whose volunteers formed the 1st Provisional Bn. The brigade embarked on 10–11 March 1814 and joined the

Earl of Dalhousie Earl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay. History The family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617. ...

's division that had occupied

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

just as the war was ending. The brigade did not form part of the Army of Occupation after the abdication of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

and returned to England in June. Having been disembodied the regiment was called out again on 29 June 1815 during the short

Waterloo Campaign The Waterloo campaign (15 June – 8 July 1815) was fought between the French Army of the North (France), Army of the North and two Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied army and a Prussian army. Initially the French army was commanded by ...

and served in the UK until it was disembodied on 25 August 1816 After Waterloo there was a long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. Sir John Gibbons, 4th Baronet, was appointed colonel of the Royal West Middlesex on 11 July 1831, and from 27 December 1837 his lieutenant-colonel was the Rt Hon George Byng, who had been a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Rifle Brigade The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

. Gibbons died in 1844 and was succeeded as colonel on 29 April 1844 by Byng, who took the courtesy title of Viscount Enfield from 1847 when his father,

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

Sir John Byng, was created Earl of Strafford.''Hart's''.

Edmonton Royal Rifles

The

Militia of the United Kingdom The Militia of the United Kingdom were the military reserve forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Union in 1801 of the former Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland. The militia was transformed into the Speci ...

was revived by the Militia Act of 1852, enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time service in three circumstances:Dunlop, pp. 42–52. * 1. 'Whenever a state of war exists between Her Majesty and any foreign power'. * 2. 'In all cases of invasion or upon imminent danger thereof'. * 3. 'In all cases of rebellion or insurrection'. The Royal West Middlesex was designated a Light Infantry regiment in 1852. The following year the Middlesex Militia was expand from three to five regiments. The recruiting area of the Royal West Middlesex was effectively split, with the new 5th regiment taking over the north-western part of the county in

Elthorne Hundred Elthorne was a hundred (ancient subdivision) of the historic county of Middlesex, England. Toponymy The name is a standard contraction in Old English of El(ɘ's) thorn – El likely being a man, perhaps one of the eorls (earls) in the sam ...

, one of the ancient subdivisions of the county, centred on Uxbridge, while the existing 2nd regiment took over

Edmonton Hundred Edmonton is one of six hundreds (obsolete subdivisions) of the historic county of Middlesex, England. A rotated L-shape, its area has been in the south and east firmly part of the urban growth of London. Since the 1965 formation of London boro ...

, the most northerly division of Middlesex, then centred on

Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) * Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...

. The regiment was therefore redesignated the 2nd or Edmonton Royal Rifle Regiment of Middlesex Militia on 7 March 1853 and adopted

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 ...

uniforms. At first the regiment was stationed at

Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...

but in 1855 it built a new Militia Barracks at

.''Army List'', various dates. As part of the 1852 reforms, the post of colonel in the militia was abolished, but existing colonels such as Viscount Enfield retained their positions. Enfield's eldest son, the Hon George Byng, was commissioned as his lt-col on 30 October 1853.

Crimean War

War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

, the militia began to be called out for home defence. By the beginning of July 1855 the Edmonton Rifles had been embodied at Barnet, where it remained until the militia were disembodied in May 1856 after the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

ended the war. Although the 4th and 5th Middlesex Militia were embodied in 1857 to relieve regular troops for service against the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

, the number of regiments required was smaller, and the Edmonton Rifles were not called upon. On 5 December 1859, Col Viscount Enfield, now 2nd Earl of Strafford, became the regiment's Honorary Colonel, and his son George, now Viscount Enfield by courtesy, became Lt-Col Commandant. The militia regiments were routinely called out for their annual training. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. From 1867 the annual training of some militia regiments was held at

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 ...

in conjunction with the regular division stationed there. The Edmonton Rifles were included in the experiment in 1868, carrying out their training in camp, and the four weeks ended with a divisional field day. In September 1871 the British Army held Autumn Manoeuvres for the first time. 3rd Division was made up of militia regiments, the Edmonton Rifles under the command of Maj Henry Grenfell serving in 1st Brigade along with the Royal East Middlesex, the Royal London and the 2nd Tower Hamlets (the 5th Middlesex were in 2nd Brigade and the 3rd in 3rd Brigade). The regiments camped in the Aldershot area and were exercised round

Frensham Frensham is a village in Surrey, England, next to the A287 road, WSW of Guildford, the county town. Frensham lies on the right bank of the River Wey (south branch), only navigable to canoes, shortly before its convergence with the north branc ...

and

Chobham Common Chobham Common is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Chobham in Surrey. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and a national nature reserve. It is part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and t ...

s. On 21 September 1871 Viscount Enfield replaced his father as Hon Col of the regiment, and Maj Henry Grenfell was promoted to Lt-Col Commandant.

Cardwell Reforms

Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced 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 ...

of 1872, the militia were brigaded with their local Regular and

Volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

battalions on 1 April 1873. For the Edmonton Rifles this was in Brigade No 51 & 52 (60th Rifles) in Home District, grouped with the four Regular battalions of the

60th Rifles 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 ...

