The Regiment originated from The Trained Bands of London which were reviewed by Queen Elizabeth 1st in Greenwich Park on 1st May 1572. After the review Captain Thomas Morgan selected 300 men to form a company which he took to the Netherlands where they and their descendants continued to fight for the next 76 years until the power of Spain was broken. After the defeat of Spain, England and Holland began to quarrel and in 1665 the Dutch called on the English units still in Holland to renounce their allegiance to the King of England. With few exceptions both officers and men refused to swear allegiance to Holland and they were at once discharged and faced a life of almost certain ruin and destitution in a foreign country. The British Ambassador at his own expense arranged for the men to be returned to England and on the 31st May 1665 King Charles 11 instructed that they be formed into a regiment to be known as The Holland Regiment and he appointed Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sydney, a man from Kent, to be its first colonel. This regiment took its place as the fourth in the order of precedence behind The Royal Scots (1st), Queen’s (2nd) and Lord High Admiral’s Regiment (3rd). Originally designated, together with Lord High Admiral’s Regiment, as a “Maritime” regiment and as such took part in several naval actions. In 1667 the regiment became a land regiment. The uniform at that time consisted of a red tunic with buff lining, and the breeches, waistcoat and stockings were also buff.

The regiment discarded the name of the Holland Regiment and thenceforth became known as prince George of Denmark’s Regiment. In 1708 Prince George died and for a short time the regiment was known as Argyle’s Regiment after its then colonel. At this time the regiment still wore buff facings to their uniforms with buff breeches, waistcoats and stockings and were officially named the Buffs. In 1782 there was a further alteration to the name of the regiment, the title East Kent Regiment being added to that of the Buffs and the regiment was ordered to recruit in the county of Kent. Thus began the official connection of the regiment with the County.

Over the centuries the regiment has fought in many countries but it is from the Peninsular War that the regiment chose to celebrate a particular battle in which they were to earn great fame and honour. On 16th May 1811 the Buffs were ordered to re-capture a hill at Albuhera from the French. Finding that they could not shake the enemy by fire, they advanced with the bayonet, but were suddenly attacked in the rear by no less than four regiments of French Hussars and Polish Lancers. A dreadful massacre followed, the Buffs fought bravely but the ranks were soon broken by the charging cavalry. Ensign Thomas, who carried the Regimental colour was called on to surrender, after his escort had been cut down. Crying “Only with my life” he was himself cut down and mortally wounded and the colour captured. Ensign Walsh, carrying the King’s colour was wounded and captured but Lieutenant Latham rushed forward and seized the colour.

In the Great War, 1914-18, 9 battalions of Buffs saw service in the various theatres and over 35,000 men served in the regiment during that time of which 1,041 were decorated for bravery and that is not including “Mention in Despatches”. The roll of honour lists 5,688 men who gave their lives. Forty-nine battle honours were awarded, ten of which, AISNE 1914, YPRES 1915’17, LOOS, SOMME 1916’1918, ARRAS 1917, AMIENS, HINDENBURG LINE, STRUMA, JERUSALEM, BAGHDAD are borne on the Sovereign’s Colour. After the Great War the Regiment’s 1st Battalion saw service in Ireland, Turkey, Gibraltar, Egypt and then in 1926, the Regiment moved to Bareilly in India. In November 1930, the Battalion moved to Mingaladon in Burma and immediately became involved in helping to suppress the Burma Rebellion which continued until March 1931. In November 1935, two platoons together with a Machine Gun section and Signal detachment formed part on the escort accompanying the Burma boundary commission surveying the frontier with China and the Wa States.

This detachment had several clashes with head-hunting tribes armed with bows and arrows. In 1936 the Battalion returned to India and was sent to Lucknow. The Battalion left India,. at very short notice, in September 1938 for Palestine and in July 1939, moved to Mersah Matruh in Egypt

The 2nd Battalion embarked in 1919 for India to complete the foreign tour of service which had begun in 1905. It remained abroad for three years, spending a year each in Multan, India, in Kirkuk and Amarah in Mesopotamia and lastly in Aden. Returning to England in 1923 it was stationed in Portland and in 1926 moved to Aldershot. In 1936 this Battalion was dispatched to Palestine, where a rebellion had broken out, staying there for two and a half months before returning home.

