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23rd (2nd Football) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
23rd (2nd Football) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was raised in London on the 29th of June 1915 by W. Joynson Hicks MP. They trained at Cranleigh and in
November joined 123rd Brigade, 41st Division at Aldershot. They proceeded to France in the first week of May 1916, and the division concentrated between Hazebrouck and Bailleul. In 1916 they were in action at The Battle of Flers-Courcelette and The Battle of the Transloy Ridges on the Somme. In 1917 they fought during The Battle of Messines, The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of the Menin Road and took part in the Operations on the Flanders coast. In November the Division was ordered to Italy, moving by train to Mantua. The Division took the front line near the River Piave, north west of Treviso. In February they were summoned back to France and departed from Campo San Piero, travelling by train to concentrate near Doullens and Mondicourt. They were in action during The Battle of St Quentin, The Battle of Bapaume and The Battle of Arras before moving to Flanders for The Battles of the Lys. They were in action during the Final Advance in Flanders, at Courtrai and Ooteghem. At the Armistice the advanced units were at Nederbrakel, Tenbosch and the River Dender. 41st Division was chosen to join the Army of Occupation, and on 12 January the Division took over the left section of the Cologne bridgehead. Demobilisation began; in March 1919 and the Division was renamed the London Division.
6th May 1915 On the Move
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
1st May 1916 On the Move
8th May 1916 Concentration
9th May 1916 Orders
10th May 1916 Orders
11th May 1916 Preparations
12th May 1916 School of Instruction
13th May 1916 Postponement
14th May 1916 Trench Raid
15th May 1916 Instruction
17th May 1916 Gas Alert
18th May 1916 Orders 
5th July 1916 In accordance with B.O.O.11 the frontage occupied by the Battalion was increased.
10th September 1916 Reliefs
13th Sep 1916 Instructions
14th September 1916 Instructions
15th September 1916 Digging in
15th Sep 1916 Orders
16th September 1916 Shelling
23rd October 1916 Relief
29th March 1917 Reliefs
30th May 1917 Appendix "I" - Operational Order No. 9.
24th June 1917 The Battalion relieved 23rd Middlesex Regt.
27th June 1917 The day was quiet except for the usual shelling of the woods Green & Black Lines.
27th October 1917 Battalion training, BT, PT & Bombing.
23rd Mar 1918 Hard Fighting
25th March 1918 Enemy Attack
8th Apr 1918 Recce
10th Apr 1918 Positions
26th April 1918 Working Parties
21st May 1918 Relieved during night 21st/22nd
16th June 1918 Operational Order No. 11.
20th June 1918 Operation Order No.13.
20th June 1918 Battalion Scheme
30th June 1918 Instruction No.7. Para 2 to be read in conjunction with Operation Orders No. 7.
1st July 1918 Relief of the 104th French Infantry Regt.
3rd July 1918 La Clytte - Lochre road shelled slightly during the day.
4th July 1918 Slight shelling of La Clytte - Lochre road and Redoubt Line.
5th July 1918 Operational Order No.7a.
5th July 1918
10th July 1918 Operational Order No.8.
12th July 1918 Relief completed
19th July 1918 Report on Raid of 18th / 19th July.
20th July 1918 Operational Order No.10.
20th July 1918 1 Coy. working during the day, 3 at night cable burying.
21st July 1918 Amendment to Operation Order No.10.
21st July 1918 Relief postponed
22nd July 1918 Companies resting during the day.
2nd August 1918 Relocation and Award of MM
8th August 1918 Operational Order No. 30.
10th August 1918 Operational Order No.18.
10th August 1918 Operational Order No.31.
10th August 1918 A Battalion paraded and marched off
10th August 1918 Operational Order No.33.
23rd August 1918 Support Battalion reorganised
26th August 1918 123rd Brigade took over from the Left Sector
9th September 1918 New positions
12th September 1918 Relieved from trenches
29th September 1918 Attack Made
29th September 1918 Location Wercicq Comines Railway.