, together with the

Royal London Militia The Royal London Militia was an auxiliary regiment organised in the City of London during the French Revolutionary War from the former London Trained Bands. It later became part of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). After conversion to ...

and numerous Rifle Volunteer Corps from London and Middlesex. The Edmonton Rifles already had links with the regiment, wearing a uniform modelled on that of the 60th, and with some of its officers having formerly served in the 60th. The Rifles Depot was at

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

, but the Edmonton rifles retained its headquarters in Barnet. The militia now came under the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

rather than their county lords lieutenant and battalions had a large

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 permanent staff (about 30). Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the Regular Army.Spiers, ''Late Victorian Army'', pp. 126–7. Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the ''Army List'' from December 1875. This assigned Regular and Militia units to places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The 1st Royal East, 2nd Edmonton Rifles and 3rd Westminster Regiments of Middlesex Militia constituted 2nd Brigade of 3rd Division,

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

. The brigade would have mustered at

in time of war.

King's Royal Rifle Corps

The

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

of 1881 took Cardwell's reforms further, with the militia formally joining their linked regiments. The 60th Rifles became the

(KRRC), and the Edmonton Rifles became the 7th (Royal 2nd Middlesex Militia) Battalion on 1 July 1881. 7th Kings Royal Rifles Barnet

Second Boer War

After the disasters of

Black Week Black Week refers to the week of 10–17 December 1899 during the Second Boer War, when the British Army suffered three devastating defeats by the Boer Republics at the battles of Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso. In total, 2,776 British ...

at the start of 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 ...

in December 1899, most of the Regular Army was sent to South Africa, and many militia units were embodied to replace them. The 7th KRRC was embodied from 23 January to 31 July 1900. However, unlike some militia battalions it did not serve overseas.

Special Reserve

After the Boer War, there were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (militia, yeomanry and volunteers) to take their place in the six army corps proposed by

St John Brodrick William St John Fremantle Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton, KP, PC, DL (14 December 185613 February 1942), styled as St John Brodrick until 1907 and as Viscount Midleton between 1907 and 1920, was a British Conservative and Irish Unionist Alli ...

Secretary of State for War The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...

. However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out. Under the sweeping

of 1908, the militia was replaced by the

, a semi-professional force similar to the previous militia reserve, whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime. The 7th (Royal 2nd Middlesex Militia) Bn, KRRC, became the 6th (Extra Reserve) Battalion on 26 June 1908. At the same time the battalion left Barnet and moved to the Rifles Depot at Upper Barracks, Winchester.

World War I

On the outbreak of

the 6th KRRC mobilised at Winchester under Lt-Col the Hon J.R. Brownlow, a retired regular major, who had commanded the battalion since 1 October 1912. Within a few days it proceeded (with the 5th (Reserve) Bn) to its war station at

Sheerness Sheerness () is a town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby town ...

, where it served in the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

and

Medway Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...

Garrison. As well as its defensive duties, its role was to equip the Reservists and Special Reservists of the KRRC and send them as reinforcement drafts to the Regular battalions serving overseas (the 1st, 2nd and 4th on the Western Front, the 3rd at

Salonika Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

). The 5th and 6th (Reserve) Bns probably assisted in organising the 14th and 15th (Reserve) Bns of the KRRC at Sheerness from

Kitchener's Army The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, as Kitchener's Mob, was an (initially) all-volunteer portion of the British Army formed in the United Kingdom from 1914 onwards following the outbreak of hostilities in the Fi ...

volunteers. From 1917 to the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

the 6th Bn was at Queenborough in the Thames & Medway Garrison.James, p. 95.

Postwar

The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 but like most militia units the 6th KRRC remained in abeyance after World War I. By the outbreak of

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 ...

in 1939, no officers remained listed for the 6th Bn. The Militia was formally disbanded in April 1953.

Heritage & ceremonial

Uniforms & Insignia

When they were embodied in 1778 all the regiments of the Middlesex Militia had blue facings (usually associated with 'Royal' regiments), long before the 'Royal' title was conferred in 1804. When it became a rifle regiment in 1853 the West Middlesex adopted a

uniform with red facings, similar to that of the 60th Rifles. About 1820 the officers' silver buttons had the letters 'W.M.M' (for West Middlesex Militia) below a crown, above which was the word 'Royal'. On becoming rifles the buttons changed to black, with a relief design of a crown and light infantry bugle-horn within a circle inscribed 'Royal Middlesex Rifles'. Once the regiment became part of the KRRC it adopted that regiment's insignia.

