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1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment, the Buffs was based in Egypt when war broke out in 1939. They saw action in the Middle East and Italy.
10th Apr 1941 Reliefs
22nd Oct 1941 Reliefs
21st Jan 1943 In Action
24th Jan 1943 On the Move
25th Jan 1943 In Action
26th Jan 1943 In Action
7th Feb 1943 Forward
28th Feb 1943 Quiet
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment? There are:1326 items tagged 1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Capt. Samuel P. Barnard 1st Btn. Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) I have just come across two editions of "The Dragon" (the Regimental Paper of The Buffs) dated October 1946 and August 1947 amongst the papers of my late father, Capt. Samuel Barnard (13.10.1923 - 13.04.2017). On page 195 of the latter edition is a photograph of the Battalion's officers taken at Aliki, Greece, in late 1946/early 1947.
Nicholas Barnard, Lt/Col. RMP (Retd)
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Pte. Sydney Grindy 5th Btn. Royal East Kent Regiment My father - Private 6286696 Sydney Grindy of the Buffs
(Royal East Kent Regiment). He served with the 1st, 2nd and 5th Battalion
between 1937-45.
He was taken prisoner at Le Milliard on 24th May 1940. He was confined in Stalag XXA at Thorn (9/6/40 - 16/4/41) Stalag XXB at Marienberg (18/4/41 - 17/5/43) Stalag XXA at Thorn (27/11/43 - 23/1/45). He was also posted to the following work camps - Elbing Camp from 20/5/41 - 17/2/42 and Konitz Camp from 11/4/44 - 23/1/45. I am particularly keen to trace any members of the regiment who may have been confined with my father during this period.
I wish I had listened more to my father on the few occasions he spoke about
his experiences in the camps. Much of what I have read on the memories page
(which is excellent) I remember my father speaking about when I was young. I only wish I had been able to record this information, as many of the
contributors to your excellent memories page have already done.
As a family we are desperate to contact people - of any nationality - who
may have know my father during his time as a POW. Can any one help in some way or offer us some advise?
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Cslm Lewis George Parsons 1st and 2nd Btns. Buffs My Granddad, Lewis George Parsons Cslm 6279907 "The Buffs" POW stalag XXB Group 92 was captured at Dunkirk and a POW to the end of the war. I do hope this helps all out there. I have a full list of all the group of men that were with my granddad as below.
- Pvt Rose GF 6289129,
- Pvt Hall J 6288252,
- Fus Morrow S 6979015,
- Pvt Grundy J 4467304,
- Pvt Harrison R 4394716,
- Rfn Clarke G 14219983,
- Pvt Fielding D 5253149,
- GDSN Watkins I 2752901,
- Sigm Lloyd D 2482516,
- Pvt Endean R5435517,
- Pvt Johnsonson S 5112505,
- Pvt Dexter LM 2050812,
- L/Cpl Pearson FL 4586940,
- Cslm Parsons LG 6279907 my Granddad,
- Pvt Willsmore GC 6347379,
- L/Bdr Morton M 833406,
- Pvt Grant J 2882863,
- Pvt McFarlane R 77396,
- Pvt Hague A 6747061,
- Pvt J ones W 6463242,
- Fus Jacobs G 6466682,
- Pvt Strudwick TF 6345056,
- L/CS Eaton J 3452192,
- Pvt Ashby AK 6976369,
- Pvt W alker A 5107679,
- Pvt Thursfield W2188618,
- Pvt Ord T 4272738,
- Fus Ord PD 427272737,
- Gnr Holden T I 836109,
- Rsm Hidgeon B 6847715.
Died 27/4/1974
All the best.
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Cpl. Howard Kendall 1st Btn. Royal East Kent Rgt (The Buffs) (d.13th April 1945) My uncle, Howard Kendall, was killed in Italy on 13th April 1945. He is buried in Argenta Gap War Cemetery, III.F.8.
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Mjr. Henry Bernard Harvey MC. 1st Btn East Kent Regiment Lt Henry Harvey, 1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regt (The Buffs) served in North Africa and Italy.
On 21st March 1943 he was ordered to go to the enemy line to assess the forces and defences in the area near to the Roman Wall at El Hamma. With his Sgt he approached the area and, under heavy enemy MG and Artillery fire, surveyed the area and marked the minefield. He returned, unharmed, to his own lines and reported back to his commanding officer.
On 26th March 1943 he volunteered to rescue a Capt of the Northumberland Regt from behind enemy lines. The Capt was wounded and when found Lt Harvey carried him to the troop carrier under heavy enemy fire from MG and then lay on top of the Captain to prevent any further injury.
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William John Turrell 1st Battalion Royal East Kent Regiment My uncle Bill - William John Turrell was born in 1919, Bromley Kent. I have been told he was with the royal east kent regiment (the buffs). Sadly, my uncle passed away in 1983. He never really spoke of the war days, but I guess, knowing what I know now, I can see why he never spoke about things.
I have just been given a photo of my uncle. I believe the photo was taken in a prison of war camp in september 1944 at Molln, I believe that this was in Pupping Austria, camp number Stalag 398. His POW number was 155006.
My uncle Bill is the big man in the centre of the back row, I don't know who the other men are but it would be nice to find out.
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Cpl. George Homewood 1st Battalion The Buffs George Homewood was my father. The army was his family from the day he ran away from his foster home in Lamberhurst and walked to Canterbury to enlist, he had to lie about his age to get accepted. He spent much of his time in the far and the near east. He met and married his first wife whilst serving in Burma, unfortunately his wife died in child birth. He never spoke of this until around a week before he died. My mother was his second wife, they enjoyed 45 yrs of married life. He was a corporal at the time of his capture, together with his squad he had hidden in a barn but a young soldier with him lost his nerve when the hay around them was prodded with bayonets. He was sent to Stalag XXA but from here the story becomes sparser, he "like many" did not speak very much in detail of the camp life. Only relating specific happenings and events,such as the fact that he became a tailor "altering"`uniforms for the escapees. Using ink and boot polish to "dye" the material. His fingers were not delicate but it seems he could "sew" with the best, and his embroidery equals the best you can find. He told me of the radio kept in the bass drum of the camp orchestra, of the time the prisoners were getting rowdy and louder whilst being held on the parade ground, ordering the guards to raise their rifles made no difference to the POWs behaviour and this prompted the commandant to draw his pistol and shout "Stop or I shoot myself" needless to say that caused even more uproar among the POWs. I remember one time walking down the local High St on a Saturday when we heard my fathers name called out, it was a man who had been in the same camp, and had recognised my father, not bad after 20+ years. My father has passed away But I write in the hope that somebody out there will be able to add to my limited knowledge. I have a photograph of Dad and the rest of his hut? I will share this if anybody can add names etc.
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