THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGIMENT) 1914-18  

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.

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1st Battalion

4.8.14 Fermoy, as part of 16th Brigade, 6th Division. To Cambridge 19.8.14. Landed at Havre 10.9.14. On 11.11.18 at Bohain, France.

2nd Battalion

4.8.14 Wellington, Madras, India. 16.11.14 sailed from Bombay and landed at Plymouth on 23.12.14. Here joined 85th Brigade, 28th Division, at Winchester. Embarked for Havre at Southampton on 17.1.15. Sailed from Marseilles for Alexandria on 25-30.10.15. November 1915 to Salonika. On 30.9.18, in Macedonia, north of Lake Doiran.

1/4th Battalion T.F.

4.8.14 Canterbury, as part of Kent Brigade, Home Counties Division. To Dover, and then back to Canterbury.  Sailed from Southampton for India on 30.10.14. Here the Home Counties Division was broken up. On 26.7.15 sailed for Aden. February 1916 returned to India, where it remained.

1/5th Battalion T.F.

4.8.14 Drill Hall, Ashford, as part of Kent Brigade, Home Counties Division. To Dover, and then back to Canterbury.  Later to Sandwich. Sailed from Southampton for India on 30.10.14. Here the Home Counties Division was broken up. December 1915 landed at Basra as part of 35th Indian Brigade. Became Corps troops, and then formed a composite battalion with 1/4th Hampshires until May 1916. On 12.5.16, 35th Indian Brigade was sent to 14th Indian Division. On 31.10.18, at Shahraban, N.E. of Baghdad, in Mesopotamia.

6th Battalion

Formed at Canterbury in August 1914.. To Colchester and Purfleet as part of 37th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division. November 1914 to Shorncliffe. February 1915 to Aldershot. June 1915 landed at Boulogne. On 11.11.18 located at Rumegies, east of Orchies, France.

Victoria Cross:

7th Battalion

Formed at Canterbury in September 1914. To Purfleet as part of 55th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division. April 1915 to Colchester, May 1915 to Salisbury Plain. July 1915 landed at Boulogne. On 11.11.18 located at Pommereuil, east of Le Cateau, France.

8th Battalion

Formed at Canterbury on 12.9.14. To Shoreham as part of 72nd Brigade, 24th Division. December 1914 to billets in Worthing. April 1915 returned to Shoreham. June 1915 to Blackdown, near Aldershot. Landed at Boulogne on 1.9.15. To 17th Brigade, 24th Division, on 18.10.15. Disbanded at Hancourt, France, on 13.2.18. Personnel were sent to 1st and 6th Battalions The Buffs.

10th (Royal East Kent & West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion

Formed at Sollum, Egypt, on 1.2.17 from two dismounted Yeomanry Regiments; East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry. To 230th Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. May 1918 to France; landed at Marseilles on 7.5.18. On 11.11.18 located at Tournai, Belgium. 

PRINTED SOURCES

R.S.H.Moody - HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE BUFFS (East Kent Regiment) 3rd Foot 1914-1919 [Naval & Military reprint 2002 N&M Press reprint (original pub 1922). SB. xx + 554pp with two colour and 12 b/w plates, 25 maps in text. ISBN 1843423952].
Available from Naval & Military Press.

INTERNET SOURCES

The Buffs - on Chris Baker's 'Long, Long Trail' website.

N.B. Only battalions that saw overseas service are listed here. Units that stayed in England are not shown.

©Paul Reed 2004