How did 'The Diehards' get their name ?
Where can I see 'The Diehards' in action
How do I book the 'The Diehards' for an event
Where are 'The Diehards' based ?
How do I join 'The Diehard' company
If these FAQ's have not answered your question, please contact us and we will try and answer your question.
How did 'The Diehards' get their name?
The expression "Diehard" is now normally used in the
English language to denote an individual or group of people who will not budge
from a position or opinion once taken or expressed. Maybe the stand taken is not
logically sound but the fact remains if the person refuses to retreat and holds
out against all odds he is called a die-hard. This is the only regiment in the
world whose nickname has become part of the language.
The term "Die-Hard" was coined in the smoke of war during the battle of
Albuhera, fought on 16th
May 1811 which was the bloodiest battle of the Peninsula War.
At this battle the 57th were out numbered four to one. The Commanding Officer of
the 57th, Colonel Inglis, took his position in front of his "Fighting Villains",
a term used by him when referring to his regiment and a term used by the
illustrious Picton. When the fighting was at its heaviest he was struck down by
a charge of grape shot in his neck and left breast. He refused to be carried to
the rear for treatment, but lay in front of his men calling on them to hold
their position and when the fight reached its fiercest cried, "Die hard the
57th, die hard!", and die hard they did. The casualties were 420 out of the
570 men in the ranks and 20 out of the 30 officers. Marshal Beresford wrote in
his dispatch, "our dead, particularly the 57th Regiment, were lying as they
fought in the ranks, every wound in front".
Even after this savage fight and such appalling casualties, the regiment were
eager to advance with the remainder but Beresford called out, "Stop, stop the
57th, it would be a sin to let them go on!"
Later when the battlefield was viewed it was seen that the dead of the 57th were
lying like a pack of cards that had toppled over.
Oman, the historian, said of the honour "Albuhera" "this, the most honourable
of all Peninsular Blazons on a regimental flag......", but it was the
soldiers of Wellington's army themselves that dubbed the regiment the "Diehards"
after the exhortation of their Commanding Officer. This indeed is a compliment
as the British soldier is wary when giving praise to fighting men.
Where can I see 'The Diehards' in action
Have a look at our events page for the latest details.
How do I book the 'The Diehards' for an event?
Contact us with details of your event. Contact details are on the 'contact us' page.
Where are 'The Diehards' based ?
We do not have a single base. Membership of 'The Diehard' company is spread across the UK, from the Midlands to the South Coast.
How do I join 'The Diehard' company
We are always on the look out for new recruits! To find out more about what is involved and what commitment you can expect as a private in the Victorian army contact us. Contact details are on the 'contact us' page.