Officers in charge of the defence included Colonel McMurdo, Colonel Gordon (Royal Artillery, Shoeburyness), Colonel Ibbetson ( Inspector of Volunteers), Lt Colonel Palmer ( Commandant of West Essex Yeomanry & High Sheriff of Essex) and Captain Phillips ( Artists Corps Middlesex Regiment).

Volunteer Units included

1st Essex Volunteer Battalion

Lt Colonel Sir Claude de Crespigny, Major W M Tuffnell and Adjutant H O C de Crespigny

4th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Chelmsford)

Major Bringhurst, Lieuts Meggy and Chancellor , Ensign Gepp and Surgeon Gilson plus 43 Other Ranks

23rd Essex Volunteer Rifles (Maldon)

Captain Hamilton , Lieut Hanbury , Ensign Pulley plus 50 other ranks and a band

1st Essex Engineers (Heybridge)

Captain Bentall plus 72 other ranks

2nd Essex Volunteer Battalion

Lt Colonel Capper and 274 other ranks

5th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Plaistow)

8th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Stratford)

3rd Essex Artillery ( Stratford)

3rd Essex Volunteer Battalion

Lt Colonel John Coope Davis and Adjutant Steuart

1st Essex Volunteer Rifles (Romford)

Captain Champion Russell

2nd Essex Volunteer Rifles (Ilford and Walthamstow)

Captains William Cotesworth and Henry M Harvey

3rd Essex Volunteer Rifles (Brentwood)

Captain Hill

15th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Hornchurch)

Captain Peter M Bearblock

18th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Ongar)

Captain Phillip J Budworth

19th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Epping)

Captain Loftus W Arkwright

24th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Woodford)

Captain George Noble

Other Units

1st Battalion Tower Hamlets Volunteers

Colonel C Buxton MP and 473 other ranks