Stained glass windows at Canterbury Cathedral JC 20

The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a

line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Monte ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

traditionally raised in the English county of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and garrisoned at

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

. It had a history dating back to 1572 and was one of the oldest regiments in the British Army, being third in order of precedence (ranked as the 3rd Regiment of the line). The regiment provided distinguished service over a period of almost four hundred years accumulating one hundred and sixteen

battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

s. In 1881, under the

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

, it was known as the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and later, on 3 June 1935, was renamed the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). In 1961, it was amalgamated with the

Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Quee ...

to form the

Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1961 to 1966. Its lineage is continued by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires). History The regiment was formed ...

, which was later merged, on 31 December 1966, with the

Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army which existed from 1959 to 1966. In 1966, it was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment, the Royal Sussex Regiment and the Middlesex Regim ...

, the

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot ...

and the Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) to form the

Queen's Regiment The Queen's Regiment (QUEENS) was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Brigade. Then, until 1971 the regiment remained one of the largest regiments in the arm ...

. This regiment was, in turn, amalgamated with the

Royal Hampshire Regiment The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The reg ...

, in September 1992, to create the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires).

History

Formation to end 17th century

The Dutch fight for independence from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in the 1568–1648

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...

was supported by Protestants across Europe; the origins of the regiment were Thomas Morgan's Company of Foot, a group of 300 volunteers from the London

Trained Bands Trained Bands were companies of part-time militia in England and Wales. Organised by county, they were supposed to drill on a regular basis, although this was rarely the case in practice. The regular army was formed from the Trained Bands in the ev ...

formed in 1572.Beckett, p. 52 In 1586, these English and Scottish volunteer units were brought together in the Anglo-Scots Brigade, which in various formats served in the Dutch military until 1782. When the

Second Anglo-Dutch War The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War (4 March 1665 – 31 July 1667; nl, Tweede Engelse Oorlog "Second English War") was a conflict between Kingdom of England, England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas a ...

started in 1665, the Brigade's units were ordered to swear loyalty to the

Stadtholder In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...

and those who disobeyed were cashiered. Using his own funds, Sir George Downing, the English ambassador to the Netherlands, raised the Holland Regiment from the starving remnants of those who refused to sign. In 1665, it was known as the 4th (The Holland Maritime) Regiment and by 1668 as the 4th (The Holland) Regiment. George, Prince of Denmark by Michael Dahl

George, Prince of Denmark by Michael Dahl

When the

Third Anglo-Dutch War The Third Anglo-Dutch War ( nl, Derde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog), 27 March 1672 to 19 February 1674, was a naval conflict between the Dutch Republic and England, in alliance with France. It is considered a subsidiary of the wider 1672 to 1678 ...

began in 1672, the

Duke of Buckingham Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham. ...

was authorised to recruit an additional eight companies but the two countries made peace in the February 1674 Treaty of Westminster. These men were incorporated into the Anglo-Scots Dutch Brigade and fought in the 1672-1678

Franco-Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...

; in November 1688, it accompanied

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...

to England. It was transferred onto the English military establishment as the "4th The Lord High Admiral's Regiment" and in 1689 became the 3rd (Prince George of Denmark's) Regiment of Foot. During the 1689–1697

Nine Years War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...

, it served in the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

, including the battles of

Walcourt Walcourt (; wa, Walcoû) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 17,516 inhabitants. The total area is 123.18 km2, giving a population density of 142 inhabitant ...

, Steenkerque and

Landen Landen () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Landen proper and the villages of Attenhoven, Eliksem, Eze ...

. It returned to England when the war ended with the 1697

Treaty of Ryswick The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance, which included England, ...

18th century

During the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

, it served in

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

campaigns, including the battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, Malplaquet and

Oudenarde Oudenaarde (; french: Audenarde ; in English sometimes ''Oudenarde'') is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heu ...

, before returning to England in August 1714. Until the 1751 reforms, units were commonly named after their current colonel; it reverted to this practice when

Prince George of Denmark Prince George of Denmark ( da, Jørgen; 2 April 165328 October 1708) was the husband of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He was the consort of the British monarch from Anne's accession on 8 March 1702 until his death in 1708. The marriage of Georg ...

died in 1708, although it was also referred to as the 'Holland Regiment' or " Buffs" after its coat

facings A facing colour is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment itself.René Chartrand, William Younghusba ...

