Historical records of the Buffs, East Kent Regiment (3rd Foot)

by R. S. H. Moody

		PAGE
Author’s Preface		[v]
Foreword by General The Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur Paget,p.c., g.c.b., Colonel of the Buffs		[xix]
CHAPTER I
THE FIRST BATTALION GOES TO WAR
I	Introductory	[1]
II	Events following the outbreak of war	[4]
III	Move to France and Battle of the Aisne	[7]
IV	Battle of Armentieres: Action at Radinghem	[14]
CHAPTER II
THE SECOND BATTALION TAKES ITS SHARE
I	The Second Battalion returns to England from India	[25]
II	It proceeds to the Western Front	[28]
III	“O” Trench	[29]
IV	Trench warfare near Ypres	[38]
V	Second Battle of Ypres	[40]
CHAPTER III
THE PREPARATION AND THE START OF MORE BATTALIONS
I	Short summary of events	[57]
II	Duties of the Depot	[60]
III	The Third (Special Reserve) Battalion	[63]
IV	The Fourth and Fifth (Territorial) Battalions	[65]
V	Formation of the Sixth Battalion	[68]
VI	Formation of the Seventh Battalion	[72]
VII	Formation of the Eighth Battalion	[75]
VIII	Formation of the Second-Fourth and Second-Fifth Battalions	[78]
	Formation of the Third-Fourth and Third-Fifth Battalions	[80]
IX	Raising of the Volunteer Battalions	[81]
X	Formation of the Ninth Battalion	[82]
CHAPTER IV
THE WESTERN FRONT—LOOS
I	The First Battalion	[85]
II	Loos	[90]
III	The Eighth Battalion at Hulluch	[94]
IV	The Second Battalion. The Hohenzollern Redoubt	[99]
V	The Sixth Battalion at Hulluch	[105]
VI	The Seventh Battalion	[109]
VII	Life in and behind the trenches	[110]
VIII	Summary of Events	[114]
CHAPTER V
THE TURKISH ENEMY
I	The Fourth Battalion at Aden	[117]
II	The Fifth Battalion in Mesopotamia. Attemptedrelief of Kut. Actions of Sheikh Saad and The Wadi	[121]
III	The Kent Composite Battalion in the GallipoliPeninsula and Egypt	[131]
	Buff portion of the battalion transferred to RoyalWest Kent Regiment	[132]
CHAPTER VI
THE SOMME
I	Summary of events which led to the offensive onthe River Somme	[134]
II	The Sixth Battalion from the commencement of1916 to November of that year. The HohenzollernRedoubt and Battles of Albert (1916), PozieresRidge and the Transloy Ridges	[136]
III	The Seventh Battalion during the same period.The Battles of Albert (1916), Bazentin Ridge,Thiepval Ridge and the Ancre Heights, with thecapture of the Schwaben Redoubt	[147]
IV	The Eighth Battalion. The Battle of Delville Wood	[155]
V	The First Battalion. Battles of Flers-Courceletteand Morval	[164]
CHAPTER VII
A YEAR AT SALONICA
I	The Second Battalion	[174]
II	Action of Karajakoi	[177]
III	Affair of Barakli Dzuma	[179]
CHAPTER VIII
WITH MAUDE IN MESOPOTAMIA
I	The position in 1916	[183]
II	Battle of Kut, 1917	[185]
III	Subsequent pursuit to Baghdad	[193]
CHAPTER IX
PALESTINE
I	Formation of the Tenth Battalion	[200]
II	Second Battle of Gaza	[203]
III	Third Battle of Gaza	[207]
IV	Battle of Nebi Samwil	[213]
V	Defence of Jerusalem	[216]
CHAPTER X
THE WESTERN FRONT
NOVEMBER, 1916, TO JULY, 1917
I	Summary of Events	[221]
II	The Seventh Battalion. Battle of the Ancre	[222]
III	The Seventh Battalion—(continued)	[225]
IV	The First Battalion	[229]
V	The Eighth Battalion	[231]
VI	The Sixth Battalion. Battle of Arras and the Scarpe	[234]
VII	The Seventh Battalion	[240]
VIII	The First Battalion	[243]
IX	The Sixth Battalion	[246]
X	The Seventh Battalion	[247]
XI	The Eighth Battalion. Battle of Messines	[248]
CHAPTER XI
THE WESTERN FRONT
CONTINUATION TILL MARCH, 1918
I	The position of affairs in the middle of 1917	[255]
	The story of the First Battalion from middle of1917 to the Battle of Cambrai in November	[256]
II	The Sixth Battalion during the same period	[258]
III	The Battle of Cambrai	[263]
IV	The First Battalion from Cambrai to the 20thMarch, 1918	[267]
V	The Sixth Battalion during the same period	[270]
VI	The Seventh Battalion from middle of 1917 to the20th March, 1918. Poelcappelle	[272]
VII	The Eighth Battalion from middle of 1917 to itsdisbanding in February, 1918. Battle of Pilckem Ridge	[279]
CHAPTER XII
THE QUEEN’S OWN RIFLES OF CANADA
I	The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada	[284]
II	The Canadian Buffs	[291]
CHAPTER XIII
THE END OF THE SALONICA AND MESOPOTAMIA CAMPAIGNS
I	The Fourth Battalion in India	[292]
II	The Fifth Battalion in Mesopotamia. Affairs onthe Nahr Khalis. Passage of the Adhaim. Actionof Istabulat. Affair on the Shatt el Adhaim.Second action of the Jabal (or Jebel) Hamrin.Third action of the Jabal Hamrin	[294]
III	The Second Battalion in Macedonia. Battle ofDoiran, 1918	[304]
CHAPTER XIV
HOLDING ON
I	Preparations for defence	[315]
II	The First Battalion during the German offensive.Battle of St Quentin. Back to Belgium	[317]
III	The Sixth Battalion during the German offensive.Battle of the Ancre, 1918	[331]
IV	The Tenth Battalion in France	[339]
V	The Seventh Battalion during the German offensive.Battle of St Quentin	[340]
CHAPTER XV
THE GRAND RESULT
I	The Seventh Battalion, the 6th August to the 21stAugust, 1918. The Battle of Amiens	[355]
II	The Sixth Battalion at the Battle of Amiens	[359]
III	The Sixth and Seventh Battalions from the 22ndAugust to end of September, 1918. Battles ofAlbert, 1918. Second Battle of Bapaume. Battleof Epehy	[361]
IV	The Sixth Battalion’s history up to the Armistice	[381]
V	The Seventh Battalion during the same period.Battle of the Selle. Battle of the Sambre	[384]
VI	The Tenth Battalion during the advance to victory.The Battle of Epehy	[391]
VII	The First Battalion during the advance to victory.Battle of Epehy. Battle of Cambrai, 1918.Battle of the Salle. March into Germany	[400]
CHAPTER XVI
Conclusion		[415]

