As a Civil war reenactor here in the U.S. I love video like this. I really like hearing from other reenactors from different time periods able their hobby. If I live in England I would have joined their unit/club since I am fascinated by this time period for England. Keep up the good work and stay patriotic. GOD SAVE THE KING! 👍🇬🇧
What American 🇺🇸 would call themselves a yank come on chief don’t embarrass us and gloat over the beaten British empire. They stole the red from Rome’s empire as well.
As a u s marine in Vietnam , there werea few items that were " lost " almost constantly . Like the hated gas mask . Noone of my knowledge ever used the damn thing for anything other than a pillow .
A little known trivia is that it was a living history group of re-enactors who rediscovered how Roman soldiers built defensive ditch and spike palisades. There was just one old contemporary drawing showing a v-shaped ditch approx 1 yard wide and deep with the spoil forming a bank behind it, but with a small ledge on the earthwork side. There was also a written description of the double pointed wooden stake that each soldier carried.. but nothing existed that described how the two fit together. For many years the assumption was that the stakes were just driven vertically into the top of the earth bank behind the ditch but the re-enactors found that it was all rather easy to step over the ditch, placing one foot onto the ledge (monody could understand what the ledge was for) and to force a way through the vertical stakes. Instead they eventually hit upon the idea of tying two stakes together to make an X shape, stick the ends into the ledge and then tying a third stake on top, resting on the crux of the X, with one point facing the enemy and the other pressed into the earth bank.. to create an effect similar to a modern day tank obstacle. Three men could thus man some 6 feet of frontage and alongside their comrades would form two ranks, front rank with one man standing each side of where the central spike was and another directly behind where the third spike was driven into the earth bank.. The solution was so simple and effective (and solved the ledge question) that there was no better way that the Romans could have done anything different, so the art of this style of palisade was effectively rediscovered, by the the re-enactors, after being lost for some 2000 years
As a 79th Cameron light company member I can tell you the uniform is not the problem but the age of most of us. The age of most of the real soldiers would have been under 30 the age of most reenactors is 40 ++ like we see in this splendid group of men. Young recruits are most of the time family members because it is a very expensive way of spending your free time. It is also made more and more complicated by those in power . They hate people walking around with old fire arms or even a bayonet. Maybe you can visit us at the end of august in Almeida.
Where is Almeida? Are You in Portugal? I liked Your comment and like history, Living History and shooting and collecting firearms especially Military. My Moms maiden name was Souza. Her Mom’s maiden name was Almeida and Her Mom’s maiden name was De Borba all from the Azores. I also really enjoy taking My Kids to Living History events and dressing in period clothing. We used to have a very large Renaissance Fair Here in Black Point just East of Novato Calif. We also have a small Civil War re enactment at Duncan’s Mills along the Russian River. North of there on the coast along Highway 1 stands Fort Ross a Historical site maintained in its original configuration and style as built and occupied by the Russians until 1841. There are also fortification’s on Angel Island and the Marin Headlands. Under the South End of the Golden Gate Bridge is Fort Point Constructed after the Gold Rush of 1849. Sometimes they host encampments there and occasionally a re enactor dressed in period Civil War Uniform will greet visitor’s at the gate. My Paternal Grandfather was 18 when He was in the Italian Army that fought at Adwa in 1896. He barely escaped capture there. Your Remark about governmental Paranoia and fear of its Citizen’s rings true. My Dad would say the government is gun shy because if the people ever found out how bad they were getting fucked with no love they would be pretty upset.
Yes I agree I've always wanted to get into ww2 reenactment but at 44 I'm too old to do justice to the ww2 soldiers who were in there late teens to mid 20s in the main.
Ah, the fewest the finest the 79est! Reenacted the Camerons (napoleonic and 79th NYSM ACW) in the late 80'ies and 90'ies and when in my prime, when I was in my twenties and even back then it was largely an "old mens hobby"... Enjoyed it immensely back then, playing the pipes from 30 years war to the ACW outfits, taught you about the hardships of those lads those days even without shot and shell flying at you in earnest!!!
