The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
Encyclopedia
The Buffs, formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment
of the British Army
until 1961. 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). It provided distinguished service over a period of almost four hundred years accumulating one hundred and sixteen battle honour
s. Following a series of amalgamations since 1961 its lineage is today continued by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
.
s—made of soft leather
—first when it served abroad in Holland and later when it was a Maritime Regiment of Foot. It was later given buff-coloured facings and waistcoats to distinguish itself from those of other regiments and had their leather equipment in buff rather than dyed the traditional white.
It received the title of "The Old Buffs" during the Battle of Dettingen
in 1743, when the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot
marched past King George II
and onto the battlefield with great spirit. Mistaking them for the 3rd due to their buff facings, the sovereign called out, "Bravo, Buffs! Bravo!". When one of his aides, an officer of the 3rd regiment, corrected His Majesty, he then cheered, non-plussed, "Bravo, Young Buffs! Bravo!", thus granting the 31st the honour of being nicknamed the "Young Buffs". The 3rd Regiment then took to calling themselves the "Old Buffs" to keep themselves distinct from the 31st.
. The 3rd Regiment was then under the command of Lieutenant-General Thomas Howard. At the same time, the 19th Regiment of Foot
were commanded by their colonel, the Honourable Sir Charles Howard. In order to avoid confusion (because regiments were then named after their colonels, which would have made them both Howard's Regiment of Foot), the regiments took the colours of their facings as part of their names - the 19th Foot became the Green Howards, while the 3rd Foot became Howard's Buffs, eventually being shortened to simply The Buffs.
. For the duration of their service, The Buffs were divided into four detachments. The first was based in Sydney
from 1821. The second arrived in Hobart 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, Parramatta
, Liverpool
, Newcastle
, Port Macquarie
and Bathurst
. The regiment reunited and was transferred to Calcutta in 1827. During their service in New South Wales
, The Buffs were commanded by Lieut. Colonel W. Stewart and Lieut Colonel C. Cameron.
It comes from when the 2nd Battalion was stationed at Malta
in 1858 and were quartered with the 21st Royal (North British) Fusiliers
. Adjutant Cotter of The Buffs was a Scot who had formerly served in the 21st Fusiliers
as a Sergeant Major
. Adjutant Cotter would not brook any disarray on the parade ground from his raw recruits, shouting "Steady, The Buffs! The Fusiliers are watching you!"
This greatly amused the Fusiliers and they called out “Steady, The Buffs!” on the slightest provocation, first in Malta and later whenever the two regiments met from then on. The phrase caught on and was soon shouted whenever The Buffs marched by. It then passed into common usage, even appearing in Rudyard Kipling
's novel Soldiers Three
(1888) and his play Pity Poor Mama.
Among several characters in literature and television who have uttered the phrase are; Lord Peter Wimsey
and Rab C. Nesbitt
.
action during the Second China War:
:
:
:
Captain Naunton Henry Vertue of the 2nd Battalion also served as Brigade Major to the 11th Infantry Brigade under Major General Edward Woodgate
at the Battle of Spion Kop
where he was mortally wounded.
Corporal William Richard Cotter was awarded the VC whilst serving with the 6th Battalion.
In 1961 the "The Buffs", Royal East Kent Regiment was amalgamated with The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
to form: The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment
.
In 1966, the The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment was amalgamated with the other three regiments of the Home Counties Brigade
to form The Queen's Regiment
.
In 1992 the Queen's Regiment was amalgamted with the Royal Hampshire Regiment
to form the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
.
of the City of London
. The gave them the right to march through the City with drums beating, bayonets fixed, and colours flying. This is due to a Royal Warrant written in 1672 allowing them to raise volunteers "by beat of drum" in the City of London. Since recruiting parties paraded in full array accompanied by company or regimental musicians and marched with a colour, this right was given to the regiment as a whole.
War of the Spanish Succession
, (Queen Anne's
War)
War of the Austrian Succession
, (King George's War)
Seven Years' War
, (French and Indian War
)
Napoleonic Wars
"Pax Britannia"
World War I
(1914–1919)
World War II
(1939–1945)
:
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 ths 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
, 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 Childers Reforms
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 formed the insignia of the East Kent Militia
with 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 history both dragon and buff facings remained as primary distinctions of this "distinguished old 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 edging the shoulder straps.
, Kent
, though ownership of the museum's objects was transferred to the National Army Museum
in London in 2000. It closed for maintenance from November 2008 until 2012, with its collections being housed at NAM's London base during that period.
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
until 1961. 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). It provided distinguished service over a period of almost four hundred years accumulating one hundred and sixteen battle honour
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 , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s. Following a series of amalgamations since 1961 its lineage is today continued by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
.
