The King's German Legion (KGL) was a British Army unit, made up of expatriate German personnel, 1803–1816, that had the distinction of being the only German force to fight without interruption against the French during the Napoleonic occupation of the German states.
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History
When Napoleon imposed the Convention of Artlenburg (Convention of the Elbe) on July 5, 1803, the Electorate of Hanover was dissolved and its army disbanded. Many former Hanoverian officers and soldiers fled the French occupation to Britain; George III, Elector of Hanover, was also George III, King of the United Kingdom.[1]
The same year, Major Colin Halkett and Colonel Johann Friedrich von der Decken were issued warrants to raise a corps of light infantry, to be named "The King's German Regiment". On December 19, 1803, Halkett's and von der Decken's levies were combined as a fundament of a corps of all arms to be formed and renamed the King's German Legion. The KGL infantry were quartered in Bexhill-on-Sea and the cavalry in Weymouth, Dorset. [2] [3] Some units saw action in Tullamore, Ireland, in the so called Battle of Tullamore.[4]
The number of Officers and Other Ranks grew over time to around 14,000, but during the 13 years of its existence about 28,000 men served in the Legion. It saw active service as an integral part of the British Army from 1805–1816, when its units were disbanded.
Organization
Cavalry
- 1st Regiment of Dragoons (1804–1812, red jacket)
- changed into: 1st Regiment of Light Dragoons (1812–1816, blue jacket)
- 2nd Regiment of Dragoons (1805–1812, red jacket)
- changed into: 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons (1812–1816, blue jacket)
- 1st Regiment of Hussars
- 2nd Regiment of Hussars
- 3rd Regiment of Hussars
Infantry
- 1st Light Infantry Battalion
- 2nd Light Infantry Battalion
- 1st Line Battalion
- 2nd Line Battalion
- 3rd Line Battalion
- 4th Line Battalion
- 5th Line Battalion
- 6th Line Battalion
- 7th Line Battalion
- 8th Line Battalion
Artillery and engineers
- King's German Artillery
- 2 horse batteries
- 3 foot batteries
- King's German Engineers
Campaigns
Although the Legion never fought autonomously, its units participated in campaigns in Hanover, Pomerania, Copenhagen and Walcheren, the Peninsular under General Sir John Moore; and the retreat to Corunna; the Peninsular Campaign under the Duke of Wellington, including the battles of Bussaco, Barrosa, Fuentes de Onoro, Albuera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, Garcia Hernandez, Burgos, Venta del Pozo , Vittoria, San Sebastian, Nivelle, Sicily and the eastern parts of Spain, Northern Germany and Göhrde.
In the Peninsular Campaign, the Germans enhanced the veteran core of the British army. At Sabugal, in April 1811, several hundred German hussars augmented the Light Division, and the Hussars found the proper ford of the Coa River.[5] At the Battle of Garcia Hernandez, the Dragoons performed the unusual feat of smashing two French square formations in a matter of minutes.[6]
At the Battle of Waterloo, the 2nd Light Battalion — with members of the 1st Light Battalion and the 5th Line Battalion — famously defended the farmhouse and road at "La Haye Sainte." As a Hanoverian militia battalion was on its way to reinforce the defenders of Haye Sainte, the French cavalry attached to Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d'Erlon's Corp I rode them down; only a few of the intended relievers survived. After a six hour defense, without ammunition, or reinforcements, the Germans were forced to abandon the farm, leaving the buildings in shambles and their dead behind.[7]
Legacy
The Legion was known for its excellent discipline and fighting ability. The cavalry was reputed to be among the best in the British army. According to the historian Alessandro Barbero, the King's German Legion "had such a high degree of professionalism that it was considered equal in every way to the best British units."[8] After the victory at Waterloo, the Electorate of Hanover was re-founded as the Kingdom of Hanover. However, the army of Hanover had been reconstituted even before the final battle, so that there were two Hanoverian armies in existence. In 1816 the Legion was dissolved and some officers and men were integrated into the new Hanoverian army, but not all, which led to much hardship, especially for the men of the lower ranks.
Battle honours
The KGL received these battle honours:
- Peninsular
- Waterloo
- Battle of Venta del Pozo (1st and 2nd Light Infantry Battalion)
- Garcia Hernandez (1st Regiment of Dragoons )
- El Bodon (1st Regiment of Hussars)
- Barossa (2nd Regiment of Hussars)
- Göhrde (3rd Regiment of Hussars)
Memorials
- Plaque on the outside wall of 'La Haye Sainte'
- Monument opposite 'La Haye Sainte' commemorating the dead of the KGL
- Hanover - the Waterloo-column
- Osnabrück - the 'Heger Tor' formerly called 'the Waterloo - Tor' commemorating the officers and soldiers of the KGL
- Commemorative stone at Wittingen, Lower Saxony. Inscription: Des Königs Deutsche Legion 1803–1815 - Peninsula, Waterloo, Göhrde
 Plaque on the outside wall of La Haye Sainte |
 Monuments next to La Haye Sainte - the one on the left is for the KGL |
 The Heger Tor - formerly called 'The Waterloo-Tor'. Memorial to the KGL in Osnabrück |
 Stone in Wittingen, Lower Saxony |
German army
After the unification of Germany, some of the old KGL units that had served in the Hanoverian Army were perpetuated in the Imperial German Army, which eventually led to their serving in the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht during the Second World War.
- Kavallerie-Regiment 13–1st Regiment of Light Dragoons
- Kavallerie-Regiment 13–2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons
- Kavallerie-Regiment 14–1st Regiment of Hussars
- Infanterie-Regiment 16–1st Line Battalion
- Infanterie-Regiment 17–1st Light Battalion
See also
Sources
- Adkin, Mark The Waterloo Companion Aurum Press London 2001 ISBN 1-85410-764-X
- Barbero, Alessandro, The Battle of Waterloo. Walker and Company, 2005, ISBN 0-8027-1453-6.
- Beamish, N.Ludlow History of the King's German Legion vol 1,1832 reprint Naval and Military Press, 1997 ISBN 0-952201-10-0
- Chappell, Mike. The King's German Legion (1) 1803–1812. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-85532-996-4.
- Chappell, Mike. The King's German Legion (2) 1812–1815. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-85532-997-2.
- Smith, Digby . The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
- Urban, Mark. Wellington's Rifles: Six Years with England's Legendary Sharpshooters, 2004. ISBN 08027-1437-4
References
External links
- King’s German Legion (in German) 2nd light battalion and 5th line battalion re-enactment society
- Kings German Legion (UK) 1st light battalion re-enactment society
- King’s German Legion (in German) 5th line battalion re-enactment group
- King’s German Legion (in German & English)
- King's German Legion at Regiments.Org
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