The King's German Legion (1): 1803-12

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THE KING'S GE AN LEGION I) 18 -I I

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SERIES EDITOR: LEE JOHNSON

THE KING'S GERMAN LEGION (1) 1803-1812 r

TEXT AND COLOUR PLATES BY

MIKE CHAPPELL

OSPREY MILITARY

THE KING'S GERMAN LEGION (1) 1803-1812

THE RAISING OF THE LEGION

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Tm- H:AR 1803 the fourtccll-lllolllh European interlude thal ....'aS the I)eace of Amicns came 10 an end, and Britain once again weill to war again.st France. Napoleon Bonapane. stnlggling 10 rc\;ve France's econom\ and assemble a fleet. was surprised b, the British declaration of .....ar. He had the most po.....erful ann} in the world blll a second-rate na..". Britain had a powerful na...... but a wea" anm. Seeking to strike at the British, but thwarted b" I.he barrier of the English Channel, he senL an arm.. corps to occupy the King of England's Hanoverian electorate - the homeland from .....hich Britain's Hanmerian dmast.. had been ill\;ted to the throne in 1714, and over .... hich the\ still reigned - situated in that pan of Gennan)' that is toda.. Lo'.. er Saxon, and parts of North-Rhine Westphalia. One of the consequences of this particular piece of Napoleonic aggression was a stead... but gro.... ing mo..'emcnt of men of thc fonner Ilanm'crian Ann}' to England, \\here they rallied as the King's German Legion. Napoleon's r\llhless expansion and enforced rc\;sions of the political map of Europe created many lens of thousands of refugees, man} of whom ended up in the modey ranks of various, often shon·li.. ed corps in British pay. The KGL .....a s somcthing dilTerenL: a large force of all arms, which .....ould come 1.0 represent a significant minority of Brit.lin's troops in the field, whose professional quality would keep it in the forefronl of the British elTOr! 10 bring down the French dictalOr and to free the Hanoverians' COllnll1 from occupation by his troops. This is the first pari of their story.

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George William Frederick, King Geo"'8 III 01 Oreet Brllaln end Ireland, EIKtor of Hanover. When ag,..lng 10 the Utle 'Kin".. Garman Reglmenl' bejou bfllowed on unlt8 formed from

amonsI them talking In and IIflJoying their mu.lc.

The KGL campaigned in several western European countries at a time when lhe political map of Europe was constantly being re·drawn. From the Ballic in the north to the island of Malta in the somh, from Ireland and Portugal in the westlO Pomerania in the caSt, the KGL marched and frequently fOllght in a continent very different to that of today. In thc carly 19th century by far the most po""crful western European nation was Francc. In a continent that was a kaleidoscope of small states, France stood sccurc behind much the s.nne frontiers as toda),. A country of 27 millions ....;th a common language. and ..,;th a number of strategic mCTScas possessions, she was b} then in the thrall of Napoleon l\onapanc, a brilliant. ch.uismatic dictator determincd 10 impose his \\;\1 on lhc nations surrounding France; among thcse he regarded Britain as the most powerful and most constant of his enemies. Created 'Consul for lifc' in 1802. Bonap.'lrte was soon to crown himself 'Emperor of

tAuthon

thefun~·.

hi. Hanovenan aubjec:la h" would haye bMn mindful of the

l.et that" 'Qu••n" Germe" Regiment' wa. already In Br11I.h MMea, this title having been granted 10 the former Mlnorca

Regiment

'Of" thel. gallantry In

tM Egyptian campaign of 1801. The regiments of tn. KGL ~m. O~

great 'al/ouffl.. 0'

III, who loved to InO'H

0."",,"

dl'1lwlng

afte. e-chey)

3

Bc\ond Francc"s ('astern and ~OUlh-eas(ern frOlltiers 1'1\' the AUSlro-llungarian Empire of the Ilapshurgs. a \ee L"tch Ollll'r in action fOl the firsl time. LTndl'r hi~ Lomllling the gent:...a)'., appr('ci,llion ofJanscn's distillgui~hed conduct tAuthon coIled:1on) tllOIt d,u. On 2 SeplL'mlx'r thL' bomb. The expedition sel sail for Gothenburg in ~Ia, 1808; but the King of S"eden

would agree with no plan proposed bl ~loore, Arter riding al anchor for six Ileels, no douhl in considcnlble discomfort for Ihe lroops, the I\rilish force \\i1S ordered home. As soon as il relurned, withOlil rlisemharldng the troops. il was immedialch ordered 10 sail fO!' Portugal. E\enlS in Ihe lbel;an Peninsula Ilcre IX'ginning 10 mo\'e in falour of Ihe British. Elsewhere in Europe Napoleon's armies had conqucred or cowed into suhmission all who challenged his will. nUl his allemplS 10 subdue Spain anrl Portugal were to prOlC an espensile anrllong-dr..l\\·nOUI irrilaru and e\eIHualh a disaster, L'ntil Ihis lime the regime ruling Spain - hC:lderl nominalh b\ the dim-willed and complais;llll King C."l.rlos IV, hut aClllalh b, the Qucen '5 10ler Manuel GorlOl - had Ix'Cll ~apoleon's more or less \1;lling alh, scnding troops to sene with his Cr.mdc Annce in Gennan, ,md colluding in his altempt 10 close down I'Orluguc$C "'Ide with Britain. In Augusl 1807 Portuguese shippillg \1~IS cmbargOl.'d from all French pOrLs. Thc following monlh a Frcnch anllY corps WitS adrnilled to Spain in order to llH:rlace Portugal. In the s.lIne month Napoleon told the I'orlug"uese ambassador: 'The English say they will llot respecI nelllrais at sea. I will nOl respect them on land: The I'onllguese w('re ohliged LO bow to French pressure, and French troops "d,, u-W0n's 3rd 111ISS\ the French.) Changing his idenut... from that ofa sailor to a 'gentleman', Friedrich enjoved a high lifcsl\ Ie as he welH about obtaining recmits for the Legion. \\ithin a few davs he had enlisted six and had them spirited off to J Icligoland hv fishernlen in his pa\. With Ikucherini to forge his documents, Friedrich then became ~Ir 1I0hengrin, a Danish ci,il SCI"\-ant, and mOl'ed to J lanm'er to pursue funher recmits. J lis SlOll makes fascinating reading.