History
The origins of the regiment lay in Thomas Morgan's Company of Foot, The London Trained Bands which was in existence from 1572 to 1648. In 1665 it was known as the 4th (The Holland Maritime) Regiment and by 1668 as the 4th (The Holland) Regiment. In 1688-1689 it was "4th The Lord High Admiral's Regiment" until 1751 it was named as other regiments after the Colonel Commanding being the 3rd (Howard's) Regiment of Foot from 1737-1743 at which point it became the 3rd Regiment of Foot, "Howard's Buffs".- 1751-1782 3rd (Kent) Regiment of Foot, "The Buffs"
- 1782-1881 3rd (East KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
) Regiment of Foot ("The Buffs") - 1881-1935 The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment)
- 1935-1961 The Buffs, (Royal East Kent Regiment)
Origin of "The Buffs"
The 3rd Regiment received its nickname of "The Buffs" because it had been issued buff coatBuff coat
The European Buff coat was an item of leather clothing worn by both the infantry and cavalry during the 17th century, usually worn under armour...
s—made of soft leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
—first when it served abroad in Holland and later when it was a Maritime Regiment of Foot. It was later given buff-coloured facings and waistcoats to distinguish itself from those of other regiments and had their leather equipment in buff rather than dyed the traditional white.
It received the title of "The Old Buffs" during the Battle of Dettingen
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...
in 1743, when the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot
31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 31st Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1702 and amalgamated into The East Surrey Regiment in 1881.-Predecessor regiment:...
marched past King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and onto the battlefield with great spirit. Mistaking them for the 3rd due to their buff facings, the sovereign called out, "Bravo, Buffs! Bravo!". When one of his aides, an officer of the 3rd regiment, corrected His Majesty, he then cheered, non-plussed, "Bravo, Young Buffs! Bravo!", thus granting the 31st the honour of being nicknamed the "Young Buffs". The 3rd Regiment then took to calling themselves the "Old Buffs" to keep themselves distinct from the 31st.
The two Howards
The Buffs obtained the name of "The Buffs" officially in 1744 while on campaign in the Low CountriesLow Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. The 3rd Regiment was then under the command of Lieutenant-General Thomas Howard. At the same time, the 19th Regiment of Foot
The Green Howards
The Green Howards was an infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division...
were commanded by their colonel, the Honourable Sir Charles Howard. In order to avoid confusion (because regiments were then named after their colonels, which would have made them both Howard's Regiment of Foot), the regiments took the colours of their facings as part of their names - the 19th Foot became the Green Howards, while the 3rd Foot became Howard's Buffs, eventually being shortened to simply The Buffs.
Australian service
In between the campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars and India, "The Buffs" had a tour of service from 1821 until 1827 in the British colony of New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. For the duration of their service, The Buffs were divided into four detachments. The first was based in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
from 1821. The second arrived in Hobart 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, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
and Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
. The regiment reunited and was transferred to Calcutta in 1827. During their service in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, The Buffs were commanded by Lieut. Colonel W. Stewart and Lieut Colonel C. Cameron.
"Steady, The Buffs!"
This famous cry has been rumoured by many to have been uttered on the field of battle, but it was actually born on the parade grounds of a garrison.It comes from when the 2nd Battalion was stationed at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in 1858 and were quartered with the 21st Royal (North British) Fusiliers
Royal Scots Fusiliers
-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
. Adjutant Cotter of The Buffs was a Scot who had formerly served in the 21st Fusiliers
Royal Scots Fusiliers
-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
as a Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
. Adjutant Cotter would not brook any disarray on the parade ground from his raw recruits, shouting "Steady, The Buffs! The Fusiliers are watching you!"
This greatly amused the Fusiliers and they called out “Steady, The Buffs!” on the slightest provocation, first in Malta and later whenever the two regiments met from then on. The phrase caught on and was soon shouted whenever The Buffs marched by. It then passed into common usage, even appearing in Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's novel Soldiers Three
Soldiers Three
Soldiers Three is a collection of short stories by Rudyard Kipling. The three soldiers of the title are Learoyd, Mulvaney and Ortheris, who had also appeared previously in the collection Plain Tales from the Hills...
(1888) and his play Pity Poor Mama.
Among several characters in literature and television who have uttered the phrase are; Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey is a bon vivant amateur sleuth in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he solves mysteries; usually, but not always, murders...
and Rab C. Nesbitt
Rab C. Nesbitt
Rab C. Nesbitt is a Scottish sitcom which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who believed unemployment was the life for him...
.