As a former US Navy sailor who had to wear whites I can feel for these soldiers with the white belt. Their NCOs probably made them spend hours each day cleaning them.
Excellent presentation. As an Army veteran, I'm always drawn to military history, especially when it involves Anglo-Zulu or Anglo-Boer wars. My great, great grandfather ( on my father's side ), born 1803 in Ireland, served in the 45th Regiment of Foot, the Sherwood Foresters. Apparently, they had taken a beating in Afghanistan, 1841 or 42. The survivors were shipped down to the Cape of Good Hope. Arrived in 1843. Some were deployed in the Northern Cape, others including my great, great grandfather were sent to Natal, objective was to keep the peace between the Burgers ( Boers ) and the Zulus. Apparently he was a Major with the 45th. While in Natal he met his second wife, a Dutch Girl ( a Boer ), born in Utrecht, Holland. They settled in the lower Umzimkhulu River valley, and farmed, after he retired from the Army. One of his sons was killed during the Anglo-Zulu Battle at Isandlwana, 1879. Thank you for sharing those details, has special significance to me. My great grandfather, from Bethnal Green, London, a recent arrival in Natal, married one of the Major's daughters. They settled in the Himeville, Underberg area. One of their sons, my grandfather, a Corporal with the Border Mounted Rifles, fought against the Germans in South West Africa during WW1. My father, a Staff Sergeant with the Natal Mounted Rifles, fought and was wounded during the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt during WW2. My oldest brother, a Sergeant, tank commander, took part in the conflict in Angola about 40 years ago. I was in the process of transferring to a Commando Unit, as Signals Officer, Lt. when my wife and I decided it was time to emigrate. My mother and her family were from England. Her father fought in WW1 in France and WW2, stationed in Egypt. He died with the rank of Lt. Colonel with the King's Royal Rifles. His son, a Captain with the 7th Gurkhas, fought against the Japanese Army in Burma during WW2. My sister-in-law, married to my oldest brother, her father was a Spitfire pilot, took part in the Battle of Britain during WW2. My sister-in-law married to my third oldest brother, her father was taken POW during the battle of Tobruk, WW2. Shipped off to POW camp in Italy. My father-in-law, a Sergeant, was the navigator in a bomber crew, stationed at Cairo during WW2. It appears I'm connected to a few wars, conflicts which have taken place in various countries around the world, hence the interest in military history.
Thanks folks, great to see all those uniforms and equipment. From that period, my favourite sidearm is the Webley No.5 Army Revolver. I once got to fire one and was impressed by how naturally it pointed exactly where I wanted to shoot,
I enjoyed the exhibition very much. It was great meeting you and having a quick chat.Matt the big guy had a long chat with me and my mate. Very interesting and knowledgeable guy!!
I was surprised to hear that wearing the uniform when it was 42 degrees was merely 'warm'. I would have expected it to be bloody roasting! When he was talking about bayonets I couldn't stop thinking of Corporal Jones in Dad's Army. 'They don't like it up 'em!'
I can testify that wearing the uniform in SA in January 2019 when it was 42 degrees it was as you say merely warm. I could not believe it but with no moisture/humidity (A dry heat) and drinking plenty of water it was doable and the kit worked. As a side note wearing the very same kit back in the UK later the same year over a hot bank holiday weekend in a heat of 26 degrees it nearly killed me - how mad is that.
@@jamesthompson3674 Just goes to show the difference between dry heat as in South Africa and wet heat as in the UK. Less heat but with humidity is worse.
If you're posting as a Brit, you really should research what the "British Empire" actually did solely in pursuit of financial profits above all else. One book I would highly recommend to you is: "Legacy of Violence" by Caroline Elkins. That tells you all you need to know about the "British Empire" and what it wanted to achieve - even after WWII! MsG
in my opinion, reenactors do a brilliant service to those interested in military history ! when it comes to details, there´s no better way debunking the myths than being hands on on trying out for real. that aside, they can give a representation of how certain events in history could have looked like and in the field of british military history, the Diehards are certainly premium. when it comes to minute detail in handling of small arms I may recommend Rob and his britishmuzzleloaders channel, who is also an aquaintance with the Diehards ! my only objection woulde be, there´s never enough of them. witnessing a fullblown company or battalion salvo would be quite something !