1st October 1918 Order received at 0100 hours for Brigade to move by march route at 0700 hours to Ypres - Menin Road
2nd Oct 1918 Intensive Action
10th October 1918 Relieved 10th Royal West Kent Regt. in the Front Line
16th Oct 1918 Attack Made 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
report from Heule, Courtrai.
"2 am. Moved to Heule via Moorseele and Gulleghem. Battalion formed up between G.23.d.6.5 and G.24.a.30.00. A and B Companies in front line, A on right, C in support, and D in reserve in readiness for attack. Enemy artillery was very quiet. Patrols of the 9th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers informed us that country was clear of enemy up to River Lys but under artillery barrage we attacked at 0535. The Barrage was poor and short, causing three casualties. No opposition was met with except one machine-gun on railway at H.25.d, which was dealt with. Battalion reached the river, taking up positions commanding the opposite bank. The bridge at H.25.d.3.6 was destroyed and the railway bridge at H.25.a partially so at the opposite bank. C Company formed a defensive flank along railway in G.30.b, and D stayed at G.24.d.
The houses contained numbers of civilians. Touch was kept with 12th Royal Irish Rifles on our left. At 1400 under cover of smoke screen from rifle smoke bombs and artillery supported by trench mortars a section of Royal Engineers bridged the river and 2nd Lieutenants Steele and Logan with party thirty Other Ranks (D Company) crossed and took up positions at H.25.d.30.50 and on the main street and near the bank to cover the bridge.
The smoke screen did not last long enough, however, and the bridge being detected, came under machine-gun fire from railway about H.31.a.80.60 and was partly destroyed. The Royal Engineers section had three Officers and about a dozen casualties and were unable to complete the bridge, leaving our men cut off on the opposite side. This party knocked out two machine-guns and captured six prisoners. At 1800 under cover of night it withdrew, coming across by one of the boats. C Company was moved up and relieved B Company. At 1900 Battalion was relieved by the 23rd Middlesex and on relief moved to area Drie-Masten (L.12.c.05.55).
Total casualties for the day were 2nd Lieutenant Inglis wounded, one Other Ranks killed and 24 Other Ranks wounded."
24th October 1918 Operational Order. Ref map sheet 29.
25th October 1918 Further actions
9th November 1918 At 1201 hours an order was issued to O.C. "D" Coy. ( Capt. Hedley ) to push on and make good the Audenarde - Berchem Railway.
10th November 1918 Advance
16th November 1918 Reliefs
30th November 1918 Drill
4th March 1919 Reliefs
23rd March 1919 Reliefs
24th March 1919 Guard Duty
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with23rd (2nd Football) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Ackroyd Herbert. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Andrews John W.. Pte. (d.22nd Sep 1917)
- Anscombe George. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Archer Charles William. Pte. (d.24th March 1918)
- Archer Robert. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Ballard Thomas. Pte. (d.1st October 1918)
- Bennison Arthur. Pte. (d.31st July 1917)
- Bland DCM. Charles James. QMS.
- Butcher Alexander Benjamin. Pte.
- Coffee Albert Charles. L/Cpl. (d.23rd March 1918)
- Flack Alfred. Pte. (d.8th June 1917)
- French Sidney Harold. L/Cpl (d.11th Oct 1917)
- Godfrey William. L/Cpl. (d.10th Aug 1917)
- Griggs Walter. Pte (d.19th September 1916)
- Hackett Anthony. Pte.
- Haig-Brown DSO. Alan Roderick. Lt.Col. (d.25th Mar 1918)
- Hall Henry Arthur. Pte. (d.5th November 1916)
- Hammond MC and Bar. Walter. A/Capt.
- Hillard James Frederick. Pte.
- Hoad Walter. Capt.
- Jacques Frederick James. Pte. (d.31st Jul 1917)
- Johnson MM. Frederick Marshall. Pte.
- Millard Charles Arthur. Pte. (d.29th Jul 1918)
- Pagett John. Pte. (d.21st Sept 1917)
- Potts DCM, MM & Bar. John. Sgt.
