The Redcoat History Podcast

Six Victoria Crosses were won by 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers on the first day of the Gallipoli campaign. This is the story of those incredible men and their actions. If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject: https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/ If you are very generous, you can also buy me a coffee and help suppo...

Do you love military history? Then this is the podcast for you. The Forlorn Hope. Brave lads who volunteered for near-suicidal missions, such as first into the breach of a siege. Their name is mainly synonymous with the Napoleonic Wars. But what is the history of the Forlorn Hope?  Who were they?  How did armies find enough volunteers for such suicidal missions? James Mace co-wrote this episode an...

#Arnhem80 - 80 years ago this week, the 1st Airborne Division was dropped into Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden. While history often recalls the chaos and tragedy of the battle, one man’s bizarre bravery stands out: Major Allison Digby Tatham Warter, a British officer so eccentric that he carried an umbrella into battle. This is his story - brought to life in a script written by my good f...

Today, we're diving deep into one of the most dramatic and overlooked chapters of the Peninsular War. We’re focusing on Wellington's first taste of battle against the mighty French army —the gritty and fiercely fought battles of Rolica and Vimeiro in 1808.These Two clashes set the stage for a legendary career and changed the course of history! Today I'm joined by Rob Griffith. He’s an acclaimed hi...

Gunboat Diplomacy at Its Best: The Shortest War in History When we think of wars from the 19th century, we often imagine protracted conflicts that dragged on for months or even years. However, one war was so brief that it lasted less time than the first half of a football match (or soccer, for our American friends). The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 holds the record as the shortest war in history, an...

The Indian Mutiny of 1857. Known in India these days as the First War of Independence. A bitter hard-fought conflict in the sweltering heat of northern India. It’s a war we’ve covered here on Redcoat History before but it’s a fascinating conflict that saw a small number of redcoats massively outnumbered and surrounded, far from support and short on supplies. It was a war that showed Victorian Brit...

WW1 - waves of young soldiers walking forward into a storm of steel. Generals - a set of blundering fools - sat safely behind the lines drinking champagne.  The British unwillingness to accept new technology and new tactics. These are the stories we grew up with. That we still see in the popular media.  But what if they are wrong? What if I could explain to you today that the British and Empire ar...

In this episode, you’re going to hear about 5 men who won a shed load of medals… not just military ones, but Olympic ones too. Buy Redcoat History Merch here - https://bit.ly/redcoatshirts Max Fahler's Substack - https://maxfahler.substack.com/ If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject: https://redcoathistory.com/newslette...

Today we are talking about the “Good Americans” - those who stayed loyal to the crown during the American Revolution. Lieutenant General James Robertson, a senior British general in America said that it was always his intention to subdue the bad Americans with the “Good Americans.” Well, he was referring to those brave loyalists - the men who knew right from wrong and respected their King. Special...

It’s a WW1 campaign that is largely forgotten. In fact it’s been derided as a sideshow. But was it? Today I am joined by Jake Gasson - https://x.com/JakeGasson1918 - to discuss the Salonika campaign of 1915-1918. At its peak, the British Salonica force or BSF numbered over 200,000 soldiers  - but many senior officers felt this was a huge waste of resources. In today’s episode Jake will talk us thr...

Today’s Podcast is all about a forgotten war in the mountains of southern Africa, and it’s about King Moshoeshoe, the most incredible king you’ve never heard of. It’s about how to win when you have no chance. We’ll learn how British soldiers intimidated their enemy by cooking lunch in the middle of a battle, and we’ll see how cattle rustling can get you into a lot of trouble. If you are interested...

A special thanks to today's sponsor - Osprey Publishing - The destination for military history books. Here is the link to their website - https://bit.ly/redcoatosprey Britain and Portugal...It’s the longest continuing alliance in global history… and Winston Churchill said it was an alliance “without parallel in world history”. In today’s Podcast we will explore some forgotten conflicts like that o...

This episode is a detailed look at the history of Maori soldiers, especially in the two world wars. German Field marshal Erwin Rommel allegedly said of them, "Give me a Maori Battalion and I will conquer the world." But what is the full history and just how effective were they? let's find out.  If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book o...

His life was straight from the pages of a swashbuckling novel… Some even say he was the inspiration for Harry Flashman… Do you know who it is? It's Colonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby of the Royal Horse Guards. Built like a brick outhouse, strong as an ox, brave as a lion…I could keep going on but I think let’s get stuck in to today’s interview with John Hawkins. John’s written a two volume histor...

In today's episode, I examine which regiment is the oldest in the British army... It's not as straight-forward as you may think.  If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject: https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/   If you are very generous, you can also buy me a coffee and help support the channel via https://ko-fi.com/redc...

The 9th Cape Frontier War is almost completely forgotten. But today's guest presenter Cam Simpson has been doing a lot of research on the little known Battle of Umzintzani. It was a desperate fight deep in rural South Africa - it's a fight rich with valour, excitement and tragedy. Cam is the author on numerous books about military history and they can be purchased via this link - https://amzn.to/3...

Why is the British army (man for man) so damn good and why has it been so effective over the centuries? In today's episode we explore the unique regimental system. If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject:  https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/ You may also wish to get early access to my videos, without ads. Therefore yo...

The British redcoats of the American revolution… Often mocked, undervalued or portrayed as red-coated imperial storm troopers with a hatred of freedom loving American rebels. In the last episode, we looked at who they really were, their backgrounds, places of birth and how much training they received. Well today we are joined once more by author Robbie McNiven to find out more about the 33rd regim...

The British Army of the American revolution. Like most British armies throughout history, they were over-stretched, under resourced and fighting thousands of miles from home against a tough and determined enemy. But what do we really know about these men in the red coats? Were they the proverbial scum of the earth? Was the army their only option to avoid the gutter? Where were they from and how lo...

Many VC winners have struggled to cope with their sudden fame and our hero today is one of them. He rose through the ranks to command one of the most famous units of the South African Frontier. He earned a VC fighting the Zulus, served with distinction against the Basothos and then mysteriously disappeared. Today’s story is about an incredible man - but one who remains an enigma. A special thanks...

Beards...currently (March 2024) there aren't many jobs in the British army that allow beards...But Pioneer Sergeant is one of them. But what is their story? Why are they allowed beards and what is the history of this important role? If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject: https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/ Sign up f...

Henry Hook VC has been called the most famous private soldier in British military history.  Does the name ring a bell? I’m sure it does - he was the bad lad in the film Zulu. We’ve spoken about him before on the show but today we are going deep, learning more about his life and about the actions that lead to his Victoria Cross at the Defence of Rorke’s Drift. We have a brilliant interview today wi...

Today I am joined by Matthew Taylor to discuss The Corps of Colonial Marines…Escaped black American slaves who joined the British cause during the War of 1812. The unit was a force multiplier - men who knew the battlefields like the back of their hand and were very highly motivated. Not only were they an important part of the British war effort but their descendants still make up a unique ethnic g...

The Sepoys on the Western Front…often praised - sometimes derided. Were they lions in the trenches or did they fail the big test against the Germans? Were they terrified by artillery, did a huge number deliberately wound themselves, and could they operate without command and control from their British officers? These are all thorny questions and ones which we will be examining closely today. To di...

The British Army - those famous redcoats, cavalrymen and green clad riflemen - became surprisingly adept at fighting small wars of empire during the Victorian Era. We won war after war and battled enemies from across the globe. But it wasn’t all one way traffic. Yes, I know it’s painful but there were quite a few defeats for the British army. Today we are looking at five times the British army wer...