List of battalions of the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

Last updated

This is a list of battalions of the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), which existed as an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1961.

Contents

Original composition

When the 3rd (The East Kent) Regiment of Foot became the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) in 1881 under the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, four pre-existent militia and volunteer battalions of Kent were integrated into the structure of the regiment. Volunteer battalions had been created in reaction to a perceived threat of invasion by France in the late 1850s. Organised as "rifle volunteer corps", they were independent of the British Army and composed primarily of the middle class. The only change to the regiment's structure during the period of 1881-1908 occurred in 1888, when the two militia battalions of the regiment amalgamated. [1]

BattalionFormedFormerly
Regular
1st15721st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot
2nd18572nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot
Militia
3rd (Militia) 17601st Battalion, East Kent Militia [2]
4th (Militia) 18762nd Battalion, East Kent Militia [2]
Volunteers
1st Volunteer18592nd Kent (East Kent) Rifle Volunteer Corps [3]
2nd (The Weald of Kent) Volunteer18605th Kent (The Weald of Kent) Rifle Volunteer Corps [3]

Reorganisation

The Territorial Force (later Territorial Army) was formed in 1908, which the volunteer battalions joined, while the militia battalions transferred to the "Special Reserve". All volunteer battalions were renumbered to create a single sequential order. [1]

BattalionFormerly
4th1st Volunteer Battalion [4]
5th (The Weald of Kent)2nd (The Weald of Kent) Volunteer Battalion [5]

First World War

The Buffs fielded 15 battalions and lost over 6,000 officers and other ranks during the course of the war. [6] The regiment's territorial components formed duplicate second and third line battalions. As an example, the three-line battalions of the 4th Buffs were numbered as the 1/4th, 2/4th, and 3/4th respectively. Many battalions of the regiment were formed as part of Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener's appeal for an initial 100,000 men volunteers in 1914. They were referred to as the New Army or Kitchener's Army. [1] [7] The Volunteer Training Corps were raised with overage or reserved occupation men early in the war, and were initially self-organised into many small corps, with a wide variety of names. Recognition of the corps by the authorities brought regulation and as the war continued the small corps were formed into battalion sized units of the county Volunteer Regiment. In 1918 these were linked to county regiments. [8]

BattalionFormedServedFate
Regular [9] [10]
1st1572 Western Front
2nd1857Western Front, Salonika
Special Reserve [9] [10]
3rd (Reserve) 1760Britain
Territorial Force [9] [10]
1/4th1859 India, Aden See Inter-War
1/5th (The Weald of Kent)1860India, Mesopotamian See Inter-War
2/4th Canterbury, September 1914BritainDisbanded in November 1917
2/5th (The Weald of Kent) Ashford, September 1914BritainDisbanded in November 1917
3/4th,
4th (Reserve) from 8 April 1916		Canterbury, July 1915BritainDisbanded in 1919
3/5th (The Weald of Kent),
5th (The Weald of Kent) (Reserve) from 8 April 1916		Ashford, March 1915BritainAbsorbed into the 4th (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916
10th (Royal East Kent & West Kent Yeomanry) Sollum, 1 February 1917,
from the 1/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry and 1/1st Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry 		Western FrontDisembodied 1919
New Army [9] [10]
6th (Service)Canterbury, August 1914Western FrontDisbanded in 1919
7th (Service)Canterbury, September 1914Western FrontDisbanded in 1919
8th (Service)Canterbury, September 1914Western FrontDisbanded on 13 February 1918
9th (Reserve) Dover, October 1914BritainBecame the 29th Training Reserve Battalion of the 7th Reserve Brigade on 1 September 1916
Others [9] [10]
1st (Home Service) GarrisonDover, 29 April 1916BritainBecame 2nd Battalion, Royal Defence Corps
Volunteer Training Corps [11]
1st Battalion (Cinque Ports) Kent Volunteer Regiment
later the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment)		HytheDisbanded post war
2nd Battalion (St. Augustine's) Kent Volunteer Regiment
later the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment)		CanterburyDisbanded post war
4th Battalion (Thanet) Kent Volunteer Regiment
later the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment)		ThanetDisbanded post war