- Purkiss Albert Edward. CSM (d.1st Feb 1917)
- Purves Thomas Warren. 2nd Lt. (d.7th June 1917)
- Sanderson Arthur Gilbert. Pte.
- Snell George. Pte. (d.7th November 1916 )
- Snell Henry John. 2nd Lt.
- Snell James William. Pte.
- Thomas George. Pte.
- Toyer William John. Sjt.
- Tull Walter. 2nd Lt. (d.25th Mar 1918)
- Underwood Walter Roland. Pte.
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 23rd (2nd Football) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Frederick James Jacques 23rd Btn. B Coy. Middlesex Regiment (d.31st Jul 1917) Born in Climping, Littlehampton, Sussex, Frederick Jacques
was the son of Edward and Charlotte Jacques.
At the time of the 1901 census, the Jacques family resided at the Heath, East Malling, Kent. Head of the house was 35 year old Frensham, Surrey native Charlotte Jacques, who was a widow. Frederick married Miss Emily Webb at the Parish Church of St. James, East Malling, Kent on Monday 8th of May 1915. He enlisted in the army, For the duration of the war on Sunday 1st of October 1916 at Maidstone, Kent. He stated that he resided at East Malling, Kent and was placed on the Army Reserve. At the time of his enlistment, Frederick stated that he was 27 years and 255 days old, employed as a farm labourer, and that he was married.
Frederick was mobilized on Monday 16th of April 1917, and attested to serve in the 7th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.
On Tuesday 3rd of July 1917, Frederick was posted to France for service with the British Expeditionary Force, in the 23rd (2nd Football) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.
Following his death, Frederick was initially posted as missing, but the Army Council later made the decision that for official purposes, it was to be assumed that Frederick had died on or after Tuesday 31st of July 1917. Age 28. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate, in Ypres.
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L/Cpl. Albert Charles Coffee 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment (d.23rd March 1918) Born in 1898, Albert Coffee lied about his age to join up in 1914, aged only 16 and was on active service for 4 years until his death at Arras where he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.
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Pte. Arthur Gilbert Sanderson 2/7th Btn. Middlesex Regiment My grandfather, Arthur Sanderson born 8th May 1898, joined the Middlesex Regiment in 1915 and was assigned to 2/7th Battalion. He disembarked on 1st of September 1915 and fought in WW1 in France, Flanders, Egypt and Italy. He joined up as soon as he was 17 and survived the war without injury.
After serving with 2/7th Battalion he was moved to 1/7th Battalion and then to 23rd Battalion. He was disembodied on Demobilisation on 21st of April 1919 and was awarded 3 medals, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal, collectively known as Pip, Squeak & Wilfred.
He married Evelyn Jessie Sarah Bolter on 6th of September 1924 and they had a son. Arthur served as a Warden for the Borough of Southgate in WWII. He died in September 1993, aged 95.
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Pte. James William Snell 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment  James Snell was my maternal grandfather, known to me as Pop. He survived the war He survived WW1 and I did know him when I was a child. He was a kind and gentle man and to find out now that he was involved in the war has blown me away. Until I started researching him, I had no idea that he had ever been in the Army. Nobody in our family had ever mentioned this fact, which I find amazing as we had a very large family. James had 13 children, one of them being my mum.
He joined the Army on 12th of December 1915 and was assigned to the 8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Territorials)and was a reserve until he was posted on 9th of Feb 1917.
He was posted to France on 19th of September 1917 with the 8th Middlesex Regiment. But was later posted to the 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment (also known as the 2nd Football Battalion).
James was finally demobbed from the 23rd Middlesex on 8th of March 1919.
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. To my knowledge he never collected his medals.
He died in 1966 in Stepney, East London.
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Pte. Alexander Benjamin Butcher 12th Battalion Middlesex Regiment Alexander Butcher served with the 12th, 18th and 23rd Battalions, Middlesex Regiment.