. It was also sometimes called "The Old Buffs", to distinguish it from "The Young Buffs", the

31st Foot The 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1702. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot to form the East Surrey Regiment in 1881. History Origins ...

. Apart from the 1719 Vigo expedition, the next 25 years were spent on garrison duty in England and Scotland. It returned to Flanders in 1742 during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

, as Thomas Howard's regiment; to distinguish it from that led by Sir Charles Howard, one became the " Buffs", and the other the

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

. It fought at the

Battle of Dettingen The Battle of Dettingen (german: Schlacht bei Dettingen) took place on 27 June 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession at Dettingen in the Electorate of Mainz, Holy Roman Empire (now Karlstein am Main in Bavaria). It was fought between a ...

in June 1743 and at the

Battle of Fontenoy The Battle of Fontenoy was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought on 11 May 1745 near Tournai in modern Belgium. A French army of 50,000 under Marshal Saxe defeated a Pragmatic Army of roughly the same size, led by th ...

in May 1745. With the outbreak of the

1745 Rising The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took pl ...

, it was sent to Scotland, taking part in the

Battle of Falkirk Muir The Battle of Falkirk Muir (Scottish Gaelic: ''Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice''), also known as the Battle of Falkirk, took place on 17 January 1746 during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Although it resulted in a Jacobite victory, their inability to ...

in January 1746 and

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...

in April 1746. It returned to the Netherlands in April 1747 and saw action at the

Battle of Lauffeld The Battle of Lauffeld, variously known as Lafelt, Laffeld, Lawfeld, Lawfeldt, Maastricht, or Val, took place on 2 July 1747, between Tongeren in modern Belgium, and the Dutch city of Maastricht. Part of the War of the Austrian Succession, a Fr ...

in July. Following the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, it spent the next ten years on garrison duty in England; in 1751, it was retitled the 3rd Regiment of Foot, "The Buffs". The

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

began in 1756; in autumn 1758, the regiment was posted to the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

, taking part in the January 1759 attacks on

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...

and

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

. After returning home, it took part in the

capture of Belle Île The Capture of Belle Île was a British amphibious expedition to capture the French island of Belle Île off the Brittany coast in 1761, during the Seven Years' War. After an initial British attack was repulsed, a second attempt under General St ...

in June 1761. It then moved to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

and fought at the

Battle of Valencia de Alcántara The Battle of Valencia de Alcántara took place in August 1762 when an Anglo Portuguese force led by John Burgoyne surprised and captured the town of Valencia de Alcántara from its Spanish defenders during the Seven Years' War. The town was take ...

in August 1762 before returning to England in spring 1771.

French Revolutionary Wars

Battle of Albuhera, by William Barnes Wollen

The regiment was sent to the West Indies in December 1795 for service in the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

. It took part in the capture of Grenada in March 1796 and of Saint Vincent in June 1796 and the capture of Trinidad in February 1797 and of various other islands in March 1801 before returning home in autumn 1802.

Napoleonic Wars

The regiment embarked for Portugal in August 1808 for service in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. The grenadier company of the regiment served under Sir John Moore at the

Battle of Corunna The Battle of Corunna (or ''A Coruña'', ''La Corunna'', ''La Coruña'' or ''La Corogne''), in Spain known as Battle of Elviña, took place on 16 January 1809, when a French corps under Marshal of the Empire Jean de Dieu Soult attacked a Briti ...

in January 1809 before being evacuated to England later that month. The rest of the regiment remained on the Peninsula and fought at the

Battle of Talavera The Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809) was fought just outside the town of Talavera de la Reina, Spain some southwest of Madrid, during the Peninsular War. At Talavera, a British army under Sir Arthur Wellesley combined with a Spanish ar ...

in July 1809 and the

Battle of Bussaco The Battle of Buçaco () or Bussaco, fought on 27 September 1810 during the Peninsular War in the Portuguese mountain range of Serra do Buçaco, resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. Having o ...

in September 1810 before falling back to the

Lines of Torres Vedras The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts and other military defences built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, ...

