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- 8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)



   8th (Service) Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) was raised at Canterbury in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Third New Army and joined 72nd Brigade, 24th Division. The Division began to assemble in the area of Shoreham but suffered from a lack of equipment and a lack of trained officers and NCOs to command the volunteers. In late June 1915 they moved to Aldershot for final training and they proceeded to France at the end of August. The Division concentrated in the area between Etaples and St Pol on the 4th of September and a few days later marched across France into the reserve for the British assault at Loos, going into action on the 26th of September and suffering heavy losses. In October the 8th Buffs transferred to 17th Brigade, still with 24th Division. In 1916 they suffered in the German gas attack at Wulverghem and then moved to The Somme seeing action in The Battle of Delville Wood and The Battle of Guillemont. In 1917 they were in action at The Battle of Vimy Ridge in the Spring, The Battle of Messines in June and Third Battle of Ypres in October before moving south where they were in action during The Cambrai Operations when the Germans counter attacked. When the armmy was reorganised in February 1918 the 8th Buffs were disbanded in France with teh troops transferring to other units.

Jul 1915 Training Instruction

Jul 1915 Billets

21st Aug 1915 Orders Received

29th Aug 1915 Mobilisation

30th Aug 1915 On the Move

31st Aug 1915 On the Move

1st Sep 1915 On the Move

2nd Sep 1915 On the Move

3rd Sep 1915 In Billets

4th Sep 1915 24th Division Concentrate

4th Sep 1915 In Billets

5th Sep 1915 In Billets

6th Sep 1915 Training

7th Sep 1915 Communication

7th Sep 1915 Exercise

8th Sep 1915 Training

9th Sep 1915 Training

10th Sep 1915 Route March

11th Sep 1915 Exercise

12th Sep 1915 Church Parade

13th Sep 1915 Instruction

13th Sep 1915 Training

14th Sep 1915 Exercise

15th Sep 1915 Exercise

16th Sep 1915 Musketry

17th Sep 1915 Route March

18th Sep 1915 Exercise

19th Sep 1915 Suspected Spy

20th Sep 1915 Training

21st Sep 1915 On the March

22nd Sep 1915 On the March

23rd Sep 1915 In Billets

24th Sep 1915 On the March  location map

25th Sep 1915 Into the Trenches

25th Sep 1915 On the March  location map

26th Sep 1915 In Action  location map

26th Sep 1915 Attack Made  location map

27th Sep 1915 Reliefs Completed  location map

27th Sep 1915 Night Relief  location map

28th Sep 1915 On the Move  location map

29th Sep 1915 At Rest

30th Sep 1915 At Rest

16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme

1st Nov 1915 Reliefs

25th Nov 1915 On the March

1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets

11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment

30th Dec 1915 Inspection

3rd Jan 1916 Route March

10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens

30th Jan 1916 Reliefs  location map

9th February 1916 Call Ups

8th Mar 1916 Shelling  location map

29th Apr 1916 Reliefs  location map

31st May 1916 Training

13th Aug 1916 Reliefs  location map

17th Aug 1916 Reliefs  location map

18th Aug 1916 Attack Made  location map

21st Aug 1916 Attack Made  location map

28th Aug 1916 Congratulations  location map

1st Sep 1916 Attacks Made

2nd Sep 1916 Line Held

3rd Sep 1916 In Action  location map

3rd Sep 1916 Attacks Made

4th Sep 1916 Reliefs

5th Sep 1916 Relief Complete

6th Sep 1916 Reliefs

22nd October 1916 Relief Table  location map

5th Jan 1917 Trench Raid  location map

26th Jan 1917 Trench Raid  location map

27th Jan 1917 Appreciation

30th Mar 1917 Reliefs  location map

7th Aug 1917 Reliefs

15th Sep 1917 9th York & Lancs relieve 8th Buffs

20th Mar 1918 Warning

21st Mar 1918 Hard Fighting

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)?


There are:5306 items tagged 8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Ashman Charles William. Pte. (d.15th Jun 1917)
  • Bishop Herbert Victor. Pte.
  • Cherrison John Thomas. Pte.
  • Cooke Frederick William. Pte. (d.18th August 1916)
  • Field Albert Walter. CSM (d.3rd September 1916)
  • Field Albert Walter. CSM. (d.3rd September 1916)
  • Heasman Charles. Pte. (d.18th Aug 1916)
  • Larkin James Albert. Pte. (d.20th Dec 1916)
  • Lewis Charles Herbert. L/Cpl.
  • Liddel Daniel Mackintosh. Pte. (d.16th June 1917)
  • Parr Richard George. Sgt.
  • Purches Harry Charles. Pte.
  • Sonntag Frank Herbert. L/Cpl. (d.18th Aug 1916)
  • Stapley George. Pte. (d.3rd Dec 1916)
  • Watson F. W.. Capt.
  • Webb Lionel. (d.18th Aug 1916)
  • Wood James. Pte. (d.18th Aug 1916)
  • Wormley Harry. Pte. (d.15th Jun 1917)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) from other sources.