Reorganisations and amalgamations
- From 1595 to 1665, the four regiments of the English Brigade served under Dutch command. In 1665, with the coming of the Second Anglo-Dutch WarSecond Anglo-Dutch WarThe Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
the British and Scotch Brigades were ordered to swear loyalty to the Stadtholder. Those who obeyed would be allowed to continue in Dutch service and those who disobeyed would be cashiered. Using his own funds, Sir George DowningSir George Downing, 1st BaronetSir George Downing, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish soldier, statesman, and diplomat. Downing Street in London is named after him. As Treasury Secretary he is credited with instituting major reforms in public finance. His influence was substantial on the passage and substance of the mercantilist...
, the English ambassador to the Netherlands, raised the Holland Regiment from the starving remnants of those who refused to sign. It was designated as the 4th Regiment of Foot.
- In 1688 the Glorious RevolutionGlorious RevolutionThe Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
deposed James II Stuart and seated William Henry, Prince of Orange-NassauWilliam III of EnglandWilliam III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
and StadtholderStadtholderA Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the United NetherlandsUnited NetherlandsUnited Netherlands is an educational student-led organization that focuses on the theory and practice of international relations and diplomacy...
, on the throne of Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
as William III of England. To reduce confusion between the Regent's Dutch Blue GuardsDutch Blue GuardsThe Dutch Blue Guards were an elite infantry unit of the army of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. Notable campaigns where they fought included the Nine Years' War , where they distinguished themselves at the battle of the Boyne, battle of Fleurus and the siege of Limerick .From 1688 to...
regiment and the Stuart-era "Holland Regiment", the latter was renumbered the 3rd Regiment and had its title changed to The Lord Admiral's Regiment. Since Prince George of Denmark was Lord Admiral (and thus was its Honorary Colonel), it was also known as Prince George of Denmark's Regiment until his death in 1708.
- The 1st (Regular) Battalion existed continuously from 1572-1961.
- The 2nd (Regular) Battalion was intermittently raised in 1678-1679, 1756-1758, 1803–1815, and 1857-1949.
- In the Childers reformsChilders ReformsThe Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
of 1881 the East Kent Militia became the regiment's 3rd (Militia) Battalion (1881–1953) and its short-lived 4th (Militia) Battalion [1881-1888].
- From 1881-1908 two Kent rifle volunteer corpsVolunteer Force (Great Britain)The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
were redesignated as the 1st Volunteer Battalion and 2nd (The Weald of Kent) Volunteer Battalion of the Buffs. With the creation of the Territorial ForceTerritorial ForceThe Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
(TF) in 1908 they became the regiment's 4th and 5th (TF) Battalions. In 1921 the TF was reformed as the Territorial Army (TA) and the two units were merged as the 4th/5th (TA) Battalion. The two battalions resumed separate existences on the doubling of the TA in 1939, but were again merged in 1947.
Second China War (1855-1860)
The following unit participated in the Taku FortsTaku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
action during the Second China War:
- 1st Battalion, 3rd (East Kent) Regiment of Foot
Perak War (1875-1876)
The following unit participated in the Perak WarPerak War
The Perak War 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 administrator James W.W. Birch...
:
- 1st Battalion, 3rd (East Kent) Regiment of Foot
Anglo-Zulu War (1879)
The following units participated in the Anglo-Zulu WarAnglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
:
- 2nd Battalion, 3rd (East Kent) Regiment of Foot
Anglo-Egyptian War (1882)
The following units participated in the Anglo-Egyptian War:- 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Second Boer War (1899-1902)
The following units participated in the Second Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
:
- 2nd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
- 3rd Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
- 1st Volunteer (Militia) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
- 2nd Volunteer (Weald of Kent) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Captain Naunton Henry Vertue of the 2nd Battalion also served as Brigade Major to the 11th Infantry Brigade under Major General Edward Woodgate
Edward Woodgate
Major General Sir Edward Robert Prevost Woodgate, KCMG, CB, was a British Army Officer.-Military career:Woodgate was born in November 1845 in Belbroughton Worcestershire, the son of Rev Henry Arthur Woodgate, the rector of Belbroughton Holy Trinity Church. He was educated at Radley College and...
at the Battle of Spion Kop
Battle of Spion Kop
The Battle of Spion Kop was fought about west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa from 23–24 January 1900...
where he was mortally wounded.
First World War (1914-1918)
For service in World War I, nine battalions were raised:- 2/4th (Territorial Force) Battalion [1914-1917]
- 3/4th (Territorial Force) Battalion [1915-1916]; 3/4th (Reserve) Battalion [1916-1919]
- 2/5th (Territorial Force) Battalion [1914-1917]
- 3/5th (Territorial Force) Battalion [1915-1916]
- 6th (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
- 7th (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
- 8th (Service) Battalion [1914-1918]
- 9th (Service) Battalion [1914-1915]; 9th (Reserve) Battalion [1915-1916]
- 10th (Royal East Kent & West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion [1917-1918]
Corporal William Richard Cotter was awarded the VC whilst serving with the 6th Battalion.