. It then saw action at

Battle of Albuera The Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811) was a battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi (Army of the South) at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about south ...

in May 1811 and the

Battle of Vitoria At the Battle of Vitoria (21 June 1813) a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, eventually leading to ...

in June 1813. It then pursued the French Army into France and fought at the

Battle of the Pyrenees The Battle of the Pyrenees was a large-scale offensive (the author David Chandler recognises the 'battle' as an offensive) launched on 25 July 1813 by Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult from the Pyrénées region on Emperor Napoleon’s ord ...

in July 1813, the

Battle of Nivelle The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20,0 ...

in November 1813 and the

Battle of the Nive The Battles of the Nive (9–13 December 1813) were fought towards the end of the Peninsular War. Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish army defeated Marshal Nicolas Soult's French army on French soil in ...

in December 1813 as well as the

Battle of Orthez The Battle of Orthez (27 February 1814) saw the Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington attack an Imperial French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France. The outnumbered Fr ...

in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. It became part of the Army of Occupation of France in 1816 before returning home in autumn 1818.

The Victorian era

The regiment had a tour of service from 1821 until 1827 in the British colony of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. For the duration of their service, The Buffs was divided into four detachments. The first was based in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

from 1821. The second arrived in

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

in 1822. The third, entitled "The Buffs' Headquarters", arrived in Sydney in 1823. The fourth, arrived in Sydney in 1824, but variously saw service throughout the colonies, being stationed at

Port Dalrymple George Town (Palawa_kani: ''kinimathatakinta'') is a large town in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. The Australian Bureau of Statistics records the George Town Municipal Area had a population of 6,764 as ...

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea co ...

and Bathurst. The regiment reunited and was transferred to

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

in 1827. During their service in

, The Buffs was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel W. Stewart and Lieutenant Colonel C. Cameron. The regiment also saw action at the siege of Sevastopol in winter 1854 during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

. In 1858, the 2nd Battalion was stationed in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. Lieutenant John Cotter, Adjutant of the 2nd Buffs, would shout "Steady, The Buffs!", a phrase which has entered common parlance. The 1st Battalion saw action in the

Taku Forts The Taku Forts or Dagu Forts, also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River (Peiho River) estuary in the Binhai New Area, Tianjin, in northeastern China. They are located southeast of the Tianjin urban center. History The f ...

action during the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Sino War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a colonial war lasting from 1856 to 1860, which pitted the British Empire and the French Emp ...

as well as in the

Perak War The Perak War (1875–76) took place between British and local forces in Perak, a state in northwestern Malaysia. The sultan of Upper Perak and other local chiefs attempted to end foreign influence in the region and remove the British adminis ...

while the 2nd Battalion saw action in the

Anglo-Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, coupl ...

. The regiment was not fundamentally affected by the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

of the 1870s, which gave it a depot at

Canterbury Barracks Howe Barracks was a military installation in Canterbury in Kent. History Permanent barracks were first established in Canterbury when William Baldock initiated construction of "St Gregory’s Barracks", an infantry barracks on Sturry Road, as pa ...

from 1873, or by the

Childers reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

of 1881 – as it already possessed two battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another regiment. Under the reforms the regiment became the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) on 1 July 1881. The East Kent Militia became the regiment's 3rd (Militia) Battalion (1881–1953) and its short-lived 4th (Militia) Battalion (1881–1888). At the same time two Kent

rifle volunteer corps The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated ...

were redesignated as the 1st Volunteer Battalion and 2nd (The Weald of Kent) Volunteer Battalion of the Buffs. Memorial-Naunton Henry Vertue-001

The 1st Battalion saw action in the

Anglo-Egyptian War The British conquest of Egypt (1882), also known as Anglo-Egyptian War (), occurred in 1882 between Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi and the United Kingdom. It ended a nationalist uprising against the Khedive Tewfik Pasha. It ...

