British German Legion

The British German Legion (or Anglo-German Legion) was a group of German soldiers recruited to fight for Britain in the Crimean War. It is not to be confused with the King's German Legion, which was active during the Napoleonic Wars.

The leader of the legion was Major-General Richard Charles von Stutterheim (Baron Richard Carl Gustav Ludwig Wilhelm Julius von Stutterheim).[1]

In 1856, members of the legion were billeted at Barrack field in Colchester Garrison, where many married local women.

It was disbanded near the end of 1856, having seen little or no military action due to the war having ended. Facing difficulties in repatriation by having served a foreign country, the majority of members of the legion were resettled in the Eastern Cape Colony, in South Africa.[2] As a result, to this day there are place names of German origin in the area around King William's Town, including the town of Stutterheim.

Contents

See also

Bibliography

Charles Calvert Bayley (1977). Mercenaries for the Crimea: the German, Swiss, and Italian Legions in British Service, 1854-1856. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 0773502734. 

References

  1. ^ "Baron Richard von Stutterheim". Military History Journal (The South African Military History Society) Vol 3 (No 4). December 1975. http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol034jf.html. Retrieved 2011-03-18. 
  2. ^ Keith Tankard. "The Eastern Cape's German Settlers: Chapter 3: The German Military Settlers". The New Labyrinth of East London Lore. http://www.eastlondon-labyrinth.com/germans/index.jsp. Retrieved 2011-04-11. 

External links