27th Jäger Battalion (Finland)
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Finnish 27th Jäger Battalion (Template:Lang-de), was an elite light infantry unit in German Army 1915–1918 which consisted mainly of the volunteers of Finnish Jäger troops.
The recruitment of the Jäger volunteers from the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland had to be secret, and was dominated by Germany-influenced circles, such as university students and the upper middle class. The recruitment was however in no way exclusive. The recruits were transported across Finland's western border via Sweden to Germany, where the volunteers were formed into the Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battalion. It was continuation and expansion to the "Boy Scout Training" (Pfadfinderkursus) and Lockstedt training group (Ausbildungstruppe Lockstedt), which had given military training to Finnish volunteers eager to fight for independence.
More than 200 university students had participated in the so-called Boy Scout training – they dressed in Boy Scout uniforms during the training, and they became the officers of Finnish Jäger Troops. This group was expanded by extensive recruitment autumn 1915 and spring 1916. Goal was to grow the unit to 1,200 men, including artillery and pioneers. As the new recruits included working class young men and farmers as well as sailors, not so many of them knew German. So it was necessary to create military guide books in Finnish, and the commanding vocabulary was created.
On 1916-05-09 the battalion was baptized[clarification needed] to Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battalion (Königlich Preussisches Jägerbataillon Nr. 27) and received new, green uniforms.
The Jäger Battalion participated in the ranks of the German Army from 1916 in the battles of World War I on the northern flank of the eastern front.
After the outbreak of the Civil War in Finland Jägers who intended to engage on the "White" (anti-communist) side in the war were released.
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