Royal Veteran Battalions were British Army units of the early nineteenth century that were made up of men no longer fit for front-line service.
The 1st Royal Veteran Battalion served in Portsmouth, Gibraltar, Holland, Landguard Fort, and Harwich, where they were disbanded in 1814.
[2][3] The 2nd Royal Veteran Battalion was first formed in 1802 at Plymouth and was disbanded and re-formed eight times in different parts of the country.
[2][3] In 1819, the 2nd battalion was re-formed at Portsmouth from fit out-pensioners to curb political unrest.
[2][5][3] The 3rd Royal Veteran Battalion was raised on Jersey and served there before being disbanded in 1814 at Chelsea.
[2] The 4th Royal Veteran Battalion was raised in Ireland and served there and in Gibraltar.
[2][3] The 8th Royal Veteran Battalion was raised in 1804 at Fulham and served at Cumberland Fort and on Heligoland.
In April 1813, a corps of seventeen "Mounted Veterans" was formed, presumably for maintaining communications between the various posts around Montreal.
On 10 November 1816, the ship transporting the families returning to England was wrecked and 143 drowned.
The remaining three companies in the Isle of Man transferred to the new 5th Royal Veteran Battalion in 1815.
[2] The 13th Royal Veteran Battalion was raised in 1813 at Lisbon from Peninsula War invalids.
[8] Veteran Battalion of the King's German Legion: On 26 January 1813 approval was announced for the formation of a veteran battalion "to receive the worn-out men of the Kings German Legion".
A memorandum of 8 February states that the battalion would incorporate the personnel of the Independent Garrison Company of the King's German Legion, then serving in Portugal.