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Pte. George Snell 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment (d.7th November 1916 ) George Snell died in France on the 7th of November 1916, aged 20years.
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QMS. Charles James Bland DCM. 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment Charles Bland served with 23rd Middlesex Regiment I am trying to find out more information about my grandfather.
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Capt. Walter Hoad 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment Captain Walter Hoad was wounded with the 23rd Battalion on the 13th July 1916.
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Sgt. John Potts DCM, MM & Bar. 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment John Potts was awarded the DCM, Military Medal and Bar.
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Pte. Charles William Archer 23rd (2nd Football) Btn. Middlesex Regiment (d.24th March 1918) Charles Archer served with the 2nd Football Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.
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Pte. John Pagett 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment (d.21st Sept 1917) Pte John Pagett was my Great Grandfather.
It's taken 99 years for his family to find out exactly what happened and where he is buried. He will always be honoured for his sacrifice and the sacrifice of his friends.
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Pte. Alfred Flack 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment (d.8th June 1917) A dead man's penny for Alfred Flack has come into my family and I am trying to find out how he fits into our family.
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Lt.Col. Alan Roderick Haig-Brown DSO. 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment (d.25th Mar 1918) Col Alan Haig-Brown, Commanding Officer, 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, as seen by his adjutant Capt George Smith.
An infantry colonel gives orders: his adjutant sees that the orders are carried out. With a good colonel it is, perhaps, the best job in the army: with a bad colonel, who doesn't back you up, it can be hell.
I was lucky. Haig-Brown was all that is implied in the term gentleman. I wasn't alone in almost worshiping him. The men loved him, he believed that they should know the reason for orders and treated them as human beings, not just cannon fodder. He was always available to hear protests or complaints from anyone at all. The fact that under Colonel Ash, he had been attached to higher commands paid handsome dividends. He knew the people there personally and was popular with them too. When we got some damn fool order, as too often we did, he could pick up the phone to Brigade, Division, or Corps and say, "Is that you, Bill? What the deuce is this last foolishness?" and get it ironed out in a matter of minutes.
There was always a certain competition to go round the trenches with him during the day and again at night, we called it The Bus: the call would go out, "Who's for The Bus?" and various members of H.Q. would join us. I went as a matter of course, it was my job. I've seen him look into a mirror, put his tie and hat straight as he said, "Dammit. If we're going to be killed well die like gentlemen!" He hated wearing a tin hat, wore it on his elbow, hanging by the strap, to be quickly whipped onto his head if something burst too close, holding it there until the bits had finished falling. He was welcome everywhere and usually left the men laughing.
Out of the trenches he believed in battalion drill as the best way of getting the men to feel, after the isolation of the trenches, that they belonged to a unit. On parade, if I did something daft, he would damn me to hell in front of everyone: afterwards, in the mess, he would put his arm round my shoulders and say, "Sorry, Georgie, but you were a damn fool, weren't you," and there were no hard feelings. I think he had run the O.T.C. at Lancing. Anyway, he knew his job. And he could handle English: his letters were a joy.
Once we got a complaint from the Brigade School that the explosion of a Bangalore torpedo had broken the windows in an adjoining farmhouse and asking that we pay for the damage. He raised his eyebrows at me and asked, "Is that anything to do with us?" I said, "Nothing whatever, sir." "You're sure?" "Quite sure, sir." He replied courteously, regretting the accident, but saying that he "could no more accept financial responsibility than if an S.O.S. rocket fired from the East Coast had landed on the roof of The Crystal Palace", ending as usual "I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant". We got an abject apology in a matter of hours.
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Pte. Walter Roland Underwood 23rd (2nd Football) Btn. Middlesex Regiment My Grandfather Walter Roland Underwood was born on 29th October 1890 in Berry Green Yard Finedon and was married to my Grandmother, Ethel Violet Felce on 5th August 1911. He was a shoe hand as was his father before him and he enlisted in Finedon on 4th December 1915. His Army number was admission number was given as T29067 band and his service number was 204527. He received a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was transferred to a sick convoy on 31st July 1917 being later transferred to 139th Field Ambulance in the No12 Ambulance Train thereafter. He was taken prisioner on the 21st February 1918 and was taken to Germany and worked in a coalmine in the Essen area.
