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The '''Carnatic European Veteran Battalion ''' was established in May 1811. The Battalion was used in the Madras Presidency for soldiers no longer fit for ordinary service but who were retained on the strength for less rigorous garrison duties. ==Purpose and history==
"These were soldiers who had finished their term of duty with the regular battalions and who were retained in 'Veteran's Battalion' in case they were called upon to defend the Presidency for any reason. In this case, it was the Madras Presidency. At different times, they were called the 'Invalids Battalion' and did, indeed, include men who had been injured sufficiently to exclude them from normal regimental duties but not too severely"<ref>India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/india/2007-04/1177314048 post] by Peter Bailey</ref>
"The battalion was mainly involved in garrison work, that is, guarding the garrison of East India Company units to free up the young and fit men for active duty".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070807154127/http://members.ozemail.com.au/~clday/bull.htm Bull Family History in India] from Cathy Day’s archived website "Family History in India" </ref>
The headquarters were at [[Masulipatam]]. Two companies, each of 50 men , were at [[Vizagapatam ]] and [[Ganjam]]. More details are in [http://www.archive.org/stream/historymadrasar01wilsgoog#page/n352/mode/1up ''History of the Madras Army Volume 3''], page 343 by W J Wilson 1883 Archive.org
In 1837 there were 211 men at Vizagapatum,<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=8QQHAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA50 "Extracts from the Annual Report by the Medical Board on the Health of the Honorable Company's European Troops serving under the Presidency o Fort St. George for years 1837-8-9"], ''The Madras Quarterly Medical Journal, Volume 3 1841'', page 50 Google Books</ref> 185 in 1838<ref> idem [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8QQHAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA54 page 54]</ref> and in 1839 average strength was 198<ref>idem [http://books.google.com/books?id=8QQHAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA63 page 63]</ref>.
==Also see==
*[[Madras Native Veteran Battalions]] which advises that "Europeans were in commissioned and non-commissioned officer roles, the latter including lance corporal, corporal, sergeant, sergeant major". These Battalions coninued continued until February 1860.
==British Library records==
