Ensign, British 3rd Foot (The Buffs), 1811The Buffs could trace their ancestry back to a company of Englishmen fighting the Spaniards in Holland in 1572. This ancient and famous regiment (later, The Royal East Kent Regiment, but universally known by their nickname throughout their service) arrived in Portugal in September 1808. When Moore advanced they were employed on escort duties and only the Grenadier Company of the 1st/3rd Foot took part in the retreat to Corunna. In 1809 the battalion were first across the river at Oporto and seized and held the vital seminary (There is a great read in one of the Sharpe's books about the Buffs! You should read it!) until reinforced. They fought with the 2nd division at Talavera, losing 152 casualties including their Colonel. At Albuera they were overrun by the Polish lancers and French hussars and of the 728 effectives who answered the roll that morning, only 65 answered their names after that battle. The Buffs earned a new nickname - 'The Resurrectionists' - for the speed with which they were brought up to strength again and went on to serve at Vittoria and in the Pyrenees in 1813/14.
The two colours of an infantry battalion were the King's (Union Jack) and the regimental (which was of facing colour, with the Union Jack in the upper canton and the number of badges of the unit in a central wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks.) These were carried by ensigns, protected by pike carrying sergeants. The ensigns were the junior commissioned officers and might be very young, due to the purchase system. There were a verying number in each battalion each of the ten companies had one captain and two subalterns but of these latter the proportion of lieutenants and ensigns was purely a matter of chance. At Albuera the regimental coloir of the Buffs was carried by sixteen year old Ensign Thomas. Alone and surrounded by French horsemen he was offered quarter if he gave up the colour. He refused and it was taken from his dead hand (The color was recovered later by the fusilier brigade). The other ensign fell wounded and the king's colour tottered. It was grabbed by an older officer, Ensign Latham. The British infantry officers sword was a flimsy affair, easily beaten down by a cavalry sabre, and within moments Latham had received one blow which almost cut off his face, and another which to all intents and purposes severed his left arm above the elbow. Still clutching the colours with his right hand, he sank down. After the fighting moved away he was found, unconscious and unrecognizable, with the colour torn from it's staff and hidden inside his blood soaked tunic. He not only survived, but received a special medal and the prince regent personally footed the bill for surgical treatment.
