The Buffs..why?

[trenchtrotter]

Hello,

Why were the Buffs called the Buffs? Was just pondering and I am sure one of you will noe.

Thanks

TT

[manchester terrier]

they wore buff coats? or the facings of their jackets were yellow/buff?

[ralphjd]

Manchester terrier is correct the 3rd Regiment were issued with armour made of soft leather originally and later the facings and waistcoats were buff. Ralph.

[Steven Broomfield]

Going back in to the mists of time, Regiments of Foot were known b the name of their Colonel.

The 3rd Foot and the 19th Foot were both commanded by a chap named Howard (different men, obviously). To differentiate them, they were known by the colour of their facings (the turn backs on the coat, and lapels, used to identify regiments in action and on the march).

One had buff facings and were known as The Buff Howards; the other, green facings. You can guess their name.

For some reason, "The Buffs" stuck, despite the regiment being known (I think) as The Holland Regiment, and as the Royal East Kent Regiment at various times.

[Pete1052]

The Green Howards were in combat in South Carolina during the American Revolution. One of its old battlefields there is now underneath a man-made lake.

[Tinhat47]

^ Which one? I'm about 20 minutes from Kings Mountain.

[trenchtrotter]

Thanks all...

TT

[Pete1052]

Eutaw Springs was fought near Eutawville in the central part of the state. Part of the battlefield is underneath Lake Marion but some of it is on dry land. The battle in September 1781 was technically a British victory but their casualties were so high that they had to withdraw their forces to Charleston. A month later Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.

About 15 years ago the commandant of cadets at a British university, Scarborough College if I recall correctly, placed an inquiry in an American military history journal asking if anyone knew what the Green Howards had done in the American Revolution. His cadet force, which was affiliated with that regiment, was planning a trip to the U.S. and he wanted to know if there were any places where the regiment had been that they could visit. I sent him a detailed letter with citations and advised him that the bass fishing at the lake was not to be missed! I received a nice thank you from him.

[Stephen Garnett]

Hi TT,

If you have the time here is a regimental history for today's Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment (PWRR), which gives an interesting account of their origins. This includes the Buffs.

http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/P...Reg_History.pdf

I think, looking at your photos, that my party may have passed you in Ovillers on Thursday morning. I did not know that the 12th Division were there in the days following the 1st July and have just read the 6/Buffs war diary for the 3rd. Was it there that the question first came to you?

Kind regards,

Stephen Garnett

[per ardua per mare per terram]

I thought it was because they were so good at buffing floors!

[Pete1052]

The British hero of the battle of Eutaw Springs was Major John Marjoribanks, a Scotsman of the 19th Foot (Green Howards) who was mortally wounded at the battle. During the battle he commanded a composite battalion composed of the grenadier and light infantry companies of three battalions from different regiments. At the time those flank companies were considered to be the elite fighters of the British infantry. Major Marjoribanks' grave is in the small 2.7-acre state park on the remaining part of the battlefield. The link below shows the historic marker erected in his memory at the site:

http://www.royalprovincial.com/history/battles/Eutaw9.shtml