Third Afghan War (1919)
The 4th Battalion fought during the brief Third Afghan War of 1919.Second World War (1939-1945)
For service in World War II, ten battalions were raised :- 4th (Territorial Army) Battalion [1939-1947]
- 5th (Territorial Army) Battalion [1939-1947]
- 6th (Home Defence) Battalion [1939-1941]
- 7th Battalion [1940-1945] This was converted to armour in 1941 and was known as "141st Regiment Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
(7th Battalion The Buffs)" - 8th Battalion [1940-1942]
- 9th Battalion [1940-1946]
- 10th Battalion [1940-1943]
- 11th Battalion [1940]
- 30th Battalion [1941-1943]
- 70th (Young Soldiers') Battalion [1940-1943]
Post-War amalgamations
In 1956 the 410th (Kent) Coast Regiment (Royal Artillery) was disbanded and converted into infantry. It was then combined with elements of the 4th (Territorial Army) Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent) Regiment to form the 5th (Territorial Army) Battalion of The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment and was the last separate unit to bear the distinct honours of The Buffs. In 1966 it became the 5th Battalion, The Queen's Regiment. In 1967 it merged with the 4th Battalion to become the 4th/5th (East Kent TAVR) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment.In 1961 the "The Buffs", Royal East Kent Regiment was amalgamated with The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1961. It was formed as The Queen's Own as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 50th Regiment of Foot and the 97th Regiment of Foot...
to form: The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment
The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment
The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1961 to 1966. Its lineage is continued by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment....
.
In 1966, the The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment was amalgamated with the other three regiments of the Home Counties Brigade
Home Counties Brigade
The Home Counties Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of the Home Counties of south east England....
to form The Queen's Regiment
The Queen's Regiment
The Queen's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Division...
.
In 1992 the Queen's Regiment was amalgamted with the Royal Hampshire Regiment
Royal Hampshire Regiment
The Royal Hampshire Regiment was a British Army line infantry regiment from 1881 to 1992. Its lineage is continued today by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.-Formation and antecedents:...
to form the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
.
Colonels-in-Chief
- 1689-1708 Prince George of Denmark KG
- 1906-1914 HM King Frederick VIII of DenmarkFrederick VIII of DenmarkFrederick VIII was King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912.-Early life:Frederick was born on 3 June 1843 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen as Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior male line of the House of Oldenburg descended from Christian III of Denmark and who had...
- 1914-1947 HM King Christian X of DenmarkChristian X of DenmarkChristian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
, KG, GCB, GCVO - 1947-1961 HM King Frederick IX of DenmarkFrederick IX of DenmarkFrederick IX was King of Denmark from 20 April 1947 until his death on 14 January 1972....
, KG, GCB, GCVO
Colonels
- 1665-1668 Col. Robert Sidney
- 1668-1673 Maj-Gen. Sir Walter Vane
- 1673-1682 Lt-Gen. John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham and 3rd Earl of Mulgrave, KG
- 1682-1684 Col. Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of ChesterfieldPhilip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of ChesterfieldPhilip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield PC was a peer in the peerage of England.-Personal life:He was the son of Henry Stanhope, Lord Stanhope and his wife, Katherine Wotton. He inherited the title of Earl of Chesterfield on the death of his grandfather in 1656...
- 1684-1685 Lt-Gen. John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham and 3rd Earl of Mulgrave, KG
- 1685-1688 Brig-Gen. Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe
- 1688-1707 Gen. Charles ChurchillCharles Churchill (British army officer)General Charles Churchill was an English army officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession.-Life:...
- 1707-1711 F.M.Field MarshalField Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
John Campbell, 2nd Duke of ArgyllJohn Campbell, 2nd Duke of ArgyllField Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich KG , known as Iain Ruaidh nan Cath or Red John of the Battles, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman.-Early Life:...
, KG, KT (Earl of Islay, Lord Lorne) - 1711-1713 Col. John Selwyn
- 1713-1715 Brig-Gen. Archibald Douglas, 2nd Earl of ForfarArchibald Douglas, 2nd Earl of ForfarArchibald Douglas, 2nd Earl of Forfar, 3rd Earl of Ormond was a Scottish peer.He was the only son of Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Forfar, and Robina Lockhart, the daughter of Sir William Lockhart of Lee and Robina Sewster.He inherited the titles Earl of Forfar and Earl of Ormond at the age of...