Inter-War

By 1920, all of the regiment's war-raised battalions had disbanded. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to the Supplementary Reserve in 1924; however, its battalions were effectively placed in 'suspended animation'. As World War II approached, the Territorial Army was reorganised in the mid-1930s, many of its infantry battalions were converted to other roles, especially anti-aircraft. [1]

BattalionFate
4thAbsorbed 5th (The Weald of Kent) Battalion, without a change in title on 26 August 1921 [12]
5th (The Weald of Kent)Absorbed by 4th Battalion on 26 August 1921 [13]

Second World War

The Buff's expansion during the Second World War was modest compared to 1914–1918. National Defence Companies were combined to create a new "Home Defence" battalion, In addition to this, 12 of the 39 Kent battalions of the Home Guard were affiliated to the regiment, wearing its cap badge. [1]

BattalionFormedServedFate
Regular
1st1572 North Africa, Italy [14] See Post-World War II
2nd1857 France, North Africa, Burma [15] See Post-World War II
Supplementary Reserve
3rd1760See Post-World War II
Territorial Army
4th,
(redesignation of 4th/5th Battalion)		1859France, Malta, Greece [16] See Post-World War II
5th (The Weald of Kent)31 March 1939, as a duplicate of 4th BattalionFrance, North Africa, Sicily, Italy [17] Disbanded on 1 January 1947
6th (Home Defence)November 1939BritainRedesignated as 30th Battalion in December 1941 [18]
7thJuly 1940BritainConverted to 141st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps, in November 1941 [19]
8th July 1940,
from a cadre of The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 		BritainConverted to 9th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery in November 1942 [20]
9thJuly 1940,
from a cadre of the Northamptonshire Regiment [20] 		BritainDisbanded 1946
10thJuly 1940BritainDisbanded in October 1943 [20]
11th October 1940,
as a redesignation of the 50th (Holding) Battalion		BritainConverted to 89th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in November 1940 [20]
30thDecember 1941,
as a redesignation of the 6th (Home Defence) Battalion		BritainDisbanded in March 1943 [20]
Others
70th (Young Soldiers)September 1940BritainDisbanded January 1943
Home Guard [21]
BattalionHeadquartersFormation Sign (dark blue on khaki)BattalionHeadquartersFormation Sign (dark blue on khaki)
1stAshfordKT 12ndCharingKT 2
3rdCanterburyKT 34th (St. Augustine's)CanterburyKT 4
5thWinghamKT 56th (Thanet)MargateKT 6
7thLymingeKT 78th (Cinque Ports)FolkestoneKT 8
9thFavershamKT 910thSittingbourneKT10
23rdHawkhurstKT 2330th (Sheppey)SheernessKT 30

Post-World War II

In the immediate post-war period, the army was significantly reduced: nearly all infantry regiments had their first and second battalions amalgamated and the Supplementary Reserve disbanded. [1]

BattalionFate
1stAmalgamated with 2nd Battalion on the 23 September 1949, without a change in title [22]
2ndAmalgamated with 1st Battalion on the 23 September 1949 [23]
4thRedesignated the 4th/5th Battalion on 1 January 1947 [12]
5thRedesignated the 4th/5th Battalion on 1 January 1947 [12]

Amalgamation

In 1956, the 5th Battalion was reformed, leading to the 4th/5th Battalion being redesignated as the 4th Battalion. The 1957 Defence White Paper stated that the Buffs was due to amalgamated with the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, to form the Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment on the 1 March 1961. [1]

BattalionFate
1stAmalgamated with 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, to form 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment
4thTransferred to the Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment without a change in title
5thTransferred to the Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment without a change in title

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Welch Fusiliers</span> Line infantry regiment of the British Army

The Royal Welch Fusiliers (Welsh: Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and became the Welch Regiment of Fusiliers; the prefix "Royal" was added in 1713, then confirmed in 1714 when George I named it the Prince of Wales's Own Royal Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers. In 1751, after reforms that standardised the naming and numbering of regiments, it became the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers). In 1881, the final title of the regiment was adopted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancashire Fusiliers</span> Line infantry regiment of the British Army 1688–1968

