Entry to the military, medical and nursing services of the East India Company's Army...

The series falls into six categories: 1) Recruitment of European private soldiers (1753-1861); 2) Entry of officer cadets (1775-1940); 3) Records of Addiscombe Military Seminary and of the Royal Engineering Establishment, Chatham, (1809-62); 4) Appointments to the Indian Medical Service, Veterinary Service and Nursing Service (1787-1920); 5) Temporary commissions in the Indian Army and the Indian Army Reserve of Officers (1917-21); 6) UK appointments of civilian artificers to the Indian Army 1921.

The discharge papers of those EIC Army other ranks who took unpensioned discharge in India in 1859-61, viz: Bengal L/MIL/10/303-17; Madras L/MIL/11/278-81; Bombay L/MIL/12/282-86 contain a duplicate record of the soldier's L/MIL/9 entry registration as well as details of his character and service

Unrestricted

The East India Company's Armies in India came into existence in the 1750s and consisted of native regiments of infantry and cavalry plus at each Presidency (Bengal, Madras, Bombay) a European corps of artillery and infantry - in addition a few EIC European cavalry regiments were raised in the UK as an emergency measure during the Mutiny in 1857-60. During the 18th century the Company was only permitted to recruit periodically in the UK under Royal Warrant but from 1801 it received annual drafts of recruits from the British Army and in 1810 was allowed to set up its own independent UK recruiting establishment. Regular officers were directly appointed to the EIC Army from its inception in the 1750s, a permanent Indian Medical Service was established in 1764 and an EIC Veterinary Service in 1826. Direct recruitment of European private soldiers to the Indian Army ceased c1861/62 following the transfer of the EIC European corps to the British Army - however British Army NCOs could still enter the Indian Army via the Unattached List and subsequent promotion to the warrant officer rank of Sub-Conductor. From the late 19th century onwards most young officer cadets were appointed to the Indian Army after graduating from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and spending a probationary year with a British Army regiment in India. An Indian Military Nursing Service, recruited in the UK, was set up 1887 - prior to that date nursing in Indian military hospitals was performed by male medical orderlies of the Military Subordinate Medical Service.