Really loved this video, I do Canadian Northwest Rebellion reenactment which uses a lot of the same type of equipment. The British army always knows how to dress sharp!
sharp looking, yes - am kind of surprised that miltary thinking hadn't turned yet to using uniform colors that don't do such a splendid job of advertising torso sized targets to the enemy. Well, it's just that firearms had become vastly more effective for accurate shooting from greater distance by this point in time.
Well consider me your newest subscriber. I've always found the Victorian era very fascinating I've been wargaming the second angle Afghan war for a few years now as well as I wear a British pith helmet and khaki jacket in my day-to-day life. so I'll definitely be sticking around to hear more of the history
Another great Video! ❤ Thank you. Would be interesting to see a similar video with the Zulu 'campaign kit' being discussed in this manner. Thanks Again.
I own both a martini Henry(mk4)and a snider(mk2* that has had the wood cut back for hunting). Here in Canada both martini’s and sniders are fairly common. The snider seen service here for a very long time in one form or another full length rifles and carbine were used by the north west mounted police into the 1920’s they were also used by prisons for a long time with buckshot. In the late 1890’s into the early 1900’s rifles were cut down into “cadet” carbines for the cadets(kids under military age). They were sold as surplus sometime in the early 1900’s and lots of people bought them and used to to put food on the table.
Loved this video, nice and relaxed yet very informative ...................... Please tell me I am not the only one during this video who was playing out scenes from the film Zulu in their head.
Love that they’ve stuck to the accuracy of officers frock having a more robust dye than the other ranks, leading to the other ranks bleaching to a brownish-red. Only at 6:42 myself now so I’ll be interested to see if it comes up
I hope my brothers and sisters at arms will accept the sincere respects and regards from the officer and men of Company C, 4th United States Infantry Regiment, Washington [State] Civil War Association. Our company garrisoned the Puget Sound in decade prior to the Civil War and went on to fight in the Eastern Theater. Our intention is to present the common soldier and give students a 'boot's eye view' of history, replacing those marble images with human beings. Military historian is often seen as a quirky 'collector hobby' in the US, little different than restoring classic cars. But it's always seemed to me that historian is a respected profession in the Commonwealth and I was **deeply** impressed with some of the remembrance efforts surrounding the Great War. Respectfully Submitted, -/s/ CR Hicks Jr. - First Lieutenant - Co. C, 4th Infantry Reg't - Ft. Steilacoom, Wash. Terr'y
Another very interesting video Chris, as someone else commented, it would have been good to know a bit more about their footwear, an extremely important bit of kit. Fridays sound great to do posts, good to know there is a regular slot in the week for them. 👍 Keep up the excellent work.😊
Thanks mate. They actually did comment about footwear but I cut it out to keep the film shorter - I regret that now 🤦🏻♂️ (ps just edited this as I realised how I had written it before made zero sense 😂)
@redcoathistory I always enjoy them. The last year has been quite hectic with my job, but its settling down now. I have a lot of catching up on all your videos, which I am looking forward to.
Wow! From Sharpe I get all the info about the Army in India/Peninsula in the Napoleonic era; there's loads of info about the army in the Great War and WWII; but this was the first time I watched a vid about kit in Victorian times! Thanks again!
I always liked Fripp's painting, saw the original in the National Army Museum a long time ago and here in Melbourne I have a good-sized print framed and up on the front room wall.
