Meet the Devil's Own!

As a volunteer regiment the Inns of Court can trace its lineage back to the 16th century, to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The 'Inns' are Lincoln's Inn, Gray's Inn, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple which represent the hub of the legal profession in Great Britain, acting as a centre for legal education and controlling admission to the Bar. They set the standard for legal practice in Britain.

They owe their nickname, The Devil's Own, to King George III, that being his quip when told that the regiment consisted entirely of lawyers! Naturally the regiment changed through the years, both in function and title but in 1908 it became part of the Territorial Army and took on the role of an officer training corps which it maintained throughout the First World War.

In 1940 the Inns of Court became an armoured car regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps and it spent the next four years learning its trade and taking part in major exercises in different parts of Britain.

Tank Museum photo No. 4838/D/3

When C Squadron landed on Juno Beach on D-Day it was the only true armoured car unit on shore. It faced a daunting task………

Museum

The Inns of Court and City Yeomanry Museum,
10, Stone Buildings,
Lincoln's Inn,
London WC2A 3TG (by appointment only).