The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 280 years of existence. In 1968 the regiment was amalgamated with the other regiments of the Fusilier Brigade – the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and the Royal Fusiliers – to form the current Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)</span> British Army infantry regiment from 1572 to 1961

The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. 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 honours. In 1881, under the Childers Reforms, it was known as the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and later, on 3 June 1935, was renamed the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment</span> Military unit

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 Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), by the amalgamation of the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot and the 97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot. In January 1921, the regiment was renamed the Royal West Kent Regiment (Queen's Own) and, in April of the same year, was again renamed, this time as the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">44th (Home Counties) Division</span> Military unit

The Home Counties Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army, that was raised in 1908. As the name suggests, the division recruited in the Home Counties, particularly Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)</span> Military unit

The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence.

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 133rd Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw service during the First World War in British India, but never as a complete formation. In the Second World War, the brigade fought in the Battle of France in May 1940 and was evacuated at Dunkirk. It later fought in the North African Campaign, and was disbanded on 1 January 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesex Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the British Army

The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th (West Middlesex) and 77th (East Middlesex) Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lancashire Regiment</span> British Army regiment

The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th Regiment of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire. In 1958 the regiment was amalgamated with the South Lancashire Regiment to form the Lancashire Regiment which was, in 1970, merged with the Loyal Regiment to form the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. In 2006, the Queen's Lancashire was further amalgamated with the King's Own Royal Border Regiment and the King's Regiment to form the present Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Surrey Regiment</span> Military unit

The East Surrey Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot, the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot, the 1st Royal Surrey Militia and the 3rd Royal Surrey Militia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northamptonshire Regiment</span> Military unit

The Northamptonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1960. In 1960, it was amalgamated with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment to form the 2nd East Anglian Regiment, which was amalgamated with the 1st East Anglian Regiment, the 3rd East Anglian Regiment and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment to form the present Royal Anglian Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37th Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

The 37th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that served in both the First and the Second World Wars.

The 2nd Kent Brigade was a 2nd Line Territorial Force Brigade of the British Army in World War I. The brigade was formed as a duplicate of the Kent Brigade in October 1914 as part of the 2nd Home Counties Division. As the name suggests, the brigade recruited in Kent. In August 1915, in common with all Territorial Force brigades, it was numbered as 202nd Brigade. Between September 1917 and the end of the year, the brigade was extensively reorganized and lost its territorial identity; henceforth it was known as 202nd Brigade.

The 184th Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army raise for service in both the First and the Second World Wars.

The East Kent Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, Buffs was an auxiliary regiment raised in Kent in South East England. From its formal creation in 1760 the regiment served in home and colonial defence in all of Britain's major wars until 1918, seeing active service in the Second Boer War and supplying thousands of reinforcements to the Buffs during World War I.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Frederick, pp. 203–5.
  2. 1 2 "The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)" (PDF). kentfallen.com. p. 3. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) - Queen's Regimental Association" (PDF). queensregimentalassociation.org. p. 2. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) - 4th Battalion". armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) - 5th Battalion". armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Buffs (East Kent Regt) - 1st & 2nd Battalions". armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  7. ↑ James, pp. 44–5.
  8. ↑ Westlake, Ray (2020). Guide to the Volunteer Training Corps 1914-1918. Uckfield: Naval and Military Press. pp. 4–7. ISBN   9781783315390.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Buffs (East Kent Regiment)" . Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Unit History: Buffs (East Kent Regiment)" . Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  11. ↑ Westlake p. 119
  12. 1 2 3 "4th Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 25 May 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "5th (The Weald of Kent) Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 27 December 2005. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "2nd Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "4th Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  17. ↑ "5th Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment during the Second World War". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  18. ↑ "Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) - Queen's Regimental Association" (PDF). queensregimentalassociation.org. p. 3. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  19. ↑ Joslen, p. 372
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) - Queen's Regimental Association" (PDF). queensregimentalassociation.org. p. 4. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  21. ↑ "History of the Home Guard" . Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot 1665-1881/1st Battalion, The Buffs 1881-1961". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 28 May 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  23. ↑ "2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot 1803-1815, 1857-1881/2nd Battalion, The Buffs 1881-1949". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 15 May 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2020.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.