, was from 1885 stationed at Malta, then moved to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

where it saw several postings, including in

Shwebo Shwebo ( my, ရွှေဘိုမြို့ ) is a city in Sagaing Region, Burma, 110 km north-west of Mandalay between the Irrawaddy and the Mu rivers. The city was the origin of the Konbaung Dynasty, established by King Alaungpaya ...

in inland Burma until late 1902 when it moved to

Poona Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 1st Volunteer (Militia) Battalion and 2nd Volunteer (Weald of Kent) Battalion all saw action during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

with Captain Naunton Henry Vertue of the 2nd Battalion serving as brigade major to the 11th Infantry Brigade under Major General

Edward Woodgate Sir Edward Robert Prevost Woodgate (1 November 1845 – 23 March 1900) was an infantry officer in the British Army. Family and education Woodgate was born in November 1845 at Belbroughton, Worcestershire, the son of Rev Henry Arthur Woodgate, ...

at the

Battle of Spion Kop The Battle of Spioen Kop ( nl, Slag bij Spionkop; af, Slag van Spioenkop) was a military engagement between British forces and two Boer Republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, during the campaign by the British to r ...

where he was mortally wounded in January 1900. Following the end of the war in South Africa in June 1902, 540 officers and men of the 2nd battalion returned to the United Kingdom on the SS ''St. Andrew'' leaving

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

in early October, and the battalion was subsequently stationed at

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

. In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

and the latter the Special Reserve (militia), Special Reserve; the regiment now had one Reserve and two Territorial battalions.

First World War

For service in the First World War, ten additional battalions were raised.

Regular Army

The 1st Battalion was based in Fermoy as part of the 16th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 16th Brigade in the 6th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 6th Division until 12 August 1914 when it moved to Cambridge before landing in France on 8 September 1914. The 2nd Battalion returned from Madras in December 1914 and remained in England as part of the 85th Brigade (United Kingdom), 85th Brigade in the 28th Division (United Kingdom), 28th Division; meanwhile the 3rd Battalion remained in Canterbury as a training unit.

Territorial Force

The 1/4th Battalion sailed for India in October 1914 while the 1/5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion sailed for India in October 1914 and then transferred to Mesopotamia in November 1915. The 2/4th Battalion, the 2/5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion, the 3/4th Battalion and the 3/5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion all remained in England throughout the war while the 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion was formed in Egypt in February 1917 and then transferred to France as part of the 230th Brigade (United Kingdom), 230th Brigade in the 74th (Yeomanry) Division, 74th Division.

New Armies

The 6th (Service) Battalion, 7th (Service) Battalion, 8th (Service) Battalion and 9th (Reserve) Battalion were all formed for active service in France. Corporal William Richard Cotter was awarded the VC whilst serving with the 6th (Service) Battalion. After the end of the First World War, a small number of men from several battalions saw action during the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919.

