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Jager Corps

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Alternative spelling Jaeger Corps
Also Initially the Corps was known as the British German Legion, or by variations such as the British German Legion Volunteers, the German Legion, the German Legion Volunteers Battalion and the German Volunteer Battalion. The terminology Jager Corps had been introduced by the end of 1859.
Contingents of troops of the British German Legion arrived in Bombay in 1858 from the Cape Colony (part of South Africa under British Occupation until 1910) for service in 1858India on the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny. They had their origins in the German Legion raised by the British to serve in the Crimea, which was then resettled in South Africa. These men were stated to be "in a great part not Germans, but men collected from continental seaport towns".<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=haxbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA22 Letter by Governor Sir George Grey dated Capetown 21 March 1859] page 22 ''Accounts and papers of the House of Commons:7: Colonies (including Cape of Good Hope) Session 24 January-28 August 1860. Volume XLV'' Google Books</ref>
For further details , see the [[Jager Corps#External links|external links]] below.
In late 1859, over 500 men of the Jager Corps transferred into the [[3rd Bombay (European) Regiment]] but still appear to have retained an identity as the Jager Corps, at least for a period of time, a few soldiers joined the Bombay Horse Artillery, and a number of soldiers elected to return to South Africa. The following appeared in ''Allen’s Indian Mail'' in January 1860, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=amlDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q=Jager%20corps&f=false page 56]
:"Dec. 13 [1859].—Adverting to G. O. No. 1, (dated Sept. 12 last, the C. in C. has been pleased to direct the following arrangements with respect to the late Jager corps:—
:The volunteers to the 3rd Eur. regt. as below will be formed into 6 companies with such present organisation as Maj. gen. Sir H. Rose, com. Poona div. of the army, may be pleased to arrange, pending the final embodiment of this detach, with the hd. qrs. of their corps:—
:14 sergeants, 11 corporals, 1 bugler, and 346 privates.
:[There were also six officers named as not required]
 
==Earlier volunteers from the German Legion==
This reference refers to a time at the conclusion of the [[Egyptian Campaign 1801]]: “...also embarked with us a large body of volunteers from the German Legion, for various corps in India".<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=AE40AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA135 Page 135] ''The autobiography and services of Sir James McGrigor, bart: late Director-General of the Army Medical Department''] 1861 Google Books</ref>
==British Library records==
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-iorlmil_8-1&cid=1-3-12#1-3-12 British Army in India: Nominal and Casualty Rolls of Jager Corps Volunteers '''IOR/L/MIL/15/31-36'''] 1860-1866. Includes troops serving with the 109th Regiment of Foot.
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-iorlmil_7-2&cid=1-1-9-3#1-1-9-3 Discharge papers, Jager Corps '''IOR/L/MIL/12/283''']. 1859-1861. The soldiers’ names are listed and the regiment is given as 3rd ER (JC)
 
==Also see==
*[[3rd Bombay (European) Regiment]], later the 109th Regiment of Foot.
==External links==
===Historical books online===
*A short recollection written by the son of Colonel James Warwick Wooldridge prior to 1876 about the history of the regiment. [http://www.archive.org/stream/linzeefamilyofgr02linz#page/822/mode/2up, Page 823] ''The Linzee family of Great Britain and the United States of America and the allied families of Penfold, Hood, Amory, Tilden, Hunt, Browne, Wooldridge [and] Evans: Volume 2'' 1917 Archive.org
*Extract:"There was an instructive instance of this in the German Legion which arrived at Poona in November and December 1858 from the Cape of Good Hope, with many of the men tainted with scurvy. They all recovered rapidly under the ordinary Indian ration, combined with the other favouring influences just adverted to. [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=y6QIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA147 Page 147] ''Report on measures adopted for sanitary improvements in India'' 1869 Google Books
*[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=haxbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA23 Letter by Governor Sir George Grey dated Capetown 21 March 1859] Section concerning sending troops to India. Page 23 ''Accounts and papers of the House of Commons:7: Colonies (including Cape of Good Hope) Session 24 January-28 August 1860. Volume XLV'' Google Books
*[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=SPVkzRU_qxcC&pg=PA211 Page 211] ''History of South Africa Since September 1795 Volume 3:1846-1860'' by George McCall Theal first published 1908 Google Books. The circumstances in South Africa.
*[http://archive.org/stream/tenyearsinsouth00westgoog#page/n96/mode/2up "The East India Campaign"], page 70 ''Ten years in South Africa. Only complete and authentic history of the British German Legion in South Africa and the East Indies. From the memoirs of Wm. Westphal'' 1892 Archive.org. This account indicates that a group of Volunteers arrived in Bombay 27 February 1860, many of whom died, and that some returned to South Africa later in the year. No other reference to this group has been found. '''Note this may not be a genuine account as there appear to be inconsistencies.'''
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