[22], In 1959, it returned to Britain for the last time, being amalgamated in 1961 with the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), to form the Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment. A total of 1,030 officers and men of the regiment left Southampton in the SS Bavarian in March 1900,[6] but the regiment's only action was a skirmish at Biddulphsberg, alongside the 2nd battalions of the Grenadier and Scots Guards. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who was responsible for the Cenotaph in London among many other war memorials, the memorial is a cenotaph almost identical to that on Whitehall but reduced to two-thirds scale and lacking adorning flags. These were the 3rd Battalion (Special Reserve), with the 4th Battalion at. [9][18][36][37], From 1951-1954, the sole remaining Regular Battalion contributed to the security forces that successfully contained the Communist guerrilla uprising in Malaya. Served with the 11th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment (service no.G18345). These were also men who did not re-enlist in the Army prior to World War II. [22] The campaign ended in mid-May 1943, with over 238,000 Axis soldiers surrendering. They were liberated by the advancing Russian Army on 23 April 1945. Army Prisoner of war interview reports 1914-1918 Our grandfather Alfred John Taylor was born in Dartford. The khaki service dress adopted in 1902, and battle dress from 1938, were both of the universal pattern. [39], The Home Guard platoon in the BBC series Dad's Army wore the cap badge of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. Returned to France April 1918. [22] Unlike in the Great War the battalion was not immediately in action, and the first few months of the conflict were spent digging trenches and defensive positions in expectation of a repeat of the trench warfare of the Great War. UK, World War I War Diaries (Gallipoli and Dardanelles), 1914-1916. THE ROYAL SCOTS (THE ROYAL REGIMENT) IN THE 1st WORLD WAR (WW1) At the outbreak of war The Royal Scots (RS) consisted of two Regular battalions, the 1st, at, or close to full strength of some 1000 all ranks, in India, and the 2nd, needing reinforcement by some 500 reservists, at Plymouth. In the Great War of 1914 to 1918 The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment raised 14 battalions who saw service on The Western Front,, Italy, Gallipoli and Palestine and Mesopotamia. In 1940, the younger soldiers of the battalion were split to help form the 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion. There are a number of different ways to search, depending on what information you already know: Unit Search Formed at Tonbridge in September 1914 as a second line unit. You can use this collection of war diaries from the First World War to get a picture of day-to-day life in your ancestor’s unit. After returning to England, the battalion spent almost the next two years on home defence against a German invasion. 2nd Battalion August 1914 : in Multan (Mooltan), India. In the Great War of 1914 to 1918 The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment raised 14 battalions who saw service on The Western Front,, Italy, Gallipoli and Palestine and Mesopotamia. The diaries covering Gallipoli and Dardanelles are in a separate database. The 50th Foot (the 1st Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment) had black facings until 1831 and subsequently dark blue. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1914-1919 A transcribed, “searchable” version of war diaries of the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers during the Second World War [25], The 6th and 7th Battalions were both part of the 36th Infantry Brigade, which included the 2/6th East Surrey Regiment (later replaced by the 5th Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)), itself assigned to the 12th (Eastern) Division, a 2nd Line TA duplicate of the 44th (Home Counties) Division. It was formed by merging the 50th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot and the 97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot. They enlisted in the West Kent Yeomanry during the Boer War…Feeling it their duty to “do their bit” for their country, they joined the Royal West Kent Regiment last autumn (on 9 November according to Private Filmer’s service records) and left for the Front on 2 February. In 1935, the 20th Londons was selected for conversion to the searchlight role as 34th (The Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Anti-Aircraft Battalion of the Royal Engineers, later 34th (The Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Searchlight Regiment of the Royal Artillery. The regiment fought against Pashtun tribesmen on the North-West frontier of the Punjab in 1897-98, and in South Africa during the Boer War from 1900-1902. Moved to Mesopotamia, arriving Basra 6 February 1915 where it came under command of 12th Indian Brigade. Service records show he landed Aug 15, 1914 with Btn., A Coy. The 1881 Army reforms gave Kent two county regiments, one of which was The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). On the previous day they spent a … [18][31][32], The 8th (Home Defence) Battalion was raised in 1939, presumably from the National Defence Companies and would have consisted of men with previous military experience, but who were too old or unfit for active duties, along with younger soldiers. With the division, the 6th Royal West Kents landed in North Africa during Operation Torch and were involved in the Run for Tunis. With the rest of the division, the battalion fought in the Italian Campaign, alongside the 1st (until it was sent to Greece) and 6th battalions for the rest of the war, and landed in Taranto, Italy on 24 September 1943, shortly after the initial invasion. About 1951 its personnel adopted a supplementary shoulder title of 'THE QUEEN'S OWN' in grey on black beneath the RA shoulder title and above the AA Command arm badge. Out of 750 men, only 300 commanded by a lieutenant and a second lieutenant survived. See more When the regiment was formed, Kent was one of five counties (the others being Surrey, Staffordshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire) that was split to create more than one regiment. The Buffs. The item is in a very good general condition. He served out in Burma, The Chindits 1943/45. Our comprehensive research service uses a range of sources, from medal cards, service and pension records, to Battalion War Diaries and contemporary newspaper reports. At the Battle of Loos in September 1915, the 8th (Service) Battalion, raised the previous September, lost all but one of its officers, and 550 men. The Royal Regiment of Artillery at the time of the Great War comprised three elements: Royal Horse Artillery. UK, World War I War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920. I am having some trouble locating the correct diaries for the period. His Territorial or Militia number was 2443 but by the time he was discharged from the Royal West Kent's in 1919 it had changed to 240678. [18] AA Command was disbanded in March 1955, and as part of the reduction the regiment was merged into 265 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, becoming 'Q Battery (The Queens Own)', based at Lewisham. UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920. It remained in this role until late 1943, and in February 1944, the battalion, now up to strength again, was sent to the Italian Front, and fought in the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino and, after pursuing the retreating German Army, where they helped breach the Trasimene Line, took part in the battles for the Gothic Line. On 20 August 1942, however, the 7th Battalion left the brigade and was reassigned elsewhere, being replaced in the brigade by the 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Hardworking and dependable soldiers hardworking and dependable soldiers know more about your soldier,... The campaign in Cyprus against EOKA guerrillas around 1958/59 ( nominally being amalgamated with the 11th Battalion, Own. Those known to have served with Royal West Kents landed in North Africa during Operation Torch and were involved the. 3Rd May 1915 by Lord Harris, Vice lieutenant of Kent, at time... 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