Second World War

The 1st Battalion served in many different brigades and divisions, mainly with British Indian Army units, and fought in many different battles and campaigns such as the North African Campaign, the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign and the Battle of Anzio when they were a part of 18th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 18th Infantry Brigade, assigned to the History of the British 1st Division during the World Wars, 1st Infantry Division where they were involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war. The 18th Brigade returned to the 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 1st Armoured Division in August 1944 but, on 1 January 1945, the division was disbanded and 18th Brigade was broken up and used as replacements for other units. The 1st Buffs spent the rest of the war with the 24th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 24th Guards Brigade attached to the 56th (London) Division, 56th (London) Infantry Division. With the 56th Division, the battalion fought in Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, Operation Grapeshot, the final offensive in Italy which effectively ended the campaign in Italy. The 2nd Battalion was sent to France in 1940 with the 132nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 132nd Infantry Brigade attached to the 44th (Home Counties) Division, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division to join the British Expeditionary Force (World War II), British Expeditionary Force and fought in the short but fierce Battle of Dunkirk, after which it was Dunkirk evacuation, evacuated back to Britain. The 44th Division was sent to fight in the North African Campaign, where it was broken up due to an apparently poor performance in the Battle of Alam el Halfa despite the division having just the 132nd Brigade under command as other brigades had been detached to other divisions. The 132nd Brigade disbanded and 2nd Buffs was then transferred to the Far East with the 26th Indian Infantry Brigade and remained there for the war. In 1944, the brigade was redesignated the 26th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 26th British Infantry Brigade, which itself became part of the 36th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 36th British Infantry Division and served with the Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom), British Fourteenth Army in the Burma Campaign 1944–45, Burma Campaign. The 4th Battalion Buffs was a 1st Line Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Territorial Army unit that served with the BEF in France 1940. The battalion was transferred to the island of Malta in 1941 and served throughout the Siege of Malta (World War II), siege. The battalion then joined the 234th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 234th Infantry Brigade, which took part in the disastrous Battle of Leros in an attempt to capture the Dodecanese Islands in late 1943. The brigade and other Allied forces, mainly Italian, attempted to hold the island from the Germans, but without success. This was due mainly to German air superiority as the Allies had very few planes to cover them. The 234th Brigade Commander, Robert Tilney, ordered the surrender after many days of resistance and hard fighting. The 5th Battalion was reformed in 1939 as a 2nd Line duplicate of the 4th Battalion when the Territorial Army was doubled in size. Initially, the 5th Buffs was assigned to the 37th Brigade (United Kingdom), 37th Infantry Brigade, part of the 12th (Eastern) Division, 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division, which was a 2nd Line duplicate of the 44th (Home Counties) Division. However, on 26 October 1939, it was transferred to the Division's 36th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 36th Infantry Brigade in exchange for the 2/6th East Surreys. The 5th Buffs, along with the 6th and 7th Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, Royal West Kents, remained in the 36th Brigade for the rest of the war. Like the 2nd and 4th Battalions, it served with the BEF in France in 1940 and fought in the Battle of France and was evacuated at Dunkirk. The 12th Division suffered heavy casualties due mainly to most of the men having little training and the division having no artillery or support units. After returning to England, the division was disbanded in July 1940, due to the casualties it had sustained. In 1942, the 36th Brigade was assigned to the newly raised 78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 78th Division and took part in Operation Torch, the Allies of World War II, Allied landings in North Africa, followed by the Tunisia Campaign, campaign in Tunisia, where the 78th Division, as part of the First Army (United Kingdom), British First Army, distinguished itself during the crucial Battle of Longstop Hill (1943), capture of Longstop Hill. The division then fought in the Allied invasion of Sicily, Sicilian Campaign, as part of the Eighth Army (United Kingdom), British Eighth Army. The 5th Buffs and the rest of 78th Division then took part in the Italian Campaign (World War II), fighting in Italy and served there until the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, 1945 Offensive. The Buffs also raised many more battalions during the war, mainly for home defence or as training units. None, save the 7th and 11th Battalions, saw active service overseas. The 7th and 11th Battalions were raised in 1940 and were converted to the 141st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps and the 89th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1941 due to the shortage of armoured troops and artillery in the British Army.Frederick, pp. 203–5

Post-War

When the Territorial Army was reformed in 1947 the 4th and 5th Buffs were merged into a single battalion. In 1956 1st Kent Artillery Volunteers, 410 (Kent) Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery, was converted to the infantry role and became 5th Buffs. In 1961, the regiment was amalgamated with the

to form the

, which was later merged, on 31 December 1966, with the

, the

and the Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) to form the

. This, in turn, was amalgamated with the

, in September 1992, to create the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires).

Regimental museum

The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) still has some exhibits at Buffs Regimental Museum, Beany House, although most of the collection was subsumed into the National Army Museum in 2000.

Colonels-in-Chief

The Colonels-in-Chief were as follows: * 1689–1708

KG (husband of Queen Anne) * 1906–1914 HM King Frederick VIII of Denmark, KG, GCB, GCVO * 1914–1947 HM King Christian X of Denmark, KG, GCB, GCVO * 1947–1961 HM King Frederick IX of Denmark, KG, GCB, GCVO

Colonels

The Colonels were as follows: ;The Holland Regiment * 1665–1668 Col. Robert Sidney * 1668–1673 Maj-Gen. Sir Walter Vane * 1673–1682 Lt-Gen. the

