Taking to the front line, the 57th formed up on the ridge of the hill, and with the other redcoats advanced in line towards a mass of French infantry who were moving forwards in a column of attack. In the ensuing fire-fight, both sides fought ferociously, neither willing to give ground. Many battalions suffered terrible casualties, and the 57th was among the hardest hit. Inglis himself sustained severe wounds when struck by French canister in chest and neck. Refusing to be carried from the field, as he lay wounded and losing blood, he was heard to cry ‘Die Hard, the 57th, Die Hard!’
The men of the 57th did just that. As soldiers in the ranks fell, their comrades continued the grim work, rallying around the battered regimental colour. The men in the forward battalions fought themselves almost to destruction, salvation coming only when Cole’s 4th division hit the exposed French left flank.
The glory was the 57th’s, but it had come at a terrible price. Of the 647 officers and soldiers on the field that day, 428 were reported killed or wounded – a 66% casualty rate for the action.
Afterwards, Beresford said of the battalion, ‘Our dead, particularly the 57th Regiment, were laying as they fought in the ranks, every wound in front.’ Later, Marshal Soult would say of the Allied soldiers, ‘There is no beating these troops in spite of their generals. I turned their right, pierced their centre, broke them everywhere; the day was mine, and yet they did not know it and would not run.’ A fitting tribute to the men of the 57th, who died hard.
|  |
Regimental Roster
Officers
 Colonel Albert Frost - Crumpet
 Lieutenant Colonel Thorne Olay - Ophion
Adjutant George Haye - Conquer
 Ensign James Cunningham - Furrnox
| | Non-Commissioned Officers
 Corporal James Usari - Usari
Corporal John McKelliget - Hakblok
Corporal Jack MacRae - TheProxJack
| | Enlisted
 Lance Corporal Archibald McGear - Geary
Lance Corporal John Temple - Weedy
Kingsmen Bob Ruffleson - GT55
Kingsmen Ryan Cooper - Masked Gamer
Kingsmen William Frederick - Twinssecond
Kingsmen Cedric Frederick - Ardos
Kingsmen Mark Aldred - Fejmy
 Kingsmen Daniel Cepern - Cepern
Kingsmen James Miller - Martos
Private Ludvig Sundin - Looodvig
Private William Marshall - Marshall
Private Alex J Ward - Alex
Private Jack Picard - MoneyMensh
Private Dave Cohen - Von Alten
 Private Patrick Nagal - Deadeye
Private Edward Blount - Edvin
Private Benjamin Bell - Bell
Private Howard Cameron - Retard
Private William MacHanon - KrakenWagen
Private Joseph Smith - Cuddles
 Private Ian Rhenicus - Rhen
 Prviate Alexander Tormasjov - Scorpion
Private Charity Winiefred - Chubby Goldfish
Private Robin Smith - Ramsus
Private Richard Lionheart - SupremeShadow
Private Edward Paddington - Tratoor
Private Jon Dawson - muchgreatfullbeam
Private Alexander Huntsman - Walrus
Private George Griffin - MiscoSRB
Private Lucian Gray - Momchilo
Private Mike Graham - Gojkov
Private Jack Lowen - Knezevic
Private James Turner - DanUK
Private Wilfred MacRae - Ketchup
Private Abraham Chapman - playbiscuit
 Cadet Victor Friss - Tallest
 Cadet Thomas Barnes - Hopper
Cadet William Roberts - Paradox
Cadet Patrick Skald - DKmagify
 Cadet Adam Hilter - Phailur
Cadet Connor Frost - Connodd
Cadet John Williams - UssrSoviets
|
Regimental Song " The Jolly Die-hards"
When the bugle for battle so merrily sounds,
In the ranks of the Die-Hards each heart then rebounds,
As fearless of danger, right onward we go,
When up go our colours and down go the foe,
Be they Russians or Prussians or Spanish or French,
At scaling a rampart or guarding a trench,
Neither bullet nor bayonet our progress retards,
For it's just all the same to the gallant Die-Hards.
For Highlanders, Riflemen, Lancers and Guards,
Are not like the boys called the jolly Die-Hards.
Our regiment has conquered, but never in vain,
Bear witness those hills and the mountains through Spain,
Bear witness the shades of those hundreds who fell
At red Albuhera, and our victory can tell
How Soult and his Frenchmen were beaten and sank,
As we fell on them fiercely, rank after rank,
Invincible seemed those brave children of Mars,
When Lord Beresford styled us the "Gallant Die-Hards".
When black-hearted savage with treacherous guile,
Slew our comrades in arms, did they reckon the while
That our steel was as sharp and our arm was as strong,
As the days when we hurled the wild Cossack along?
The Die-Hards advance - how fiercely they cheer
The Pahs - they are taken, without dread or fear,
And the Maoris are vanquished and got their reward,
And our chief, like his men was a gallant Die-Hard. .
What harm if we suffer from hardship at times,
What harm if e're bronzed by those hot eastern climes,
Such trifles as these our spirits can't damp
For we're jovial in battle and more so in camp,
Watch the girls, how they smile when we march through a town,
When they hear we're the Die-Hards of far famed renown,
So fill up your glasses and show your regard
By drinking the health of each jolly Die-Hard.
***
