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→Purpose and history
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, or who had finished their tour of duty with regular battalions.
==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 Bailey, Peter. [httphttps://archiverweb.rootswebarchive.ancestry.comorg/web/th20201002021728/readhttps:/india/2007-04mlarchives.rootsweb.com/listindexes/1177314048 postemails?searchemails=+Captain+George+Atwell+SMITH&listname=&searchsubject=on Captain George Atwell SMITH] by Peter Bailey(Scroll down) ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 23 April 2007, now archived.</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>.
Orphan schools were established at Vizagapatum about the year 1830, as an asylum for the children and descendants of the men of the European veterans at the station<ref>idem [http://books.google.com/books?id=tHQIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA368 page 368]</ref>.This appears to indicate that by this time, the headquarters were at Vizagapatum.
==Other European Veteran Battalions==
The Madras Army List corrected to the 1st January 1857 shows a European Invalid Artillery Company stationed at [[Pallaveram]] and an Infantry company at [[Vizagapatam]]<ref>Google Books snippet search result partially shown in [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=YaQrAAAAYAAJ&q=Pallaveram&dq=Pallaveram&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SjkuU96UOsvCkQXa-YFw&ved=0CFIQ6AEwCDhG ''The Bulletin The Military Historical Society ''- Volume 47, Issue 185 - Volume 48, Issue 192] - Page 128</ref>
It appears that there were European Veteran Battalions in existence in February 1860 when the Native Veteran Battalions were disbanded, as the European officers from the Native Veteran Battalions "will be posted to the European veterans"<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=amlDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA195 "Reduction of the 1st and 2nd Native Veteran Battalions"] government order dated 10 February 1860, page 195 ''Allen’s Indian Mail January-June 1860'' </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 at least 1859February 1860.
==British Library records==
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-f4_6&cid=1-1-27-5#1-1-27-5 IOR/F/4/389/9902] Apr 1811-Feb 1812 Content:On the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Madras [Lieut General Sir Samuel Auchmuty], the European Garrison Companies of Invalids are formed into a Battalion designated the Carnatic European Veteran Battalion.
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-f4_9&cid=1-1-23-9#1-1-23-9 IOR/F/4/635/17309] Mar 1806-Jun 1819 Content:Alterations in the pay and constitution of the Carnatic European Veteran Battalion - division of the Battalion into Artillery and Infantry Wings etc.
==External links==
== References ==
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[[Category: Madras Army]]
