King's German Legion
| King's German Legion | |
|---|---|
A line infantryman, light infantryman and hussar of the King's German Legion | |
| Active | 1803–1816 |
| Countries | United Kingdom Hanover (recruited from) |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | |
| Size | Approximately 14,000 |
| Garrison/HQ | Infantry at Bexhill-on-Sea Cavalry at Weymouth, Dorset |
| Battle honours |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | |
The King's German Legion (KGL; German: Des Königs Deutsche Legion) was a formation of the British Army during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Consisting primarily of expatriate Germans, it existed from 1803 to 1816 and achieved the distinction of being the only German military force to fight without interruption against the French and their allies during the Napoleonic Wars.
Formed within months of the French dissolution of the Electorate of Hanover in 1803, the KGL was constituted as a combined arms corps by the end of the year. Although it never fought autonomously and remained a part of the British army for the duration of the Napoleonic Wars, the KGL played a vital role in several campaigns, most notably the Peninsular War, Walcheren Campaign and Hundred Days.
The KGL was disbanded in 1816, and many of its units were incorporated into the Hanoverian Army, which later became part of the Imperial German Army after the unification of Germany into the German Empire 1871. The British German Legion, raised during the Crimean War, has sometimes been erroneously referred to as the "King's German Legion".