- 1716-1725 Gen. Sir Charles WillsCharles WillsSir Charles Wills KB was a British general in the 18th century.He won the Battle of Preston against the Jacobites. He was later appointed to the Privy Council and was member of parliament for Totnes.-References:...
, KB (also 1st GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
, 30th Foot) - 1726-1729 Col. Thomas Pitt, 1st Earl of LondonderryThomas Pitt, 1st Earl of LondonderryThomas Innes Pitt, 1st Earl of Londonderry was a British politician. He served as Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1728 to 1729....
- 1729-1737 Lt-Gen. William Tatton
- 1737-1749 Lt-Gen. Thomas Howard
- 1749-1763 F.M. Sir George Howard, KB
- 1763-1764 Col. John Craufurd
- 1764-1768 Maj-Gen. Ralph Burton
- 1768-1779 F.M. Sir Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron AmherstJeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron AmherstField Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB served as an officer in the British Army and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and...
, KB - 1779-1786 Lt-Gen. William Style
- 1786-1809 Gen. Thomas Hall (also 79th Foot)
- 1809-1815 Gen. Charles Leigh
- 1815-1829 Lt-Gen. Sir Henry ClintonHenry Clinton (Napoleonic Wars)Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, GCB, GCH was a British Army officer and a general officer during the Napoleonic Wars.He came from a family of soldiers...
, GCB, GCH - 1829-1832 Gen. Sir George DonGeorge Don (British Army officer)General Sir George Don GCB, GCH was a senior British Army military officer and colonial governor during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries...
, GCB, GCH - 1832-1845 Gen. Kenneth Alexander Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham, GCB
- 1845-1854 Gen. Sir Henry King, CB, KCH, KC
- 1854-1857 Lt-Gen. Sir Nathaniel Thorn, KCB, KH
- 1857 Lt-Gen. Nicholas Wodehouse
- 1857 Maj-Gen. Sir Henry HavelockHenry HavelockMajor-General Sir Henry Havelock, KCB was a British general who is particularly associated with India. He was noted for his recapture of Cawnpore from rebels during Indian Rebellion of 1857.-Early life:...
, KCB [died at Lucknow] - 1857-1860 Lt-Gen. Berkeley Drummond
- 1860-1863 Gen. The Hon. Charles Grey
- 1863-1864 Lt-Gen. John Wharton Frith
- 1864-1870 Lt-Gen. Day Hort Macdowall
- 1870-1874 Lt-Gen. The Hon. Sir James Lindsay, KCMG
- 1874-1882 Gen. William Craig Emilius NapierWilliam Napier (British Army officer)Major-General William Craig Emilius Napier was a British Army officer who became Governor of the Royal Military College Sandurst.-Military career:...
- 1882-1909 Gen. Sir Julius Augustus Robert Raines, GCB
- 1909 Maj-Gen. Frederick Taylor Hobson
- 1909-1914 Maj-Gen. Robert George KekewichRobert KekewichMajor General Robert George Kekewich CB was a Victorian era British Army officer.Kekewich was the second son of Trehawke Kekewich, of Peamore House, near Exeter, Devon, and the grandson of Samuel Trehawke Kekewich...
- 1914-1928 Gen. Sir Arthur Henry Fitzroy Paget, GCB, KCVO
- 1928-1937 Maj-Gen. Sir Arthur Lynden Lynden-Bell, KCB, KCMG
- 1937-1943 Maj-Gen. Sir John KennedyJohn Kennedy (British Army officer)Major-General Sir John Kennedy GBE CB CMG DSO was a British Army officer who commanded 1st Infantry Division.-Military career:Educated at Haileybury, Kennedy was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1898...
, GBE, CB, CMG, DSO - 1943-1953 Maj-Gen. The 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 AlbuheraBattle of AlbueraThe Battle of Albuera was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.From...
, the 3rd Regiment, serving as part of Colborne’s brigade, was caught in a heavy rainstorm. Then they were caught in the open by French cavalry, their muskets rendered useless by the downpour. Before they could form square, the cavalry had ripped through their ranks and began slaughtering them. Ensign Thomas, who had earlier rallied his company after his captain was wounded and captured, was carrying the Regimental Colour. He was later surrounded and was called upon to surrender. Crying “Only with my life,” he only gave up the Colour after being cut down and mortally wounded (though it was later recaptured by Sergeant Gough of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers). He was buried after the battle by a sergeant and a private of his company, the only two men out of an original complement of 63 to survive the battle.