* 1682–1684 Col. Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield * 1684–1685 Lt-Gen. the Duke of Buckingham * 1685–1688 Brig-Gen. Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe ;Prince George of Denmark's Regiment (1689–1708) * 1688–1707 Gen. Charles Churchill (British Army officer, born 1656), Charles Churchill * 1707–1708 Field Marshal, F.M. John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll ;Named after the current Colonel or The Buffs (1708–1751) * 1708–1711 FM the Duke of Argyll * 1711–1713 Col. John Selwyn * 1713–1715 Brig-Gen. Archibald Douglas, 2nd Earl of Forfar * 1716–1725 Gen. Charles Wills, Sir Charles Wills, KB (also Grenadier Guards, 1st Guards, 30th Foot) * 1726–1729 Col. Thomas Pitt, 1st Earl of Londonderry * 1729–1737 Lt-Gen. William Tatton * 1737–1749 Lt-Gen. Thomas Howard * 1749–1751 F.M. George Howard (British Army officer), Sir George Howard, KB ;3rd Regiment of Foot, or The Buffs – (1751) * 1751–1763 FM Sir George Howard * 1763–1764 Col. John Craufurd (British Army officer), John Craufurd * 1764–1768 Maj-Gen. Ralph Burton * 1768–1779 F.M. Sir Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, KB * 1779–1782 Lt-Gen. William Style ;3rd (the East Kent) Regiment of Foot – (1782) * 1782–1786 Lt-Gen. William Style * 1786–1809 Gen. Thomas Hall (British Army officer), Thomas Hall * 1809–1815 Gen. Charles Leigh (British Army officer), Charles Leigh * 1815–1829 Lt-Gen. Henry Clinton (British Army officer, born 1771), Sir Henry Clinton, GCB, GCH * 1829–1832 Gen. George Don (British Army officer), Sir George Don, GCB, GCH * 1832–1845 Gen. Kenneth Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham, Kenneth Alexander Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham, GCB * 1845–1854 Gen. Sir Henry King (died 1854), Henry King, CB, KCH, KC * 1854–1857 Lt-Gen. Sir Nathaniel Thorn, KCB, KH * 1857 Lt-Gen. John Wharton Frith * 1857 Maj-Gen. Sir Henry Havelock, KCB [died at Lucknow] * 1857–1860 Lt-Gen. Berkeley Drummond * 1860–1863 Gen. The Hon. Charles Grey (British Army officer), Charles Grey * 1863–1864 Lt-Gen. John Wharton Frith * 1864–1870 Lt-Gen. Day Hort MacDowall (British Army officer), Day Hort Macdowall * 1870–1874 Lt-Gen. James Alexander Lindsay, The Hon. Sir James Lindsay, KCMG * 1874–1882 Gen. William Craig Emilius Napier ;The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) – (1881) * 1882–1909 Gen. Julius Raines, Sir Julius Augustus Robert Raines, GCB * 1909 Maj-Gen. Frederick Taylor Hobson * 1909–1914 Maj-Gen. Robert Kekewich, Robert George Kekewich * 1914–1928 Arthur Paget (British Army officer), Gen. Sir Arthur Henry Fitzroy Paget, GCB, KCVO * 1928–1937 Maj-Gen. Arthur Lynden-Bell, Sir Arthur Lynden Lynden-Bell, KCB, KCMG ;The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) – (1935) * 1937–1943 Maj-Gen. John Kennedy (British Army officer, born 1878), Sir John Kennedy, GBE, CB, CMG, DSO * 1943–1953 Maj-Gen. The Percy Scarlett, Hon. Percy Gerald Scarlett, CB, MC * 1953–1961 Maj-Gen. Valentine Boucher, CB, CBE [later Dep. Col. ''Queen's Own Buffs'']

