KGL officers compensation programs

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello readers:

I have earlier mentioned Oberst a.D. Bernhard v.Poten's little publication which includes the above subjects.

- Half-pay conditions were much relaxed and by July 1814 or so officers of the KGL received the same benefits as British officers. After the dissolution of the Legion in 1816 the United Kingdom even had a paymaster residing in Hanover.

Even those officers transferred into the Hanoverian Army kept receiving half-pay which with prevailing exchange rates put those officers in a favorable financial situation over their Hanoverian comrades without prior service in the Legion. veteran officers also established a welfare fond into which a four day half-pay was entered to support needy former members incl. other ranks

- Wound compensation was paid and graded by rank of recipient and severity of wound .The service situation i.e. still on active service or pensioned off had no bearing on eligibility .

-Prize money was paid similar to what was the custom in the British Navy. Family survivors also benefited thereof. The Battle of Waterloo generated a good amount as did the Peninsula Campaign.A captain of the 1. Heavy Dragoons received for his participation in the Peninsula Campaign from the middle of 1812 to April 1814 61 Pounds and 2 Shilling. For a wound to the face which did not disable him from further service, he received one year salary and from the National Subscription after Waterloo another 60 Pounds. However a 2% fee was levied due two officers who acted as agents.Special allowances were sometime paid to compensate good services. These could be onetime payments or amounts tagged on pensions or such.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Guest Rick Research]

There was some sort of time limit on applying for wound payments-- complained of bitterly in records cited in the book on Britsih officers killed or wounded in the Peninsula.

Many officers in the British 1829 "Fragebogen" most often cited frequently said they either prevented themselves from being listed entirely or downgraded "severely" to "slightly" wounded on returns of wounded-- which were published in newspapers and caused great distress and anxiety to family members!

Were Hanoverian officers-- at least after the war-- able to "sell out" their commissions, as British officers did until 1877? If they were unable to buy promotions (same wretched system), eventually some sort of choice had to be made as to whether to go on half pay forever (which seems very very odd and would have left units with "no show" officers on the books but NEVER present) OR sell their ranks.

It is amazing to me that the French could have been defeated by this system.

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Rick.

Based on my reading in prior referred to works no mention of a Hanoverian officers commission purchase system is made. Also in hanover a universal national service was instituted already in the early 1800's (mind you the UK did not resort to that until 1915 I believe).

No mention is made of delay or diddling with the wound compensation or other delay in payment of half-pay which also did not seem to have adversely affected the staffing of Hanoverian units. It was reported that a good mumber of former officers did draw that pay for many years indeed. Delays in salary payments while on active operations were quite common though (up to several months) as were the supply of food stuffs through the official channels .

I found no mention of any procedure or similar for promotion from the ranks.

Bernhard H. Holst