Coorg & Mysore Rifles

[Roy]

Greetings Gents,

I just purchased a Coorg & Mysore Rifles badge (not in my hands yet) and was interested to find a little on the history of this unit but nothing much is coming up on an internet search. I'm looking for a potted history nothing too in-depth. Does anyone know anything or knows of an online link that I can check out?

All the best, Roy.

[peter monahan]

Coorg and Mysore Rifle Corps


The Coorg and Mysore Rifles were an volunteer corps based in Coorg and Mysore. They served under the Madras command.

Chronology

1884 raised 21st Nov from detachments of the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers

1897 transferred to Coorg and Mysore

1917 amalgamated with the Bangalore Rifles to become 6th Bangalore, Coorg and Mysore Battalion

Details

Headquarters - Mercara
Uniform - Khaki drill[1]

Detached companies

South Coorg
West Mysore[1]

There you are - pretty potted!
Peter

[Roy]

Hi Peter,

Outstanding, many thanks indeed and well 'potted'!

Not much at all out there on this unit. If you (or anyone) can point to any history on the web I would be interested in learning a little more.

Cheers, Roy.

[peter monahan]

Roy

Off the top of my head: The Coorg and Mysore Volunteers were part of the Indian volunteer movement, in this case apparently made up from among the British coffee planters of the Mysore region. Like Volunteers [later Territorials] in the UK, they probably trained the odd weekend and had an annual camp. Some Volunteer units were mixed race but this one probably all British.

In military terms the unit may have been called out from time to time for 'aid to the civil power' - read 'riot control' - but you'd have to get a detailed hsitory of the region to find that out.

When WWI broke out, the Indian Defence Act allowed the conscription of 'Britons domiciled in India', which made it quite unpopular and explains why in 1921 the Indian Auxilliary Force - all volunteer - replaced the Indian Defence Force. The Coorg and Mysore may have been called on to do some coast watch duties or man a battery somewhere but equally may not have been mobilized. A lot of these units were quasi-social clubs, like the infamous 'Calcutta Tight Horse', who used their HQ as a club and their cavalry mount allowance to subsidize their polo. Oh, and snuck into Goa and captured a German submarine supply vessel in 1943! Not sure the Coorg & Mysores were quite that aggressive.

Here's a tidbit on the forming of the corps by Colonel Logan, a coffee planter:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=8WNE...rifles&f=false

Hope this is of interest.

Peter

[Roy]

Hello again Peter,

Thank you so much for these interesting details. These more obscure units are always difficult to research but certainly no less interesting for that. Very much looking forward to getting my badge to this unit and I'm thrilled to have a little more knowledge thank you you Peter.

All the very best, Roy.

[pinfrin]

Originally Posted by peter monahan

Roy

Off the top of my head: The Coorg and Mysore Volunteers were part of the Indian volunteer movement, in this case apparently made up from among the British coffee planters of the Mysore region. Like Volunteers [later Territorials] in the UK, they probably trained the odd weekend and had an annual camp. Some Volunteer units were mixed race but this one probably all British.

In military terms the unit may have been called out from time to time for 'aid to the civil power' - read 'riot control' - but you'd have to get a detailed hsitory of the region to find that out.

When WWI broke out, the Indian Defence Act allowed the conscription of 'Britons domiciled in India', which made it quite unpopular and explains why in 1921 the Indian Auxilliary Force - all volunteer - replaced the Indian Defence Force. The Coorg and Mysore may have been called on to do some coast watch duties or man a battery somewhere but equally may not have been mobilized. A lot of these units were quasi-social clubs, like the infamous 'Calcutta Tight Horse', who used their HQ as a club and their cavalry mount allowance to subsidize their polo. Oh, and snuck into Goa and captured a German submarine supply vessel in 1943! Not sure the Coorg & Mysores were quite that aggressive.

Here's a tidbit on the forming of the corps by Colonel Logan, a coffee planter:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=8WNE...rifles&f=false

Hope this is of interest.

Peter

Many thanks for the details.
(I have a C & M spoon, was trying to learn more.)
Gaylor has a brief note:
C & M Company (1933) <- Amalgamated with 6th
Bangalore Coorg & Mysore Bn (1917) <- Coorg & Mysore Rifles (1884)
(Was not called out / embodied.)

[Roy]

Hi Pinfire,

Thanks for sharing that. And well done on your C&M spoon. Would love to see some photos if you're interested in sharing?

I will add my new badge to my album one it arrives hopefully not too long to wait now.

All the best, Roy.

[Roy]

My new Coorg & Mysore badge just added to my album, link below:

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...p?albumid=2309

Love this new addition, beautifully struck with wonderful quality an detail.


All the best, Roy.

[peter monahan]

Lovely badge, Roy!

[Roy]

Hi Peter,

Thank you for that, I'm really thrilled with it.

All the best, Roy.