Excellent way to demonstrate, show and tell about the soldier. More of that kind. His uniform, weapons, equipment, use, advantages and disadvantages should for my taste be much more elaborately and detailed described. For me, re-enactors are an opportunity to experience the soldier up close as a living mannequin. What I have a hard time digesting is that it is all too often an overweight, grey-bearded man of 50+ who dominate the numbers, when it was supposed to be boys at 16 - 30 years old that was the reality; but I imagine that they absolutely have a bloody good time when they are "on duty" and peace be with that. Great show. Well done Chris. By the way, what about the New Zealand wars?👍Jan
Hi Jan. I was a reenactor playing an English Civil War pikeman (later promoted to standard bearer) in the UK a couple of decades back. You're right, most of the group were middle aged chaps and only myself and a couple of other pikemen were as young as they would've mostly been on average. Not many young people want to do this hobby a it takes up quite a bit of leisure time and the equipment can be expensive. My replica clothing, boots, helmet, pike and breastplate cost a few hundred pounds back then. Aren't there any Maori and colonial troops reenactors in NZ?
@@PaIaeoCIive1684 Thank you for your response. What I was looking for was for Chris to do some lectures on the Maori wars as I thought they were under-explained. There are two warriors that I have deep respect for: Gurka and Maori and the fact that the UK could not wipe them out; but got an equal relationship and coexistence.
@@janlindtner305 Agree with you about the fighting skills of both peoples. I remember reading about the Maori tactics preventing British colonial troops defeating them, such as hit and run ambushes in the forests and retreating to fortresses rather than fighting in the open where British firepower would crush them. The British learned to respect them all right. Only the Maori, Boers and Afghan tribesmen got the better of the Empire in battle. Hurrah!
I would love to see a series in the format of Band of brothers from the moment Lord Chelmsford decides to invade to the moment the king of the Zulus is introduced to Queen Victoria.
my husband’s heritage is Zulu and he still has relatives living in Eswatini. His family has a martini henry which my husband is the holder of and he enjoys studying the Anglo-Zulu war.
The Martini Henry is a beast. I have fired one and it was awesome. Because it is slow you actually hear the round travelling away from you. Ballistics of a snowball but very high impact when it connects.
i know i should not question reanactors, but that officer is quite confusing, why he is not wearing officer unifor m? i saw plenty references of officers that had white piping, and gold ssymbols on both sleves ornaments
during the US Civil War, the North's Union Army cavalry did get issued Spencer repeating rifles, which by reports was very effective. After the war, the US Army standardized on a single shot breach loader. Am wondering if the British ever issued repeating carbines to cavalry units?
I’d love to see this for every era of British Army kit. I could personally cover down on The Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 and the American Revolution 1775-1783.
We are in North Carolina, USA and have all the required kit to interpret the 7th Fusiliers 1775-1781 and Barrel’s Regiment 1745-46 among many other things.
Hi. No there were stripes. But these men were privates. There was also long service stripes (which one of these re-enactors has on lower right sleeve). Hope that helps.
@@redcoathistory i see. Thank you.👍 What about the speaker. It seems he represents an officer. Where are his rank signs? (I might have missed some info of the video as I am a non native speaker)
I have 5 MH’s (my wife: “where did that come from?? Me: “what? I’ve always had it!”), and a 3 band snider. I do my own reloading. Both are excellent and fun to shoot…but, I do prefer my MH’s. Also interesting to see the officers wearing a more “regular soldier” type of uniform. They also did this in the 18th century during the French and Indian wars.
I noticed everything seems to be geared for a right-handed soldier/officer, what happens if you happen to be left handed? After all you don't want to go into battle if you're struggling to get your pistol/weapon out in a time of need.
I can't be sure, but bare in mind that in those days lefties were forced to write with their right hand in schools so I doubt the military made too many concessions to them (though maybe an expert may comment and say I'm wrong here).
My dad fought in World War Two. He told me a memory when he was in Navy boot camp training. He talked about a man who was left-handed. The CPO forced the man to fire his rifle right handed. They were issued bolt action M1903 Springfield so he must have suffered.
It seems odd that soldiers were still carrying wood canteens sealed with bees wax in 1850s. Was there no tin available? Glass or wood is archaic maybe? I wonder if it were an idea created by somebody who didnt spend any time in the field?