On 3rd September 1939 war was declared on Germany by which time the 1st Battalion had returned to Palestine. It was back in Egypt again as part of a Guards’ Brigade attempting to relieve Tobruk in June 1941. In December 1941 it took part in General Auchinleck’s offensive as part of the 4th Indian Division. On 14th December it was ordered to hold Point 204. The battalion was supported by 31st Filed Regiment R.A. and by twelve tanks. The Germans attacked heavily but were held off. The following day the renewed their assault in greater force and with considerable armoured and dive-bombing support. The gunners and Buffs fought magnificently and when the artillery ran out of ammunition the infantry did not have weapons with sufficient fire power to do more than knock out a few tanks. Both gunners and infantry inflicted heavy casualties on the German infantry and although the battalion was overrun the Germans were in too weaker state to effect a break through. The Commanding Officer of the battalion was wounded and taken prisoner and of the 550 all ranks who had started the battle only 39 answered the roll call on the evening of December 15th. The survivors were withdrawn to Egypt and were reformed as a motor battalion. Thereafter it fought at El Alamein with 10th Armoured Division remaining well to the fore in the subsequent battles. Later it saw much hard fighting as part of General Freyberg’s New Zealand Division. February 1944 saw the battalion at Anzio and was among the first to cross the river Arno near Florence. At this stage 1st Armoured Division was reformed and the battalion rejoined it on the Adriatic coast. By February 1945 it was in position on the Senio Canal and later rejoined the 24th Guards Brigade in the 56th Division and lost heavily in the amphibious operations along the North East coast of Italy.

The 5th Battalion, formed in 1939 was sent to France in April 1940 as part of the 12th Division The battalion found itself in the path of the German armoured advance and was involved in very heavy fighting. Despite the fact that it had practically no artillery support and no anti-tank weapons it was till given a a wide sector to hold. Desperately fighting it was, however, soon overrun and only seventy or eighty men were finally evacuated from Dunkirk. The battalion was then reformed. In November 1942 it took part, as part of 36th Brigade of 1st Army, in the landings in North Africa. The battalion was in the leading brigade in the rush towards Tunis and saw a great deal of hard fighting and suffered a number of casualties. In April 1943 it took part in the battle for Longstop Hill and the battalion distinguished itself by capturing Point 667, a dominating feature which opened the approaches to Longstop Hill. The 1st and 5th battalions were thus fighting towards each other in the attempt to clear the enemy out of North Africa. The battalion then saw very hard fighting on Sicily particularly at Centuripe. Later still as part of 78th Division it landed on the East coast of Italy and fought its way to the river Sangro. Later it was heavily engaged in the battle for Monte Cassino. At the end of the war the battalion was moved to Austria.

During 1941 it was decided that there were insufficient men available to maintain all the existing infantry units in addition to forming the extra Royal Armoured Corps. Many newly formed infantry units were selected for conversion into Royal Armoured Corps units. Among the first was 7th Battalion The Buffs which became 141st Battalion, Royal Armoured Corps(The Buffs). It retained its connection with the regiment and continued to wear the Buffs cap badge. It was selected to become one of only two battalions equipped with crocodile flame throwers. These were Churchill tanks fitted with flame thrower apparatus. The battalion took a most important part in the invasion of Normandy and in the advance into Germany. Fighting as individual squadrons in support of other formations and units, it suffered many casualties and gained a great reputation.

The 8th Battalion was converted into mobile artillery in 1942 and subsequently served in France and Flanders. Both the 9th Battalion and the 10th Battalion were turned into training units and remained in Great Britain. The 11th Battalion became a Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment R.A. and saw service in France in 1944 and 45.

In the Second World War 1,315 men of The Buffs were killed and the regiment were awarded many battle honours.

After the war the regiment was reduced to 2 regular battalions and these were amalgamated in 1948, when the 2nd Battalion was in Hong Kong. There after the Battalion served in Egypt and then it was back to Dover in 1952. The next year saw the Battalion en route to Kenya, the Mau-Mau rebellion had reached its grimmest stage. The tour was a great success; the battalion accounting for 290 Mau-Mau gangsters killed, 194 captured and 114 firearms seized. By 1955 the Battalion was back in Dover and on the hallowed turf on Canterbury cricket ground the Battalion paraded in front of their Colonel-in-Chief, King Frederik of Denmark who presented new colours to the Battalion. A tour of just on two years in Wuppertal, Germany was next on the menu and it was here that the Battalion heard the dreaded news that we were to be amalgamated. The fact that we were to be amalgamated with the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment lessened the blow considerably, but nonetheless the news was sad to say the least. In 1957 the Battalion returned to Dover once again to prepare for their final overseas active tour of duty to Aden. There followed a very successful tour culminating in a Trooping of the Colour parade. The Battalion then returned and re assembled in Dortmund, Germany before returning to Shorncliffe in 1960. At 11 a.m. on March 1st 1961 The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) amalgamated with The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment to form The Queen’s Own Buffs. On 31st December 1966 1st Battalion The Queen’s Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment was renamed: The 2nd Battalion The Queen’s Regiment. On 9th September 1992, as a result of ‘Options for Change’, a new regiment was formed from the three regular battalions of The Queen’s Regiment and The 5th and The 6/7th Territorial Queen’s Battalions amalgamated with The Royal Hampshire Regiment (37th and 67th) to become The

Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR)

Queen Elizabeth reviewing the Trained Bands on May 1st, 1572

In 1672, exactly one hundred years after Queen Elizabeth had reviewed the trained bands the regiment were given a Royal Warrant allowing them to raise volunteers by beat of drum in the City of London. In those days recruiting parties carried a colour, and this is the origin of the privilege, which allowed The Buffs to march through the City of London with drums beating, bayonets fixed and colours flying. In 1689 the Lord High Admiral’s Regiment (of which Prince George of Denmark was honorary colonel) was disbanded, and the Holland Regiment took its place as 3rd Regiment of Foot with Prince George of Denmark as its honorary colonel.

Defending it with heroic gallantry he refused to yield. A French Hussar seized the flag-staff and struck at Latham with his sabre severing one side of his face and nose. Latham still continued to struggle to protect the colour. A second stroke severed his left arm but dropping his sword he seized the staff and refused to yield, continuing to fight until he was thrown down and trampled on and pierced with lances. At this moment the British cavalry arrived and the French fled. Latham was later found, so badly wounded he was unrecognisable, with the colour which he had torn from the staff, inside his tunic. In spite of the severity of his wounds Lieutenant Latham recovered and lived for many years to wear the gold medal presented to him by his brother officers. The losses of the regiment at Albuhera were 4 officers and 212 rank and file were killed, 13 officers and 234 wounded and 3 officers and 178 missing, a total of 644.

The Buffs at Albuhera

The 2nd Battalion was one of the first to disembark in France and landed there in September 1939. In April 1940 it joined the 44th Home Counties Division and with them moved forward into Belgium to help stem the German assault. It was heavily engaged on the river Escaut, losing thirteen officers and 170 ranks. Later, on the 28th/29th May, the battalion was at or around Meteren. The orders to withdraw failed to reach battalion headquarters and as a result after some desperate actions a large number of officers and other ranks were taken prisoner.The survivors were withdrawn to Dunkirk and on arrival in England were re-equipped and re-organised. In June 1942 it sailed with the 44th Division and landed in Egypt and first saw action in the defensive battle of Bare Ridge when Rommel attacked and was decisively repulsed. The battalion then took part in the victorious attack at El Alamein. The battalion was subsequently moved back to Egypt and then to Iraq as part of Paiforce. In 1944 the battalion was moved to India for intensive jungle training. Early in 1945 it was moved up to Ledo in North East India, from here it was flown, complete with equipment and mules to Myitkyana where it joined 36th Division. The battalion had its first heavy fighting against the Japanese at the river Shweli. It succeeded, despite very heavy casualties, in crossing the river and establishing a bridgehead. At the end of the war the battalion was in India preparing for the invasion of Malaya.

4th Battalion sailed for France in November 1939 and when the German army swept through Belgium in May 1940 the battalion it was made part of a brigade sent to help the French stem the breakthrough. The battalion fought gallantly but suffered from the lack of artillery and air support. It lost the best part of two companies but the remainder managed to withdraw through Cherbourg to England where it was reformed and re-organised and at the end of October it sailed for Malta where it remained through out the siege until Malta was relieved. In the late autumn of 1943 the battalion was sent on the ill fated expedition to the island of Leros in the Dodecanese. On their way one vessel carrying one company was sunk and nearly all were lost. Soon after their landing on Leros the Germans launched an offensive. The battalion was heavily attacked, held its own well and counter-attacked successfully. The battalion, situated in an isolated part of the island, was not aware that the island had been surrendered and consequently nearly the whole unit was taken prisoner and although a small number made their way back to Egypt it was decided not to reform the battalion.

THE BUFFS (ROYAL EAST KENT REGIMENT)

(3rd FOOT)

(Formerly designated The Holland Regiment and Prince George of Denmark’s Regiment)