1st / 3rd Foot (The East Kent, The Buff's) Regiment of Foot

1823 - 1827

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The Regiments

Known as (nickname)................................................... " The Buff Howards " " The Nutcrackers " , & " The Old Buffs "

Facings........................................................................... BUFF

Braided Lace.................................................................. Silver

Service in Australia ....................................................... Divided into four detachments the Buffs were separated. First detachment left Deptford for Sydney in 1821. Second detachment left Deptford for Hobart 1822. The third detachment (The Buffs Head Quarters) left Deptford for Sydney 1823, arriving the same year. The fourth detachment arrived in Sydney in 1824 and were stationed at Port Dalrymple, Parramatta, Liverpool, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Botany Bay and Bathurst . The Regiment reunited and was transferred to Calcutta in 1827.

Deployment as .............................................................Separate detachments while in  Australia; redeployed as a complete Regiment at Calcutta in 1828

Commanding Officer.....................................................Lieut. Colonel W. Stewart & Lieut Colonel C. Cameron

Surnames of the 3rd Regiment soldiers who stayed

Ships the 3rd Regiment sailed on

Weapons used by the 3rd East Kent Regiment

Representation of the 3rd's Regiment Uniform

The 3rd Regiment came into existence as the Holland Regiment of Foot in 1665 serving in Protestant Netherlands against Spanish Catholics. Following a British declaration of war against Holland in 1689, the Regiment was recalled to England and was renamed the Prince George of Denmark's Regiment . During this time the Regiment was known as "The Buffs" and was eventually called the 3rd East Kent Regiment of Foot from 1782 till 1881. Following 1881 the Regiment became known as "The Buffs East Kent Regiment"

The Buffs and the 48th Regiment had a close affiliation as it was during the same battle, the Battle of

Albuera, that the Buffs ,the 1/3rd Regiment were all but wiped out as a Regiment. Of a total of 755 men 643 were killed.

One of the most important items to all Regiments, was to retain their colours as to loose the colours not

only meant defeat but a disgrace to all who served. During the Battle of Albuera ,a great feat of bravery was displayed by one of the Buffs to ensure the colours did not fall into enemy hands.Lt. Matthew Latham, despite suffering shocking wounds and the severing of one arm refused to let the colours fall to the French. He fell on the colours whilst under the hooves of the French Cavalry charge, saved and held the colours secure.

The following is a history of many name changes.

1665.....The Holland Regiment of Foot

1689.....Prince George of Denmark's Regiment

1708.....The Buffs

1783.....3rd (East Kent) Regiment of Foot

1881.....The Buffs (East Kent) Regiment

1961.....2nd Battalion of The Queen's Regiment

3rd Regiment- on November 25th, 1823 departed England for Australia and arrived as a guard aboard the

Convict transport "Ann and Amelia", with families, on January 2nd, 1825.
A group of 20 soldiers from the 3rd Regiment (c.1823), 20 convicts, an unknown number of wives and children, and a handful of civilians (including William Hovell, who was to act as their local guide following his supposed discovery of Westernport in 1824), left Sydney on the morning of November 9th, 1826 and reached Westernport 15 days later. The settlement was short-lived, but by the time the 3rd Regiment was due to leave NSW, the Government had not given it up, and the 3rd was replaced by soldiers from the 57th Regiment, recently arrived in NSW. Some members of the 3rd who wanted to remain in NSW transferred to the 57th.

References

Family Members, Military records  ,Pay rolls, Pay Musters, Cemetery Records, Church Records & General Muster Records, Mitchell Library ,Sydney Australia