New book charts WWI history of the Buffs

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New book charts WWI history of the Buffs

The Royal East Kent Regiment

A new book by University of Kent academic offers a new insight into the life and times of the Royal East Kent Regiment, also known as The Buffs, during World War One.

Using previously uncovered material, Dr Mark Connelly explores the personal lives of the soldiers at the front and the reactions of the regiment to the shock of modern warfare.

He also reveals how The Buffs' experiences, both as individuals and as a regiment, affected the East Kent community.

According to Dr Connelly: “For people at home the emotional impact of the war was probably most keenly felt at Christmas, particularly as the winters of 1914, '16 and '17 were especially harsh.

“There is no doubt that The Buffs were involved in the 1914 Christmas Truce, although it was not the unilateral ceasefire it is sometimes portrayed as.

“There are no records of regimental activity between December 21-28, which indicates there was no desire officially to note what had happened during those dates. This is also borne out by photos taken during this time.

“Back in Kent, the officers' wives were sending 'home comforts' parcels to the men at the front. They set up collection points across the region, for example at Canterbury and Benenden and people donated shirts, tobacco, scarves - anything that would bring a bit of cheer to those freezing in the trenches.”

East Kent's geographic position meant its inhabitants were far more aware of the war than others elsewhere in the country. The Buffs always
had a strong sense that they were at the vanguard and that they were defending the gateway of England.

“You could hear the guns from Ypres in East Kent, and when the U-boat action was at its height in 1917, officials drew up plans for the evacuation of the area,” said Dr Connelly, who is head of the School of History at the University of Kent

He added: “In many ways, the war was good business for East Kent.

“The barracks built for holding troops before they went to the front needed supplies and contractors to support them.

“The Medway towns benefited in particular and Dover and Folkestone became a major transit port.

“But there was no-one to work in the hop and apple orchards. Men originally came from London to replace those who had joined the Buffs but soon they too were needed by the regiment.

“The fishing industry was ruined and places like Folkestone never recovered. Originally established as an Edwardian resort, now it was now in the thick of it.”

• Steady The Buffs!: A Regiment, a Region, and the Great War is published by OUP.

POSTED: 07/12/2006 12:50:13