Notable soldiers

* During the Battle of Albuera, Battle of Albuhera, Ensign Thomas, who was surrounded and was called upon to surrender, shouted "only with my life": he only gave up the Colour after being cut down and mortally wounded. * Also during the Battle of Albuhera, Lieutenant Latham seized the Colour and defended it with heroic gallantry, refusing to yield it to the enemy, instead concealing it in his jacket, where it was later found: the action is commemorated by the "Latham Centerpiece", now in the Buffs Regimental Museum, Regimental museum. * During the Battle of Taku Forts (1860), Battle of Taku Forts, Private John Moyse was captured: he was later executed by Chinese soldiers for refusing to kow-tow to a local Mandarin (bureaucrat), mandarin. His act of defiance was later immortalised in ''The Private of the Buffs'', a poem by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle. * Among the small garrison of 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift, Rorke's Drift (Zulu Land) was Sgt Frederick Milne (2260) 2nd Battalion, The Buffs. Said to have found and retrieved the watercart during the night. He survived the battle and soon left the service. *Richard Stanley Hawks Moody, Colonel Richard S. Hawks Moody CB. Moody was a distinguished officer, and later a historian, of the Regiment. Moody was second in command of the Regiment when it was sent to relieve the Siege of Malakand in 1897, for which he was mentioned in dispatches, and during which he fought alongside Winston Churchill, who mentions him in Chapter XII (''At Inayat Kila'') of his history of the conflict, ''The Story of the Malakand Field Force''. Moody served with the Regiment in the Chitral Expedition, in which he was part of General William Forbes Gatacre's flying column. He subsequently became a Military Knight of Windsor, and, during his occupation of this office, and at the request of the Regiment, he wrote ''The Historical Records of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), 3rd Regiment of Foot, 1914–1919'', which was published in 1923. He gave the first copy of the book to the Royal Library, Windsor, in 1922. *The war artist Ernest Stafford Carlos was commissioned into the 8th Battalion in 1916, arriving in the County of Artois, Artois sector of the Western Front early in 1917. His sketches, cartoons and paintings record life in and behind the lines at that time. He was killed in action during the Battle of Messines (1917), Battle of Messines on 14 or 15 June 1917 while his unit was assaulting a German held Spoil tip, spoil heap near Zillebeke in Flanders, a feature that became known as "Buff's Bank". He is buried close to the battlefield at Chester Farm Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery. * Among the soldiers in the 10th Battalion, one soldier showed bravery in the Battle of Épehy on 18 September 1918. This was Private Percy James Fellows, a Lewis gunner who was mortally wounded while facing the enemy. He was serving with the 230th Brigade (United Kingdom), 230th Brigade of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division. He died of wounds suffered during the Final Advance in Artois on 13 October 1918. * Bernard George Ellis was awarded the Albert Medal for Lifesaving, Albert Medal in 1918. This was transferred to a George Cross in 1971. * Captain William Douglas-Home, who served in the 7th battalion in the World War II, Second World War, refused to obey orders, because he feared that thousands of French civilians would be killed, and was duly imprisoned for this: after the war he became a successful playwright.

Freedom of the City of London

The regiment was awarded the Freedom of the city, Freedom of the City of London, giving them the right to march through the city.

Battle honours

The honours in bold were worn on the Colours. * ''Earlier Wars'' ** Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Dettingen, Guadeloupe 1759, Douro, Talavera, Albuhera, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula, Punniar, Sevastopol, Taku Forts, South Africa 1879, Chitral, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, South Africa 1900–02 * ''First World War'': ** Aisne 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1915 '17, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Hooge 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Thiepval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916 '18, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Messines 1917, Pilckem, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Avre, Amiens, Bapaume 1918, Hindenburg Line, Épéhy, St. Quentin Canal, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Struma, Doiran 1918, Macedonia 1915–18, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tell 'Asur, Palestine 1917–18, Aden, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1915–18 * ''Second World War'': ** Defence of Escaut, St. Omer-La Bassée, Withdrawal to Seine, North-West Europe 1940, Sidi Suleiman, Alem Hamza, Alam el Halfa, El Alamein, El Agheila, Advance on Tripoli, Tebaga Gap, El Hamma, Akarit, Djebel Azzag 1943, Robaa Valley, Djebel Bech Chekaoui, Heidous, Medjez Plain, Longstop Hill 1943, North Africa 1941–43, Centuripe, Monte Rivoglia, Sicily 1943, Termoli, Trigno, Sangro, Anzio, Cassino I, Liri Valley, Aquino, Rome, Trasimene Line, Coriano, Monte Spaduro, Senio, Argenta Gap, Italy 1943–45, Leros, Middle East 1943, Malta 1940–42, Shweli, Myitson, Burma 1945

