The Redcoat History Podcast

So, who were these men in redcoats - the lower ranks - that fought Britain’s wars across the globe?

They marched across Europe and thrashed the French, overcame huge odds in India and stood to-to-toe with the fiercest opponents on earth.

But despite their courage and ability to endure any hardship - society and, sometimes, even their own officers held them in low regard - to say the least.

Today we are going to examine their backgrounds, how they were recruited, their training, their love for booze and of course we will ask were they really the scum of the earth?

The British army officer has one of the most impressive, but also most polarising, reputations in military history.

 

On the one hand, he is the calm, polished gentleman. Sword in hand, Chin up. Standing in the smoke while the men around him look at him for courage and inspiration.

 

On the other hand, he is also seen as the chinless aristocrat. The idiot in a fancy uniform -  A man who may know exactly which fork to use at dinner, but not necessarily which direction the enemy is attacking from.

 

But which image reflects the reality?

 

In this episode we will explore the history of British army commissions…examine the brave warriors who lead us to incredible victories and look at the bizarre stories of  children with commissions, rich fools, petty tyrants, and men who had absolutely no business being trusted with soldiers’ lives.

 

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This episode is part of my new Osprey-sponsored Redcoat Vs... series - here is a link to their books - http://ospreypublishing.com/

In 1845, British redcoats arrived in northern New Zealand expecting a simple colonial campaign. What they found instead was a brutal lesson in Māori warfare. Behind walls of sharpened timber, hidden trenches, loopholes, underground shelters and cleverly designed pā fortifications, Māori warriors showed the British Army that courage and bayonets were not enough. In this episode of Redcoat Vs..., we look at the Flagstaff War which is also known as Hōne Heke’s War or the Northern War. We examine the fighting at Kororāreka, Ōhaeawai and Ruapekapeka, the strengths and weaknesses of the redcoats, the brilliance of Māori pā design, and the hard lessons the British learned in New Zealand.

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The British army’s regimental system is uniquely confusing. It’s been the backbone of the British army for centuries. Some would argue it’s the secret to our success. . . But what exactly is it? How did it begin? How has it changed over the centuries and is it still relevant and important for a 21st century military force?

Stay tuned to the end to find out my thoughts on that.

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Three more forgotten campaigns…

The strange, sprawling, global war fought by British soldiers, sailors, marines and East India Company troops in places most people never associate with the redcoat at all.

Today we are heading first to the River Plate, where Britain tries to break into Spanish South America through Montevideo and Buenos Aires with some courage, some skill, and quite a lot of  misplaced optimism

Then we go to Mauritius, or Isle de France, a French base in the Indian Ocean where Napoleon’s ships were making life deeply unpleasant for British trade.

And finally, we end up in Java, where a British expeditionary force lands in the East Indies to take on a Dutch colony that had effectively become part of Napoleon’s empire.

Three campaigns. Three continents. Three very different stories.

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