Famous 18th Century Regiments

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3rd Regiment of Foot. The Queens Own Royal Regiment of East Kent. (The Buffs). 1572 AD

My Family's Regiment, And to this day........it is commanded by my Cousin! As part of the Light Infantry.

STEADY THE BUFFS!

One of the Most illustrious units in the world. ANd one of the oldest.

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 Kent) Regiment of Foot ("The Buffs")
1881-1935 The Buffs, (East Kent Regiment)
1935-1961 The Buffs, (Royal East Kent Regiment)

The 3rd Regiment received its nickname of "The Buffs" because it had been issued buff coats - armour 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 Buffs obtained the name of "The Buffs" officially in 1744 while on campaign in the Low Countries. 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.


Buffs in Australia.In between the campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars and India, "The Buff's" had a tour of service from 1821 until 1827 in the British colony of New South Wales. For the duration of their service, The Buff's were divided into four detachments. The first was based in Sydney from 1821. The second arrived in Hobart in 1822. The third, entitled "The Buff's 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 Buff's 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 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

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 War 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 Downing, 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 1689 the Glorious Revolution deposed James II Stuart and seated William Henry, Prince of Orange-Nassau and Stadtholder of the United Netherlands, on the throne of Great Britain as William III of England. To reduce confusion between the Regent's Dutch Blue Guards 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 1758, the 2nd Battalion raised in 1756-1758 was converted into the 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment. In 1881, it was converted into the 2nd Battalion, 28th/61st The Gloucestershire Regiment, whose battalions were later amalgamated together in 1948. In 1994 The Gloucestershire Regiment was amalgamated with The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal (Berkshire and Wiltshire) Regiment to form The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. In 2004 the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment was amalgamated with the Devon and Dorset Light Infantry to form 1st (Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire) Battalion, The Light Infantry. In 2005 the The Light Infantry amalgamated with the Royal Green Jackets to form The Rifles. The 1st (Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire) Battalion, The Light Infantry will be renamed the 1st (Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry) Battalion, The Rifles.
In the Cardwell reforms of 1881 the East Kent Militia became the regiment's 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion [1881-1953] and its short-lived 4th (Special Reserve) Battalion [1881-1888].
From 1881-1908 the Territorial Army's 1st (Kent) Volunteers and 2nd (The Weald of Kent) Volunteers Battalions were raised. From 1908-1921 and 1939-1947 they became the regiment's 4th and 5th Battalions. In 1921-1939 and 1947-1961 they were amalgamated as the 4th/5th Battalion.

Blenhiem
Peninsular War
Nepoleonic Wars.
The Zulu Wars.
2nd Boer War.
1st World War
3rd Afghan War.
2nd World War.



Battle Honours.War of the Spanish Succession, (Queen Anne's War)

BLENHEIM (1704) = 1st Battalion.
RAMILLES (1706) = 1st Battalion.
OUDENARDE (1708) = 1st Battalion.
MALPLAQUET (1709) = 1st Battalion.

War of the Austrian Succession, (King George's War)

DETTINGEN (1743) = 1st Battalion.
Seven Years' War, (French and Indian War)

GUADELOUPE 1759 = 1st Battalion.
Belleisle (1761) = 1st Battalion.

Napoleonic Wars
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.
PENINSULA (1808-13) = 1st Battalion.

"Pax Britannia"
PUNNIAR (1843) Gwalior Campaign = 1st Battalion.
SEVASTOPOL (1855) Crimean War = 1st Battalion.
TAKU FORTS (1860) Second Opium War = 1st Battalion.
SOUTH AFRICA 1879 Zulu War = 2nd Battalion.
CHITRAL (1895) North-West Frontier = 1st Battalion.
RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY (1900) Second Anglo-Boer War = 2nd Battalion.
PAARDEBERG (1900) Second Anglo-Boer War = 3rd Battalion.
SOUTH AFRICA 1900-02 Second Anglo-Boer War = 2nd & 3rd Battalions.

World War I (1914-1919)
Aisne (1914)= 1st Battalion.
ARMENTIERES 1914 = 1st Battalion.
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.
LOOS (1915) = 2nd, 6th, & 8th Battalions.
SOMME 1916-18 = 1st, 6th, 7th, & 8th Battalions
Albert (1916-18) = 6th & 7th Battalions.
Bazentin (1916) = 7th Battalion.
Delville Wood (1916) = 8th Battalion.
Poziers (1916) = 6th Battalion.
Flers-Courcelette (1916) = 1st Battalion.
Morval (1916) = 1st Battalion.
Thiepval (1916) = 7th Battalion.
Le Transloy (1916) = 6th Battalion.
Ancre Heights (1916) = 7th Battalion.
Ancre (1916-18) = 6th & 7th Battalions.
Arras 1917 = 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 (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.
LEROS (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.



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