- Also during the Battle of Albuhera, a similar act of heroism was to unfold. Ensign Charles Walsh was carrying the King’s Colour. The pikestaff of the Colour had been broken by cannon shot, his escort had fallen and he was surrounded and badly wounded. Just before he was about to be taken prisoner, Lieutenant Latham rushed forward and seized the Colour from him with his left hand and defended it with heroic gallantry with his sword in the other, refusing to yield it to the enemy. Then a French Hussar seized the staff and struck Latham with a sabre blow that severed one side of his face and nose but he still continued to struggle. A second sabre stroke severed his left arm, but Latham seized the staff with his right hand and continued to resist until he was thrown down, trampled on and pierced several times with lance thrusts. At this moment a British Cavalry regiment, The 4th (Queen's Own) Dragoons4th Queen's Own HussarsThe 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958....
, arrived and drove off the French troopers. Latham then exerted the little strength left to him to conceal the Colour in his jacket, where it was later found. Latham survived his grievous wounds and not only recuperated but stayed in the army until he retired in 1820. As a reward for his gallantry and his heroic defence of the Colour, Latham was given a special promotion to Captain and was later presented with a gold medal by his brother officers. A trophy depicting the scene made in sterling silver, called the "Latham Centerpiece", was designed for the 3rd Regiment's Officer's Mess; it is now in the Regimental museum along with Latham's gold medal. Latham is buried in Blingel churchyard in the Pas de Calais, France. His headstone commemorates his brave action and mentions the 'loss of his arm and half his face'.
- Private John MoyseJohn MoysePrivate John Moyse was a British soldier of the 3rd Regiment who according to popular legend was captured by Chinese soldiers during the Second Opium War and later was executed for refusing to prostrate himself before the Chinese general...
was captured during the march on the Taku FortsTaku FortsThe Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
(which took place during the continuation of the Second Opium WarSecond Opium WarThe Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
). He was later executed by Chinese soldiers for refusing to kow-tow to a local mandarinMandarin (bureaucrat)A mandarin was a bureaucrat in imperial China, and also in the monarchist days of Vietnam where the system of Imperial examinations and scholar-bureaucrats was adopted under Chinese influence.-History and use of the term:...
. His act of defiance was later immortalised in The Private of the BuffsThe Private of the BuffsThe Private of the Buffs is a ballad by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle describing the execution of a British infantryman by Chinese soldiers in 1860.-Background:...
, a poem by Sir Francis Hastings DoyleFrancis Hastings DoyleSir Francis Hastings Charles Doyle, 2nd Baronet was a British poet.-Biography:Doyle was born near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, to a military family which produced several distinguished officers, including his father, Major-General Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, 1st Baronet, who was created a baronet in 1828...
.
- Among the soldiers in the 10th Battalion, one soldier showed bravery in the Battle of Épehy on the 18th September 1918. This was Private Percy James Fellows who fell while assualting the enemy. He was serving with the 230th Brigade of the 74th Division. He died of wounds suffered at the battle on the 13th of October 1918.
- Among the officers of The Royal East Kent regiment was Captain Derek D. Bridle (1923–1998). An officer of "The Buffs" from 1942–1947, he served in Northern Italy, Austria and Germany, and after demobilisation he trained and became a qualified ArchitectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, who retired in 1985 as County Architect of Gloucestershire.
- Captain William Douglas-HomeWilliam Douglas-HomeWilliam Douglas Home was court-martialled in World War II for his refusal to obey orders as a British army officer and later became a successful British dramatist.-Early life:...
served in the 7th battalion (also known as 141 RAC) in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was imprisoned for refusing to obey orders. After the war he became a successful playwright.
Freedom of the City of London
The Buffs was one of five regiments enjoying the FreedomFreedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The gave them the right to march through the City with drums beating, bayonets fixed, and colours flying. This is due to a Royal Warrant written in 1672 allowing them to raise volunteers "by beat of drum" in the City of London. Since recruiting parties paraded in full array accompanied by company or regimental musicians and marched with a colour, this right was given to the regiment as a whole.
Battle honours
The honours in capital lettering were worn on the Colours. The regiment was awarded 116 battle honours.War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, (Queen Anne's
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
War)
- BLENHEIMBattle of BlenheimThe Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
(1704) = 1st Battalion. - RAMILLESBattle of RamilliesThe Battle of Ramillies , fought on 23 May 1706, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705...
(1706) = 1st Battalion. - OUDENARDEBattle of OudenardeThe Battle of Oudenaarde was a key battle in the War of the Spanish Succession fought on 11 July 1708 between the forces of Great Britain, the Dutch Republic and the Holy Roman Empire on the one side and the French on the other...
(1708) = 1st Battalion. - MALPLAQUETBattle of MalplaquetThe Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
(1709) = 1st Battalion.
War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, (King George's War)
- DETTINGENBattle of DettingenThe Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...
(1743) = 1st Battalion.
Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, (French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
)
- GUADELOUPE 1759 = 1st Battalion.
