Dear John
A trawl through my reference books revealed little; I then contacted an old
friend who has an impressive array of Military Refrence works and Regimental
contacts.
What follows is with acknowledgements to him.
You were right in the assumption that the phrase originated in the
Peninsular War. It is attributed to the Colonel of the Buffs. During an
engagement,the Buffs, as senior Regiment were positioned on the right flank
in an advance against the French. The enthusiatic Buffs moved rapidly and
got well ahead of the general line of advance, whereupon the Colonel is
reputed to have shouted:
' Steady the Buffs, give the Slashers a chance!'
>
The 'Slashers' was a nickname accorded to the Regiment to the left of the
Buffs in the advance line.The Buffs were brigaded with 2/48th(The
Northamptonshires) and the 2/66th (Berkshires) One of these Regiments must
have been nicknamed 'The Slashers' . The engagement was a bloody one, the
Buffs suffered 85% casualties.
I think the full exhortation has a splendid ring to it, but I also feel that
it was appropriate for RK to have Captain Gadsby (during his meeting with
Miss Threegan ) use the truncated version. The added phrase: 'Give the
Slashers a chance' might not have made much sense.
Regards
Michael Jefferson
>-----Original Message-----
>From: John Radcliffe <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Friday, March 30, 2001 7:45 AM
>Subject: Re: Steady the Buffs
>
>
>>Dear Augusta
>>
>>They were a notable regiment of the British Army, the Third Foot,
descended
>>from a regiment raised for Dutch service in 1572, and the London
>Trainbands,
>>all of which had buff coloured facings to their uniforms.
>>
>>The 3rd Foot had become popularly known as 'The Buffs' by 1702, and this
>>became part of their official name by 1751.
>>
>>The expression 'Steady the Buffs' was used by Captain Gadsby to himself
>>under conditions of social embarrassment in Kiplings tale 'The Story of
the
>>Gadsbys', but I suspect that was not the origin of the expression. It
>sounds
>>like the Duke of Wellington to me. But others may know better.
>>
>>All good wishes, John Radcliffe
>
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