Hi Chris, a great video and reminder of the Symposium at the Clash of Empires last week. One question that I should have asked Tim last week and only thought about it on the train home was regarding his comments about musketry training in the 1880s, ie the shift from volley fire to individual firing (I assume as a result of the 1st Anglo-Boer War). Given the increased emphasis on individual firing and I assume skirmishing, then why then did we perform so poorly in the early battles of the 2nd ABW?
I am hoping to take a deep dive into the 2nd Anglo-Boer war next year so hopefully we can look into more detailed questions like this. Thanks for flagging.
Nice.....Too brief in my opinion. A longer version covering all of the various weapons and equipment of the guys at various Battles within the Zulu Wars would be nice. Similar to when some channels do a "mannequin of the month" type run down of clothing, equipment and weapon.
Edit to the above. I just stumbled upon a video from Rob at British Muzzle Loaders channel showing exactly that. I hope you don't mind me showing the link. ruclips.net/video/6Je6fhdbd4I/видео.html @21.20
I have a Canadian Snider carbine and 1878 Martini Henry. The Snider is not very accurate but could because of the ammo I really like the Martini Henry I also have some American trapdoors and think the martini Henry’s are better rifles I have a Remington rolling block New York militia rifle in 50-70 I think the rolling block is the best single shot system
@@michaeldelucci4379 the rifling is very good I have read that the poor accuracy is from the ammo being loaded with .577 bullets which is slightly undersized and doesn’t expand to grip the rifling. Don’t know
Very interesting, thank you fo this video. Greetings from the world war 1 german cavalry (a hussar obviously), an impression still in the making. Great so see some previous periods of other countrys.
I have explored the Isandlwana area on numerous occasions, and one thing is obvious, the ground is very hard & rocky , impossible to have dug any form of defensive ditch or barrier, so the Officer in charge of the camp , can't really be blamed for not taking extra measures for defending the camp , yes mistakes were made , but not digging defensive positions is unrealistic considering the terrain .
@@redcoathistory True , but each wagon weight was 2 ton , sure there was no shortage of manpower, but can you imagine the time & physical effort to move the wagons into Lager on that ground , half of the men in camp Would have been exhausted, labouring under the heat of the day , when" Stand to "was Bugled.
@@Bunduki And mutually supporting sangars? Quick and easy, plenty of rocks around. Anyway I'm going to dip out of this debate as need to crack on. All the best and I hope you enjoy the other videos.
A few ex-police and ex-forces in their ranks. Two reserve army officers and three drummer boys who have gone on to join the British Army, two of which are now serving army officers.
I did read most of the comments below and noticed not one Guard said a thing. Trust me when I say these uniforms were living Hel. I wore the real thing more times than they have and I don’t know how the soldiers could even live. Never mind the Bear Skin annoying your vision the uniform what very thick wool and I have no idea how I didn’t get heat stress. There is a reason why Guards fall down
My grandfather suffered two summers during the north African Campaign where temperatures exceeded that every day and men fainted in the heat after an hour's marching. He regularly cooked biscuits and fried eggs when they could be found on a shovel in the sun. The NCOs made sure the men's shirts weren't unbuttoned even though they were wet with sweat.
@@sharonrigs7999 Hi Sharon. Sounds plausible, as I've seen old photo of his unit and in their ridiculous shorts and ill-fitting tunics it can't have been for the sake of neatness! Interestingly, one of his mates was sent home after putting on his boot without checking them and being bitten by the fangs of a giant spider. Eek! His foot became infected as the field hospital took so long to reach.
Here is a question, the weapons that you showed, have they been neutered? On the other video you showed a martini Henry that was defiled to keep it safe for whatever they think it's safe for. I love the history and those that reenact are usually a plethora of info just like these kind gentleman here. Cheerio from The U S.
@@skepticalbadger deactivated, that's the word I was looking for. So the revolvers have to be deactivated, even though they are also antique historical items? I can't imagine that ammo is that easy find and I bet nobody jas robbed a bank or mugged anybody with one. Thanks for the info.
@@JamesThomas-gg6il I have a Martini Henry, it has not been deactivated because it is an obsolete calibre, in other words no licence is required to own it because ammunition is not available for it. May be the case for the pistols, not sure what calibre they are.