- BelleisleBelle ÎleBelle-Île or Belle-Île-en-Mer is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the département of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is 14 km from the Quiberon peninsula.Administratively, the island forms a canton: the canton of Belle-Île...
(1761) = 1st Battalion.
Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
- DOURO (1809) = 1st Battalion.
- TALAVERA (1809) = 1st Battalion.
- ALBUHERA (1811) = 1st Battalion.
- VITTORIA (1813) = 1st Battalion.
- PYRENEES (1813) = 1st Battalion.
- NIVELLE (1813)= 1st Battalion.
- NIVE (1813) = 1st Battalion.
- ORTHES (1814) = 1st Battalion.
- TOULOUSE (1814) = 1st Battalion.
- PENINSULAIberian PeninsulaThe Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
(1808–13) = 1st Battalion.
"Pax Britannia"
- PUNNIAR (1843) Gwalior CampaignGwalior CampaignThe Gwalior Campaign was fought between British and Marathan forces in Gwalior in India, December 1843.- Background :The Maratha Empire controlled much of central and northern India and had fallen to the British in 1818 giving the British control over almost all of the Indian subcontinent...
= 1st Battalion. - SEVASTOPOL (1855) Crimean WarCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
= 1st Battalion. - TAKU FORTSTaku FortsThe Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
(1860) Second Opium WarSecond Opium WarThe Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
= 1st Battalion. - SOUTH AFRICA 1879South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
Zulu War = 2nd Battalion. - CHITRALChitralChitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
(1895) North-West FrontierNorth-West Frontier ProvinceKhyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
= 1st Battalion. - RELIEF OF KIMBERLEYSiege of KimberleyThe Siege of Kimberley took place during the Second Boer War at Kimberley, Cape Colony , when Boer forces from the Orange Free State and the Transvaal besieged the diamond mining town. The Boers moved quickly to try to capture the British enclave when war broke out between the British and the two...
(1900) Second Anglo-Boer War = 2nd Battalion. - PAARDEBERGBattle of PaardebergThe Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near Paardeberg Drift on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free State near Kimberley....
(1900) Second Anglo-Boer War = 3rd Battalion. - SOUTH AFRICA 1900-02 Second Anglo-Boer War = 2nd & 3rd Battalions.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(1914–1919)
- Aisne (1914)= 1st Battalion.
- ARMENTIERES 1914 = 1st Battalion.
- YPRESBattle of YpresThere were five Battles of Ypres during World War I:*First Battle of Ypres *Second Battle of Ypres...
1915-17 = 2nd, 7th & 8th Battalions. - Gravenstafel 1915 = 2nd Battalion.
- St. Julien 1915 = 2nd Battalion.
- Frezenberg (1915) = 2nd Battalion.
- Bellewaarde (1915) = 2nd Battalion.
- Hooge 1915 = 1st Battalion.
- LOOSBattle of LoosThe Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
(1915) = 2nd, 6th, & 8th Battalions. - Somme 1916-18 = 1st, 6th, 7th, & 8th Battalions
- Albert 1916-18 = 6th & 7th Battalions.
- Bazentin (1916) = 7th Battalion.
- Delville WoodDelville WoodThe Battle of Delville Wood was one of the early engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War. It took place between 14 July and 3 September, between the armies of the German Empire and allied British and South African forces...
(1916) = 8th Battalion. - Poziers (1916) = 6th Battalion.
- Flers-Courcelette (1916) = 1st Battalion.
- Morval (1916) = 1st Battalion.
- ThiepvalThiepvalThe Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is a major war memorial to 72,191 missing British and South African men who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918 who have no known grave...
(1916) = 7th Battalion. - Le Transloy (1916) = 6th Battalion.
- Ancre Heights (1916) = 7th Battalion.
- Ancre 1916-18 = 6th & 7th Battalions.
- Arras 1917Battle of Arras (1917)The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
= 6th & 7th Battalions. - Scarpe 1917 = 7th Battalion.
- Messines 1917 = 8th Battalion.
- Pilckem (1917) = 8th Battalion.
- Passchendale (1917) = 7th Battalion.
- Cambrai 1917-1918 = 1st & 6th Battalions.
- St. Quentin (1918) = 1st & 6th Battalions.
- Avre (1918) = 7th Battalion.
- Amiens (1918) = 6th & 7th Battalions.
- Bapaume (1918) = 7th Battalion.
- HINDENBURG LINE (1918) = 1st, 6th, 7th, & 10th Battalions.
- Epehey (1918)= 1st, 6th, 7th, & 10th Battalions.
- St. Quentin Canal (1918) = 1st & 6th Battalions.
- Selle (1918) = 1st & 7th Battalions.
