MIDDLESEX REGIMENT .

[steve140968]

Can anyone please tell me which battalion of the Middlesex regiment suffered the highest casualty rates during the great war , thanks . Steve .

[Kevin Lynott]

SDGW shows that the Middx Reg lost 12,495 all ranks KIA, DOW and died at home and abroad between 3/8/14 and 11/11/18, the 4th Bn had the highest number of fatalities of 1,427 all ranks KIA, DOW and died at home.

[steve140968]

Thanks Kevin , any idea in which theatre the 4th battalion served ? Steve .

[Blackie250]

4th Bn Served in France & Flanders throughout the war

[steve140968]

Thanks Blackie250 , is there any particular reason why the 4th should have suffered the highest casualty rate ? Steve .

[SPotter]

Steve,

The 4/Middx were out from the start, so their exposure was obviously more than any other. However they were mauled at Mons alongside the 4/R. Fus and suffered a good proportion of their casualties then.

See the attached page from the mother site (The Long, Long Trail);

The Battle of Mons

Regards

Steve

[Blackie250]

SDGW shows that the Middx Reg lost 12,495 all ranks KIA, DOW and died at home and abroad between 3/8/14 and 11/11/18, the 4th Bn had the highest number of fatalities of 1,427 all ranks KIA, DOW and died at home

Are you sure your numbers are correct I have done a breakdown using your parameters and found that the regular battalions breakdown like this:

1st Btn 27 Officers 1232 O/R's 1259 Total

2nd Btn 29 Officers 1398 O/R's 1427 Total

3rd Btn 9 Officers 601 O/R's 610 Total

4th Btn 34 Officers 1324 O/R's 1358 Total

So it looks as if 2nd Btn have the dubious honour of having the most casualty's.

[trenchwalker]

the 2nd (if you ever look at the N.A.M relics) the 2nd middlesex saw alot of action aswell as the 4th but the forth did not see much action but was at many main engagements.

such as a MONS

Although they did leave the line to the left of fricourt on 30th of june 1916.

we all remeber john parr the first uk casualty of the great war.

sadly do to the destruction of the middx museum there is not alot of sources left .

but i am a member of the 4th middx reenactment group.

[steve140968]

Thanks guys , stands to reason really that battalions 'in it from the start' would have suffered the highest numbers . Trenchwalker , you say that due to the 'destruction of the Middlesex museum' there are not a lot of sources left - what happened there ? Are there any places left to find info , my particular interest is with the 16th battalion but the Middlesex in general ?

Regards ,

Steve .

[Blackie250]

Thanks guys , stands to reason really that battalions 'in it from the start' would have suffered the highest numbers . Trenchwalker , you say that due to the 'destruction of the Middlesex museum' there are not a lot of sources left - what happened there ? Are there any places left to find info , my particular interest is with the 16th battalion but the Middlesex in general ?

The Middlesex Regiment Museum was not destroyed just a victim of amalgamations in the 1960's and 1980/1990's, they continued to have an independant museum in london until the 80's I believe, then due to them losing their premise's the collection was taken over lock stock and barrel by the National Army Museum in Chelsea, I think that the PWRR Museum at Dover Castle holds some material as the current descendant regiment of the middlesex but it has also to deal with the historys of 11 other regiments that form there ancestry.

Your best bet is to contact the National Army Museum and get a readers card as much of the material I'm led to believe is in the reading room.

the 2nd (if you ever look at the N.A.M relics) the 2nd middlesex saw alot of action aswell as the 4th but the forth did not see much action but was at many main engagements.

such as a MONS

Errrm I'm afraid your rather wrong there if you look at the figures I think you will find that the 4th suffered the second highest casualties for the middlesex regiment.

we all remeber john parr the first uk casualty of the great war.

An interesting footnote I have a copy of the last Die Hards regimental magazine from the 1960's one of the last articles is about a pilgrimage by the last living veterans of the Battle of Mon's to St.Symporian, where they visited the grave of what they reffered to as the first battalion O/R casualty L/14301 Pvt.Merry whom died with D company on the 23/08/14.

Pvt Parr was one of 10 men detached by the battalion to the brigade as brigade cyclist's, his death on the 22/08/14 was never noted by the battalion or mentioned in T.S.Woolocombes diary.

[steve140968]

Thanks Blackie250 , i will certainly give the National Army Museum a look .

Regards ,

Steve .