1793 - 52nd - present at the capture of Pondicherry (India).
1914 - Battle of Mons; 2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI present.
1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – BUS-LES-ARTOIS.
2nd Lieutenant K Peploe rejoined from duty at the Base.
55th Reinforcement – 23 Other ranks joined.
1916 – 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – OVILLERS POST
Battn in reserve trenches.
At 9.15am the Battn moved up into the line & took over trenches from the 1/6th GLOSTERS. The 1/4 OXFORD & BUCKS LI were on the right & the 3rd Battn WORCESTERS on the left.
BATTN IN TRENCHES (O.G.1.) 81.R.31.DE M03.X.8.A
At 4.30pm A & C Coys of the 1st BUCKS BATTN attacked the enemy’s front line at Points 33, 21 & 79. A Coy attacked the trench between Points 33 & 31 (both inclusive), C Coy from PT 31 to 79.
A preliminary bombardment was carried out by our heavy guns & Stokes Mortars & from 3pm – 3.5pm our field guns placed a barrage on the objective.
The attacking Companies attacked in two waves but were unable to attain their objective owing to a heavy barrage of hostile field guns & machine guns.
A slight advance was made towards point 31 along the trench 19-31 & most of trench 27-79 was occupied, a bomb stop being erected about 70 yards west of point 79.
Casualties were heavy:
Killed
2nd LIEUT E.G.H BATES.
2nd LIEUT W.R.HEATH.
OR 24
Wounded
2nd LIEUT M. BOWEN.
2nd LIEUT H.M.BRETON (7TH BN MANCHESTER REGT ATTACHED 1ST BUCKS BN)
OR 61
Missing
OR 14
D Coy 1/5 GLOSTERS moved into trenches in support of 1ST BUCKS BN.
Repeated efforts were made to capture point 31 & 79 by bombing attacks but they could not be pushed home.
During the night a new trench was commenced joining up the bomb stops in trenches 27-79 & 79-76, the 1/4 OXF & BUCLS LI cooperating on the right.
A patrol was sent out from trench 19-81 to investigate point 33.
1918 - Battle of Albert; 2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI present.
1944 – 2nd (AB) Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – LE PT CASTEL - Normandy:-
1 R.U.R. had no success in their attempts to cross the river during the night, and the Regt was ordered to move fwd to TOURGEVILLE and 'D' Coy were sent fwd to occupy the high ground overlooking the river at ST. ARNOULT while the 1 R.U.R. moved further South. 'D' Coy suffered a few casualties from enemy arty and mortar fire during the day but our own arty returned the fire with interest and succeeded in silencing two of the hostile btys.
1944 – 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion (Normandy):-
AM - CO and Adjt visit 5 Kings at LION SUR MER who are in the same state of suspended animation as ourselves. They still know nothing.
PM - CO and Adjt visit 101 Beach Sub-Area to see if they know anything. Comd 101 Beach Sub-Area accompanies CO and Adjt to HQ L of C where 'A' branch assume that we have been under comd L of C since 1200 hrs 22 Aug. They also state that we are to have a minimum cadre and after a lot of humming and hawing the infm is dragged from them that eventually we are to receive new intakes of 'bomb happy' gentlemen and recruits from England to train as a future garrison. It was particularly stressed that this was still unofficial as 'officially' we must not be told anything. This statement produced a certain amount of righteous indignation from the Comd Offr who asked how we were to know who to retain on the cadre if we did not know our future role. Everyone said they couldn't agree more but 21 Army Gp had apparently decreed that we were to be kept completely in the dark, so that was that. Highly unsatisfactory. Visited Reforsec and were shown the cadre consisting of 16 Offrs and 136 ORs. This stated that coy comds must go and the QM but we retained a skeleton Support Coy. Reforsec said that these men were urgently required and would be posted almost immediately, once we let them know our draft availability state. The posn regarding stores and vehs was still not cleared up.