LIST OF APPENDICES

		PAGE
I	Nominal roll of Officers who were killed in action,or died of wounds or disease in the Great War, 1914–1919	[425]
II	Nominal roll of Warrant Officers, Non-CommissionedOfficers and Men who were killed inaction, or died of wounds or disease in the GreatWar, 1914–1919	[432]
III	Rewards (British) won by Officers, Warrant Officers,Non-Commissioned Officers and Men inthe Great War, 1914–1919	[504]
IV	Foreign Decorations awarded to Officers, WarrantOfficers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Menduring the Great War, 1914–1919	[530]
V	Mention in Despatches: all ranks during theGreat War, 1914–1919	[535]
VI	Mention for Record (Mention “B”): all ranksduring the Great War, 1914–1919	[545]
VII	List of serving officers, 1st and 2nd Battalions,awarded brevet rank	[548]
List of Subscribers		[549]

ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATES IN COLOUR
A MAN OF KENT
(After the painting by Lady Butler)	[Frontispiece]
THE RECAPTURE OF KUT EL AMARA
(After the painting by Herbert Alexander, A.R.W.S.,Lieut. 5th Bn. The Buffs)	To face page [190]
PLATES IN MONOCHROME
	To face page
YPRES FROM NEAR THE MENIN GATE	[40]
BATTLEFIELD NEAR ST JULIEN	[44]
ROAD NEAR HOOGE	[86]
BRINGING UP WIRE	[162]
MORVAL	[172]
SALONICA—ROAD MADE BY BRITISH	[176]
ARCH AT CTESIPHON	[194]
GENERAL ALLENBY ENTERS JERUSALEM	[214]
SCENE ON THE ANCRE	[224]
WINTER ON THE WESTERN FRONT	[234]
A NEW TRENCH	[262]
CAMBRAI ON THE MORNING THE ENEMY WAS DRIVEN OUT	[410]

LIST OF MAPS

GENERAL MAP—WESTERN FRONT	[End Papers]
	To face page
RADINGHEM	[20]
YPRES	[56]
NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LOOS	[98]
HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT AND THE DUMP	[104]
ADEN	[120]
TURKISH LINES NEAR KUT	[130]
THIEPVAL	[154]
VALLEY OF THE STRUMA	[182]
VICINITY OF KUT	[198]
PALESTINE	[220]
LOOS CRASSIERS	[254]
SPOIL (OR BUFFS’) BANK	[254]
CAMBRAI	[266]
POELCAPPELLE	[276]
COUNTRY NORTH OF BAGHDAD	[308]
COUNTRY NEAR CAKLI STATION	[308]
LAGNICOURT AND NOREUIL	[324]
VENDEUIL	[346]
VENDEUIL TO VARESNES	[350]
COUNTRY RETAKEN FROM ENEMY, AUTUMN OF 1918	[356]
ALBERT	[364]
COMBLES AND MORVAL	[378]
RONSSOY	[378]
DIAGRAM: BATTLE OF THE SELLE	[386]
ST QUENTIN	[406]
GENERAL MAP—MIDDLE EAST	[End Papers]

FOREWORD

To read this record of the part played by the Buffs in the desperate fighting of the early months of the war, in turning the tide of the enemy’s success and in the crowning victories, fills me with pride.

No pen can adequately convey the true measure of the constancy and valour of those men who endured and fought through the daily hardships, the hourly perils, the nerve strain during darkness—and this under the conditions of modern warfare, in battles which lasted not hours but weeks, with the added horrors of high explosives, gas poisoning, flame throwers, tanks and machine guns, delay-action mines and other mechanical and inhuman devices. Through all these trials the spirit of the regiment—of the Men of Kent—never faltered, its certain hope of victory never wavered.