Victoria Cross

The following members of the regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross: * Major (Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, later General) Frederick Francis Maude,

* Private (later Corporal) John Connors (VC), John Connors,

* Corporal (later Colour-Sergeant) James Smith (VC), James Smith, First Mohmand Campaign * Lance Corporal (acting Corporal) William Richard Cotter, World War I

Uniform and insignia

In 1667 the Holland Regiment is recorded as wearing "red jackets lined with yellow". Subsequently, Nathan Brook's Army List of 1684 referred to "Coated red, lined with a flesh colour". This marked the beginning of the historic association of the regiment with buff facings (a dull-yellow colour). A notice in the London Gazette of 21 January 1685 describing the clothing of three deserters from what was still the Holland Regiment, referred for the first time to the colour buff:''"a new Red Coat lin'd with a Buff colour'd lining, surtout Sleeves, cross Pockets with three scallops, large plain pewter Buttons, Breeches of the same colour as the Coat lining"''. An illustration of the Colonel's colour in 1707 shows a dragon on a buff background, following the award of this distinctive symbol to the regiment as "a reward for its gallant conduct on all occasions"; according to the Army historian Richard Cannon in a book published in 1839. The dragon was believed to have been adopted as it was one of the supporters of the royal arms of Elizabeth I of England, Elizabeth I, who issued the warrant for the raising of the regiment in 1572. Through the remainder of the 18th century both the dragon and the buff facings (worn on cuffs, lapels and coat linings) remained as particular distinctions of the regiment. A Royal Warrant of 1751 standardising all colours (flags), badges and uniforms listed the "3rd Regiment, or The Buffs". The Buffs were at this time the only infantry regiment to owe their official title to their facing colours. The green dragon was recorded in the same document as the "ancient badge" of the Buffs – displayed as a woven or painted device on the mitre cap of the Regiment's grenadiers, the colours and the drums. In 1881, the reorganisation of most infantry regiments on a territorial basis under the

led to the newly renamed "The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)" losing its buff facings in favour of the white collars and cuffs intended to distinguish all non-Royal English and Welsh regiments. The dragon survived as part of the (now metal) headdress badge, although replaced on collars by the white horse of Kent. The horse had been the insignia of the East Kent Militia (United Kingdom), Militia, which formed the 3rd battalion of the new regiment. Both changes were unpopular within the regiment, and in 1887 the Buffs were authorised to convert the white facings on their scarlet tunics to buff – at the regiment's expense and using a pipeclay mixture developed by an officer of the 2nd Battalion. In 1890 buff was officially restored as the regimental colour on flags, tunics and mess jackets. On 23 May 1894 approval was given for the dragon to be resumed as the collar badge. For the remainder of its existence as a separate entity, both dragon badge and buff facings remained as primary distinctions of the regiment. This was the case even on the simplified dark blue "No. 1 Dress" worn by most of the British Army as full dress after World War II, although the buff colour was here reduced to Piping (sewing), piping edging the shoulder straps.W.Y. Carman, page 160 "British Military Uniforms from Contemporary Pictures", The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd, 1957

Alliances

* – The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (1914–1935), (1935–1961)

Notes

Sources

* * * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . * * * *

External links

The 3rd East Kent Regiment or Buffs Reenactment Society

The 3rd Foot or Buffs Napoleonic/War of 1812 American Reenactment group

Dragons Fury WWII living History Group (The Buffs)

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150829181242/http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/ British Army units from 1945 on] {{British Infantry Regiments World War I, state=collapsed Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), Infantry regiments of the British Army, Buffs 1572 establishments in England Military units and formations in Kent Military units and formations in Canterbury Regiments of the British Army in World War II Regiments of the British Army in World War I Regiments of the British Army in the American Revolutionary War Regiments of the British Army in the Crimean War Military units and formations established in 1572 Military units and formations disestablished in 1961 1961 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Military units and formations in Burma in World War II, R Prince George of Denmark