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  Pte. James Wood 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment (d.18th Aug 1916)

I found these memorial cards in my mother's old photo albums. I believe James Wood, would have been my great Uncle, my Grandmother's brother. From what I researched, he probably died in the Battle of Somme in France. They were born near Rye or Iden.

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  Pte. Frederick William Cooke 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment (d.18th August 1916)

Frederick Cooke was my great great grandfather. His surname was spelt with an e but in the Army he was known as Cook without the e. He was born in 1891. He died on 18th of August 1916 in the Battle of the Somme. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial

Shaun Williams






  Pte. Harry Charles Purches 8th Battalion East Kent Regiment

My Grandfather, Harry Purches, was born December 1894, later to be joined by many brothers and sisters. His father was also a Harry Charles Purches. Previously a porter He enlisted, in Islington, to the East Kent Regiment on the 7th September 1914. He appears to be in England for one year before being sent to France with the BEF in the Autumn of 1915. In 1916 he was wounded, treated in Dublin, and then sent home to his Mum and siblings in London for several months, before returning to the Front. In March 1917 he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis in neck glands and medically discharged as unfit for service. This illness didn't prevent him producing an illegitmate son in 1917. Allegedly, my Grandmother's parents objected to her marrying a soldier for some sad reason. Both HCP and my GM subsequently married, and had children, with other spouses after the war.

Harry Charles Purches died of heart and lung disease aged 32 whilst working as a motor mechanic in Islington. I wish I'd known him, I'd like to shake his hand and thank him, and all who served, for what they achieved.

Nigel Purches






  Pte. John Thomas Cherrison 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment

Jack Cherrison served with the 8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment.

Lee Hider






  CSM. Albert Walter Field 8th Battalion East Kent Regiment (d.3rd September 1916)

Albert Field was killed in action at Delville Wood whilst in Carlton Trench and is buried in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval.

He has rejoined the army on 9th of September 1914 having previously served in Kent RGA which he bought out from in 1906. He was the younger brother of my grandmother. My father was named after him. During WW1 my grandmother had both her sons and her brother serving in France, my father was the only one to return home.







  L/Cpl. Frank Herbert Sonntag 8th Battalion East Kent Regiment (d.18th Aug 1916)

Herbert Sonntag was born in Cardiff in 1891. He was the second son of Franz Josef Sonntag and Elizabeth Ann Clements. Frank and his family lived in Woodville Road, Cathays, Cardiff. Frank's father was from a Prussian family, and both men were mercantile marine engineers. This may explain why Frank enlisted in the naval district of Deptford, where he joined the 8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment in January 1915.

Frank lost his life during his Battalion's attack on Delville Wood on the 18th August 1916. On that day The Buffs specifically had orders to attack and capture two German positions, called ZZ Trench and Machine Gun House. They were the only unit to capture and hold their objectives. Sadly Frank's body was lost. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing. His medals were received by his mother in 1921.







  Capt. F. W. Watson 8th Battalion East Kent Regiment

I have in my possession a leather-bound Chambers English dictionary (1899) with a printed label inside from Gutersloh pow camp, Haus 8. It has inscribed names and dates inside as follows:
  • J M Watson, Royal Artillery, 1890.
  • Freda M Watson, St Helen's College, Southsea, September 1913.
  • Captain F W Watson, 8th Buffs, Havant 24/1/16 followed by Offisier Kriegsgefangenlager, Gutersloh.
  • Cpl McGillycuddy, Depot HQ, RAF Innsworth, 1943.
  • S/O N McGillycuddy, PA's Office, RAF Hendon.

The dictionary has been rebound (post-war I should say) in leather, as if it was a prized possession, with the stamped initials N.B.H. in one corner. I wonder if any surviving relatives of the above named could add any personal details to the bare bones of this story.

David Harris






  L/Cpl. Charles Herbert Lewis 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment

Bert Lewis served with the 8th Buffs. I know little about my father's war exploits, only what I can read of the history about his regiment/battalion campaigns in France and Belgium. Having joined up in 1914 and posted to France in August 1915, he must have taken part in numerous battles. He did receive serious injuries in the Somme, March 1918 in a short three-day battle at St. Quentin. The last information I have (in the form of certificate) is when he was honorably discharged on 6th May 1919.

Michael






  Pte. James Albert Larkin 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment (d.20th Dec 1916)

I have no connection to James Albert Larkin, however I am part of the creation of the database for all service personnel who gave their lives and the memorials where they are remembered, and in researching an action around his death date and wanted to add him to this roll of honour.

Patricia Donoghue






  Pte. Charles Heasman 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment (d.18th Aug 1916)

Private Charles Heasman from Kent. Served with 8th Battalion, East Kent Regiment. Died 18th August 1916. Charles was my great uncle. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial

Linda Owen






  Pte. Herbert Victor Bishop 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment

Herbert Victor Bishop served with 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment and was gassed (not known where), he died as result in 1933.

Steven Bishop






   Lionel Webb 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment (d.18th Aug 1916)

Lionel Webb was in The 8th Buffs (East Kent Regiment), he died on the 18th of August 1916

Sharon Webb






  Sgt. Richard George Parr 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment

Richard Parr served with the 8th Btn. East Kent Regiment

Gillian Pattenden






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