Precedence

During the War of American Independence the counties were given an order of precedence determined by ballot each year. For the Middlesex Militia the positions were:Baldry.
/ref> * 6th on 1 June 1778 * 28th on 12 May 1779 * 7th on 6 May 1780 * 30th on 28 April 1781 * 14th on 7 May 1782 The order balloted for at the start of the French Revolutionary War in 1793 remained in force throughout the war. Middlesex's precedence of 22nd applied to all three regiments. Another ballot for precedence took place at the start of the Napoleonic War: Middlesex was 20th. The militia order of precedence for the Napoleonic War remained in force until 1833. In that year the King drew the lots for individual regiments and the resulting list remained in force with minor amendments until the end of the militia. The regiments raised before the peace of 1763 took the first 47 places but the three Middlesex regiments raised in 1760 were included in the second group (1763–83), presumably because they were not actually embodied until 1778. The Royal West Middlesex Militia became 58th. The 2nd Royal West Middlesex seems to have been treated as a new unit after its split to form the 4th and found its number changed to 63rd (replacing the Isle of Wight Militia, converted to Militia Artillery). The regimental number was only a subsidiary title and most regiments paid little attention to it.
/ref>

Colonels

The following were among those who served as

Colonel of the Regiment Colonel (Col) is a rank of the British Army and Royal Marines, ranking below brigadier, and above lieutenant colonel. British colonels are not usually field commanders; typically they serve as staff officers between field commands at battalion ...

or as its Honorary Colonel: ''Colonels'' * Colonel Cook, 1778 * Col Nicholas Bayly, appointed 15 April 1788, died 1812 * Col Sir John Gibbons, 4th Baronet, appointed 11 July 1831, died 1844 * Col Viscount Enfield (later 2nd Earl of Strafford), promoted on 29 April 1844 ''Honorary Colonels'' * George Byng, 2nd Earl of Strafford, appointed 5 December 1859 * George Byng, Viscount Enfield, appointed 21 September 1871 * Hon Henry Byng, former Lt-Col in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

, appointed 15 June 1878 * Lt-Col Godfrey Astell, appointed 27 April 1898 * Lt-Gen Sir Edward Hutton, Order of the Bath, KCB, Order of St Michael and St George, KCMG, appointed 16 November 1901, reappointed to SR 28 June 1908

Footnotes

Notes

References

W.Y. Baldry, 'Order of Precedence of Militia Regiments', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol 15, No 57 (Spring 1936), pp. 5–16.
* ''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. * Sir John William Fortescue, John Fortescue, ''A History of the British Army'', Vol I, 2nd Edn, London: Macmillan, 1910. * Sir John Fortescue, ''A History of the British Army'', Vol II, London: Macmillan, 1899. * Sir John Fortescue, ''A History of the British Army'', Vol III, 2nd Edn, London: Macmillan, 1911. * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . * Lt-Col James Grierson (British Army officer), James Moncrieff Grierson (Col Peter S. Walton, ed.), ''Scarlet into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War'', London: Sampson Low, 1899/London: Greenhill, 1988, . * Lt-Col Henry George Hart, H.G. Hart, ''The New Annual Army List, and Militia List'' (various dates from 1840).
Col George Jackson Hay, ''An Epitomized History of the Militia (The Constitutional Force)'', London:United Service Gazette, 1905.

Brig Charles Herbert, 'Coxheath Camp, 1778–1779', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol 45, No 183 (Autumn 1967), pp. 129–48.
* Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, . * Roger Knight, ''Britain Against Napoleon: The Organization of Victory 1793–1815'', London: Allen Lane, 2013/Penguin, 2014, .
'JHL' (Lt-Col J.H. Leslie?) & 'ACW', 'Tower Hamlets Militia', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol 5, No 19 (January–March 1926), pp. 44–7.
* Maj R. Money Barnes, ''The Soldiers of London'', London: Seeley Service, 1963.
Lawson Chase Nagel, ''The Militia of London, 1641–1649'', PhD thesis, Kings College London, 1982.
* Sir Charles Oman,''A History of the Peninsular War''
Vol VII, ''August 1813 to April 14, 1814''
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1930/London: Greenhill Books, 1997, .
H.G. Parkyn, 'English Militia Regiments 1757–1935: Their Badges and Buttons', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol 15, No 60 (Winter 1936), pp. 216–248.
* J.D. Sainsbury, ''Hertfordshire's Soldiers: A Survey of the Auxiliary Military Forces Raised in Hertfordshire from 1757 to the Present Day'', Hitchin: Hertfordshire Local History Council, 1969. * Arthur Sleigh, ''The Royal Militia and Yeomanry Cavalry Army List'', April 1850, London: British Army Despatch Press, 1850/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 1991, . * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, . * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Late Victorian Army 1868–1902'', Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992/Sandpiper Books, 1999, . * War Office, ''A List of the Officers of the Militia, the Gentlemen & Yeomanry Cavalry, and Volunteer Infantry of the United Kingdom'', 11th Edn, London: War Office, 14 October 1805/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2005, . * ''Instructions Issued by the War Office During November 1915'', London: HM Stationery Office. * J.R. Western, ''The English Militia in the Eighteenth Century: The Story of a Political Issue 1660–1802'', London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1965.

External sources

British Civil Wars, Commonwealth & Protectorate, 1638–1660 (the BCW Project)

Stepping Forward: A Tribute to the Volunteer Military Reservists and Supporting Auxiliaries of Greater London
{{British Militia Regiments Middlesex Militia Military units and formations in Middlesex Military units and formations in Uxbridge Military units and formations established in 1760