- Sambre (1918) = 7th Battalion.
- France and Flanders 1914-18 = 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th & 10th Battalions.
- STRUMA (1916–17) = 2nd Battalion.
- Doiran (1918) = 2nd Battalion.
- Macedonia 1915-18 = 2nd Battalion.
- Gaza (1917) = 10th Battalion.
- JERUSALEM (1917) = 10th Battalion.
- Tel Asur (1918) = 10th Battalion.
- Palestine 1917-18 = 10th Battalion.
- Aden (1915–16) = 4th Battalion.
- Tigris (1916) = 5th Battalion.
- Kut al Amara 1917 = 5th Battalion.
- BAGDAD (1917) = 5th Battalion.
- Mesopotamia 1915-18 = 5th Battalion.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1939–1945)
- Defence of Escaut (1940) = 2nd Battalion.
- St. Omer-La Basse (1940) = 2nd Battalion.
- Withdrawal to Seine (1940) = 4th Battalion.
- NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1940 = 2nd, 4th, & 5th Battalions.
- Sidi Suleiman (1941) = 1st Battalion.
- ALEM HAMZA (1941)= 1st Battalion.
- Alam El Halfa (1942)= 2nd Battalion.
- EL ALAMEIN (1942)= 2nd Battalion.
- El Agheila (1942) = 1st Battalion.
- Advance on Tripoli (1942–43) = 1st Battalion.
- Tebaga Gap (1943) = 1st Battalion.
- El Hamma (1943) = 1st Battalion.
- Akarit (1943)= 1st Battalion.
- Djebel Azzag (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- ROBAA VALLEY (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- Djebel Bech Chekaoui (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- Heidous (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- Medjez Plain (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- Long Stop Hill (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- North Africa 1941-1943 1st, 2nd, & 5th Battalions.
- Centuripe (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- Monte Rivoglia (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- SICILY 1943 = 5th Battalion.
- Termoli (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- TRIGNO (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- Sangro (1943) = 5th Battalion.
- ANZIO (1944) = 1st Battalion.
- Cassino I (1944) = 5th Battalion.
- Liri Valley (1944) = 5th Battalion.
- Aquino (1944) = 5th Battalion.
- Rome (1944) = 1st Battalion.
- Trasimene Line (1944) = 5th Battalion.
- Coriano (1944) = 1st Battalion.
- Monte Spaduro (1944) = 1st Battalion.
- Senio (1945) 5th Battalion.
- ARGENTA GAP (1945) = 1st & 5th Battalions.
- Italy 1943-45 = 1st & 5th Battalions.
- LEROSBattle of LerosThe Battle of Leros was the central event of the Dodecanese Campaign of the Second World War, and is widely used as an alternate name for the whole campaign. Leros was occupied by British forces on 15 September 1943...
(1943) = 4th Battalion. - Middle East 1943= 2nd Battalion.
- Malta 1940-42 = 4th Battalion.
- SHWELI (1945) = 2nd Battalion.
- Myitson (1945) = 2nd Battalion.
- Burma 1945 = 2nd Battalion.
Victoria Cross
The following members of the Regiment were awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
:
- Major (Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, later General) Frederick Francis MaudeFrederick Francis MaudeGeneral Sir Frederick Francis Maude VC GCB was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Crimean WarCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining... - Private (later Corporal) John ConnorsJohn ConnorsJohn Connors VC was born in Davaugh, Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:Connors was approximately 24 years...
, Crimean WarCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining... - Corporal (later Colour-Sergeant) James SmithJames Smith (VC)James Smith VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, First Mohmand CampaignFirst Mohmand CampaignThe First Mohmand Campaign was a British military campaign against the Mohmands from 1897 to 1898.-Background:The Mohmands are a Pashtun tribe who inhabit the hilly country to the north-west of Peshawar, in the North-West Frontier Province... - Lance Corporal (acting Corporal) William Richard Cotter, World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
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 GazetteLondon Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
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 ths 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
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
of the royal arms of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, 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 Childers Reforms
Childers Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
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 formed the insignia of the East Kent Militia
Militia (United Kingdom)
The Militia of the United Kingdom were the military reserve forces of the United Kingdom after the Union in 1801 of the former Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland....
with 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 history both dragon and buff facings remained as primary distinctions of this "distinguished old 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 edging the shoulder straps.
Regimental museum
The Buffs Regimental Museum is located at CanterburyCanterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, though ownership of the museum's objects was transferred to the National Army Museum
National Army Museum
The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, England adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The National Army Museum is open to the public every day of the year from 10.00am to 5.30pm,...
in London in 2000. It closed for maintenance from November 2008 until 2012, with its collections being housed at NAM's London base during that period.