UNIFORMS ~Iany

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fine examples of the uniforms and insignia of the KGL exist in mllsellm" in Germany. Ilowe\'er. they arc nearl\ all from the later period of the Legion's existence. Less is kno\\'n of the uniforms of earlier times. The confusion surrounding lhe r-;:li~ing of the King's Germans resulted in the first recmits being clothed in rille b'Teen, In this they followed the pl-dctice of Olher German units cmplo>,ed by Britain, including Ilompesch's Light Infantry. llard)"s Royal York Fusiliers, Ramsay's York R.1.ngers and the rine battalions of the 60Ih Foot. M'Yor ....on der Dccken, the officer authorised inJul) 1803 to raise the King's German Regiment. was at that time an officer in the 60th. After the (wo Light battalions had been r:.lised the remainder of the infantry of the KGL were uniformed in the manner of the 8riti~h Ro}-al Regiments of the line, who most].., had RO\':'11 blue facing-;, a Ropl blue stripe in the lace of the junior r:.mk.ar'" rrom lheir rormalion. In the period covered b) lhis til Ie the on I) KGL unit insignia was that borne on unirorTll billions, and pain1Cd on equipment. the title or initials of the Legion being worn on shako and helmet plates, buckles and belt plates. [n British sel'\'ice military nlllk was indicaLCd in \>Ohl M muc:h 6estn>c:tlon In the hIndI of the cav,hymen of thlI King" Oennan Legion.

(Autho.... drawing)

F; 2ND KINO'S GERMAN DRAGOONS, 1812

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greatcoat. hls queued hair, and his Slngle-chevroo badge of rank. BesIde him IS a linstock WIth a slow-burning match cord, from whiCh the portfire next to it could be ignned to fire the gun. To the rear other crew members stand at ease around their gun. Painted 00 the Ilaps of their knapsacks is the KGA badge.

F1: Private, marching order ThIS so!dlEl( and his mount are depicted at the flrne of the nl9lmenfs astornshlng viCtory over the French squares at Garcia Hernandez. He has his rolled doak strapped above hIS PIStol holsters, the valise and comsacks betund the saddle, the carbine lucked into his pouch belt, and the haver.iaCk and canteen slung on hIS back • all gave a certain amount of protecllOO in a m!lee of horsemen or infantry. But the greatest protection came from the sword, as it parried cuts and points. Often criticised, the heavy, straight blade and disc hilt of the 1796 pattern heavy cavalry sword made it an ideal parrying weapon.

F2: Corporal, marching order ThIs NCO demonstrates the metal 'skull' worn inSIde the dragoons' hats when in actIOn; combined WIth ctunscales. they gave a great deal 01 protectIOn 10 the head. 0lK sub,ect wears the jaCkel and overalls 01 the time and shows the method of weanng the carbine belt, waist belt, sabretasche, havefSack and canteen. Regln'lental Insigma was worn on buttons aoo on the plate 01 the waist belt. Note his sword and the bayonet for his carbine.

G: KING'S GERMAN ARTILLERY, 1807 Ttus plate depicts a 9-poondef gun and crew of a foot battery of the KGA at the tJlne of the Bntl$h expedrbort to Detvnark. Except fOf illSlgl'llll they are dothed and eqUIpped as their Royal Artillery counterparts.

G2: Officer He wears the rather plam tJI\Iform of an officer of the 8mJsh arlJllery, the only KGA dlSlIl'1C!JOfIS bang borne on buttons and sword belt plate. H: GUIDON AND INSIGNIA H1: Cavalry guidon of the 4th Squadron, 1st King's German Dragoons. The ground was In the facing colour of the regiment, Royal blue. It was carned 00 a lance 9 ft long, to which It was secured by cords, and measured 2ft 3ins In height by 3ft Sins in length. The lance was secured to the bearer by means of a carbtne clip and belt.

una

H2: Shako plate, KGL battalions, 1805-13. Taken from a design traced from Hawtles' metal badge book and dated 1804, it is unlikety 10 have come Into S8MC8 unllliate 1805 Of

early 1806. H3: Offir'

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SPAIN

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THE KING'S GERMAN LEGION (I) 1803-1812 This title is the first of a t"~pan stud) of the King's German Legion the largest and mOSl respected of the foreign corps \\ hich fought as integrated elements of the Brirish Army during the :'\apoleonic Wars. Wellington considered the KGL C3yalry regiments the most professional in his Peninsular arm); and the qualit~ of the infantry \\3S implicit in the fact thaI the) were normal1) brig-Jded \\ith the Foot Guards. Drawing upon nc\\ research in British 3nd IlanO\erian 3rchi\al sources, i\1ikc Chappell's dctaile{l text 3nd meticulous illustrations offer unprecedented details of thi~ impressi\c fighting orgoanisation.

ME -AT-ARMS • An unnvaUed source of Information on the organisation. uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

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