3rd Special Reserve The Buffs at Dover

[Phil Eyden]

Hi,

I am trying to put together information on the Dover garrison in time for the centenary next year - this may consist of a display, a guided walk, or a short local history booklet. I am therefore trying to piece together what I can on the training garrisons, i.e. 3rd East Surreys and the 3rd The Buffs as both were in Dover throughout the whole war, aside from the first few days.

I've managed to obtain the War Diary for the 3rd East Surreys for the first half of the war, i.e. to June 1916, but have drawn a complete blank on the Buffs. I've obtained Col. Moody's Historical Records of The Buffs but there is little detail in there.

Does anyone know if the records exist?

Any pointers or tales most welcome. Thank you,

Phil

[G661]

I know my Great Granfather was sent to 3rd Bn at Dover early 1915, after his hospital treatment in London, then re-joined 2nd Bn back in Belgium.

Paul

[sotonmate]

Phil

The Kew Archives series WO 95 for War Diaries are (almost) exclusively for units fighting in a war zone. Neither of these units left the UK. I am assuming that you have the QRR Archive Diary for 3 East Surrey.

Have you tried the East Kent Archive in Canterbury to see if they have a similar account of daily life in the UK for the period ?

[EastSurrey]

_{Phil,R.C.Sherriff,author of 'Journey's End'and others ,inc. C.Trenchard (the model for 'Trotter' in his play),who had been at the Front with 9th East Surrey, amongst other battalions of the regiment, served with 3rd E.Surrey at Dover. (I have information on a number of them).Surrey History Centre has Sherriff's letters, some of them sent from Dover, and a photo of him with another officer and men of 3rd Battalion.}

_Michael

[Keith_history_buff]

Interesting to read that both regiments were using prefixes to indicate General Service in the Special Reserve, which I would interpret to be any 1914 enlistments under the terms of Army Order 295

'SREKGS, which was shorthand for Special Reserve East Kent General Service. '
https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-buffs-east-kent-regiment-3rd.html

 

'were prefixed SRGS or SR/GS or SR/GS/ES (and probably a good many other combinations as well for that matter). The letters stand for Special Reserve General Service East Surrey.'
https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2011/05/east-surrey-regiment-special-extra.html