The outbreak of war found the 2nd Battalion at Pembroke Dock where the battalion was brought up to strength with a full complement of reservists. On 16th September 1939 the battalion embarked at Southampton landing the following day at Cherbourg from there they proceeded by train to Blain, 20 miles to the north-west of Nantes. By the first week in October 1 Corps had taken up defensive positions on the French border and 2nd Battalion The Buffs joined them. In early May 1940 the Battalion, 25 officers and 732 men strong, crossed the border into Belgium. On 16th May(Albuhera Day) the Buffs were detailed to a position in front of the village of Petegem, less than two miles from the battlefield of Oudenarde, where 230 years before, their predecessors had taken part in the great victory by the Duke of Marlborough over the French. The Buffs were dug in on a wide frontage of 2,000 to 3,000 yards. On May 20th artillery fire was opened on The Buffs. Over the next few days the battalion fought gallantly but by 22nd May, after the battalion, with many casualties, had fought itself out of besieged pockets, the Division was given orders to retire. The BEF were now committed to a westward withdrawal and with the capitulation of the Belgians on the night of 27th/28th May the left flank was completely exposed. 44th (Home Counties) Division were given the task of holding the enemy in the Meteren area and on the 27th May 2nd Battalion took up a position west of Merris. On 28th May the various companies were split up 'A' Company in position on the Strazeele-Vieux Berquin road and with part of 'B' occupying an area south-west of Strazeele 'C' &'D' Company were detached under the direct orders of 131 Brigade this leaving the CO with but half of the Battalion under command. Many gallant actions followed with the inevitable casualties including Capt Huggins who was killed leading his men in a bayonet charge. There followed a fighting withdrawal into the the Dunkirk pocket by a few of the survivors of the Battalion. Of the 757 officers and men who had crossed the frontier into Belgium just 2 weeks before nearly 400 had been killed, wounded or were missing.
Officers group at Fontaine, France, April 1940.
L to R, Capt. E. Edlmann. Capt. R. Grace, Capt. R. F. Parry, Capt. R. Murphy, French Officer, Major P. Dare, Major B. Hammond-Davies, Capt. F. Crozier, Lt. G. Blaxland. Lt. Crosskie, 2/Lt Minnear
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Group
of Warrant Officers at Fontaine, April 1940
L to R: PSM R Calloway, CSM G. Saunders, PSM A. Banks, RQMS M. F. Papworth, PSM C. Charlton, PSM H. Tracey, PSM H. Dumont, PSM P. Belson. CSM H. Osborne, RSM G. Brophy
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On the left: Building a Field Kitchen (CSM Calloway in charge) at Fontaine, France April 1940. On the right eager customers
Pte. Skinner, in his 'billet' somewhere in France(He was Killed in Action a few days later)
ROLL
OF HONOUR
Buffs who were killed at Petegen 1940 at rest in the cemetery at Esquelmes between Tournai and Courtrai.
5043545 L/Cpl G. Bennett , 6288762 Pte J. W. Larn, 6289045 Pte. J. P. Law, 6284789 Pte. R. J. Lloyd, 95577 2/Lt D. C. Pearson, 6287914 Pte. H. C. Peck, 6283707 L/Cpl E. F. Penfold, 6399017 Pte. F. G. Pullen, 6288774 Pte. H. J. Pye, 6285462 Pte. R. F. Quinton, 6283773 Sgt. H. Smith, 6288879 Pte. H. M. Care, 6282412 Pte. T. Brackley, 6734127 Cpl. A. Brockman, 6527117 Pte. G. D. Burnett, 6289192 Pte. H. H. Carey, 6283161 Pte. A. Crowhurst, 6087357 Pte. P. Donovan , 6283874 Sgt. C. D. Griggs, 6283874 Pte. R. G. Hillier, 6287326 Pte. W. G. Janes, 6283859 Pte. T. J. Tucker
Buffs who were killed in action in May 1940 who lie in the Mont de Merris Cemetery, Bailleul, France
6288679 Pte. B. Austin, 6896727 Pte. A. E. Backhouse, 6289146 L/Cpl W. E. Chapman, 6288906 Pte. V. T. Church, 6286111 Pte. F. S. Collier, 6282456 L/Cpl F. W. Elderkin, 6284694 Pte. W. H. Hodgkins, 6286457 Pte. E. King, 6388885 Pte. W. Knowles, 6286424 Pte. D. W. Mackrow, 6283863 Pte. R. G. Moat, 858138 Pte G. E. Moys, 6284162 Pte. F. A. Parker, 2037406 Pte. J. R. Skinner
The remnants of the Battalion embarked at Dunkirk at the end of May 1940 and subsequently went to a collecting centre at Oxford. It was noted by an officer of the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry that "When the fighting men, tired with indescribable fatigue of the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk, dribbled in in ones and twos, one party of the 3rd of Foot made a lasting impression. There were fifteen of them. They marched across the square with their helmets and arms glinting in the rays of the setting sun as if they were mounting guard."
Officers of 2nd Battalion The Buffs 1941. Painters Forstall, Faversham, Kent
2nd Lt's D. Hearn, ??, I. Percival, ??, H. Julian, J. Munr (later KIA Burma), D. Rennison, Lt R. Croucher,
Captain R. Marchant, 2nd Lt's N. Gordon Wilson, C. Sharpe (later KIA Burma), J. Clarke, ??, ??, ??, Lt. D Norris
Padre, Major M. Alexander (KIA N Africa),, Capt's. J. Ponder, A. Ravenhill, M. Sherwin(Adjt), Lt. Col. Hammond Davies( CO) Major B. Craig(2i/c), Capt's. P. Ransley (QM), P. Buckwell (KIA Alamein), D. Whitcombe (MO),
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After Oxford the Battalion, under the command of Lt. Col. B. E. Hammond-Davies, moved to Lincolnshire where they remained until October 1940 when it moved to Wakefield and then on to Nutley in Sussex.and then back to Kent where it formed part of the anti invasion force. In May 1942 the Battalion, now under command of Lt. Col. J. G. Nicholson, moved to 44(Home Counties) Division's concentration area in Sutton and on the 28th May embarked on TSS Laconia for North Africa.
2nd Battalion The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) were awarded the following Battle Honours for operations in 1940
Defence of Escaut 1940, St. Omer-La Basse 1940, North West Europe 1940