The Die-Hards in The Great War Volume I

“Die Hard, 57th. Die hard.”

So cried Colonel Inglis, commander of the 57th Regiment of Foot as he lay wounded at the Battle of Albuera in 1811.

It was the battle cry that led to the Middlesex Regiment’s enduring name: The Die-Hards. And it was a reputation the men of the Middlesex regiment would take into the trenches.

“Men, we can only die once: if we have to die, let us die like men – like Die-Hards.” Said Second Lieutenant R P Hallowes during the First World War, echoing the sentiment of one-hundred years before.

Forty-six Middlesex battalions served at home and abroad in the First World War.

Now, more than a hundred years on, their legacy continues in this book, which documents the unimaginable bravery shown by these battalions.

Written shortly after the war, The Die-Hards in the Great War is an unflinching look at the price the Die-Hards paid for their country and for each other.

Documenting the harrows of trench warfare as well as the awards and commendations won, any reader will find themselves drawn into this book and astonished by the brave actions of these young men.

The Die-Hards in the Great War is a monumental record of the Middlesex Regiment’s vast and varied contribution to the First World War. From the pre-war regulars to the war-time soldiers and the temporary Bantam Battalion of short men, the Die-Hards fought hard.

Praise for Everard Wyrall

‘It displays the true regimental spirit’ – Sir Ivor Maxse

‘Captain Everard Wyrall is an indefatigable military historian.’ – The Spectator

‘It is a record of patience and determination, of self-sacrifice and bravery.’ – Field Marshal George Francis Milne

Everard Wyrall (1878-1933) served in the Boer War, the First World War, and the Third African War. He was an author, journalist, and historian who contributed significantly to the literary commemoration of First World War, compiling extensive official military histories, including, among others, those dedicated to the Somerset Light Infantry, Middlesex Regiment, King’s Liverpool Regiment, and West Yorkshire Regiment.