He was dishcharged honourably from the Army on the 7th May 1919, and thereafter worked in the shoe factory he left on enlistment for the rest of his working life.
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal but never wore them. In never talked about his army service although he did have a breakdowm towards the end of the second world war which was said to have been caused by his experiences during the first world war. He died on the 1st January 1969 in the yard where he was born having left 3 children and 10 granchildren of which I was the eldest.
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2nd Lt. Henry John Snell 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment Henry Snell lost an eye on 11th July 1916 at Le Touquet (I believe).
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Pte. John W. Andrews 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment (d.22nd Sep 1917) My great grandfather John Andrews was killed in action at the Battle of the Menin Road on 22nd September 1917, whilst serving with 23rd Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.
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2nd Lt. Thomas Warren Purves 23rd Btn. Middlesex Rgt. (d.7th June 1917) We are researching all the old boys from our school who died in WWI. We have little information but would like our brave soldiers, of whom Thomas Warren Purves was one, to be remembered.
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Pte. Anthony Hackett 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment Anthony Hackett enlisted in Birmingham on the 2nd of May 1915 aged 22 yrs & 6 months. He is listed as serving at home from 25th Oct 1915 to 2nd May 1916
and joined the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 4th of May 1916. On the 11th of October 1916 he suffered a gun shot wound to the elbow during the Battle of Bapaume on the Somme. He was transferred to hospital in the UK on the 19th of October 1916 and was medically discharged on the 24th of April 1917. A Silver War Badge was awarded on the 17th of June 1917. He was one of Five sons of Arthur & Alice (née Trickett) Hackett of Shenstone, Staffordshire.
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Pte. James Frederick Hillard 17th Btn. Middlesex Regiment My Grandfather, James Frederick Hillard was an ambulance driver during WW1.
He joined the 17th Battalion (then the 23rd) to serve along side his footballing heroes.
He was, like my brothers and I now, a QPR Fan.
He was born in 1898, so was 16 when he joined.
He was awarded the British and Victory medals post war for his services in the French Red Cross during his time with the 17th and 23rd Middlesex Battalions.
He is listed in the back of the book 'When the Whistle Blows', a book about the 17th Battalion.
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A/Capt. Walter Hammond MC and Bar. 23rd Btn. Middlesex Regiment Walter Hammond's Military Cross citation dated 9th Jan 1918 reads: T./2nd Lt. Walter Hammond, attd. Midd'x - For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led a raiding party with great coolness and dash against enemy concrete dug-outs which were strongly garrisoned. He shot the Serjeant-Major in charge of the garrison, and by his fine leadership compelled a number of the enemy to surrender. He then returned to his trench under heavy machine gun fire, taking nineteen prisoners with him. The war diary of the 1st of January 1918, mentions Hammond leading a raid which captured 19 prisoners.On the 18th of Feb 1918 he was awarded a Bar to the MC, the citation reads: 2nd Lt. (A./Capt.) Walter Hammond, M.C., Midd'x R. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When in command of a large raiding party he carried out a successful operation, and brought his party back with three prisoners and only a few minor casualties, despite heavy shell and rifle fire. Previously to the raid he had been of the greatest assistance to his commanding officer both in; making preparations, reconnaissance, and in training the men for the operation. His skill and gallant leadership throughout were most marked. He was discharged on the 25th of Oct 1919 at the completion of his service. Walter had enlisted with the 21st Btn, KRRC and was commissioned on the 29th of May 1917.
The War Diary of the 23rd Bn Middlesex Regt for the 25th of Mar 1918 lists him as being wounded, the same day as Walter Tull, the first black officer in the British Army, was killed, he served in the same unit.
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