Well, nothing about those boots! & Since they were used for 'Marching into Africa..' according to Kipling, as armies travelled on their feet as well as stomachs - why not - too unglamorous? Of course they Could be used as weapons, & were the most heavily-used clothing anyway.. Even the socks? I'll assume they were of leather & waterproof, perhaps studs on soles, as per my dad's WW2's. Cleaning equipment, polish, in personal kit..
How did their faces and ears not get cooked off by the sun? Even in Europe summer sun can be a potential hazard. I never understood this about many of the historical military hats.
42 is hot? I have dealt with 50 in Western Australia on the southern half! I don’t want that level of heat stroke again horrible stuff having fluids out both ends with sever fever for a solid week not something I recommend for anyone
As a Civil war reenactor here in the U.S. I love video like this. I really like hearing from other reenactors from different time periods able their hobby. If I live in England I would have joined their unit/club since I am fascinated by this time period for England. Keep up the good work and stay patriotic. GOD SAVE THE KING! 👍🇬🇧
Totally agree on it. Greetings from a fellow WW1 german reenactor from germany. :)
Hazar!
I've been obsessed with the Anglo-Zulu War since I was a kid. This is turning out to be one of my favorite channels.
Thanks a lot. Look forward to keeping in touch
And I’m also so obsessed with Anglo Zulu wars that one of my favourite movie is Zulu and Zulu Don
“… make British military history fashionable again.” As a Yank, it never went out of fashion, for me!
What American 🇺🇸 would call themselves a yank come on chief don’t embarrass us and gloat over the beaten British empire. They stole the red from Rome’s empire as well.
Ew
"If given the choice, you won't wear it" - One thing that hasn't changed in 144 years of military kit evolution.😄
😂😂👍🏼 thanks for watching mate! Hope to chat again soon.
Or hump it. Ain't that the truth.
And thus was the phrase 'Gucci gear' born 🤣
As a u s marine in Vietnam , there werea few items that were " lost " almost constantly . Like the hated gas mask . Noone of my knowledge ever used the damn thing for anything other than a pillow .
A little known trivia is that it was a living history group of re-enactors who rediscovered how Roman soldiers built defensive ditch and spike palisades.
There was just one old contemporary drawing showing a v-shaped ditch approx 1 yard wide and deep with the spoil forming a bank behind it, but with a small ledge on the earthwork side. There was also a written description of the double pointed wooden stake that each soldier carried.. but nothing existed that described how the two fit together.
For many years the assumption was that the stakes were just driven vertically into the top of the earth bank behind the ditch but the re-enactors found that it was all rather easy to step over the ditch, placing one foot onto the ledge (monody could understand what the ledge was for) and to force a way through the vertical stakes.
Instead they eventually hit upon the idea of tying two stakes together to make an X shape, stick the ends into the ledge and then tying a third stake on top, resting on the crux of the X, with one point facing the enemy and the other pressed into the earth bank.. to create an effect similar to a modern day tank obstacle.
Three men could thus man some 6 feet of frontage and alongside their comrades would form two ranks, front rank with one man standing each side of where the central spike was and another directly behind where the third spike was driven into the earth bank.. The solution was so simple and effective (and solved the ledge question) that there was no better way that the Romans could have done anything different, so the art of this style of palisade was effectively rediscovered, by the the re-enactors, after being lost for some 2000 years
Nice - thanks for the info 👍🏼
As a 79th Cameron light company member I can tell you the uniform is not the problem but the age of most of us. The age of most of the real soldiers would have been under 30 the age of most reenactors is 40 ++ like we see in this splendid group of men. Young recruits are most of the time family members because it is a very expensive way of spending your free time. It is also made more and more complicated by those in power . They hate people walking around with old fire arms or even a bayonet.
Maybe you can visit us at the end of august in Almeida.
I’d love to come and visit you guys but sadly I’m back in South Africa now.
Where is Almeida? Are You in Portugal? I liked Your comment and like history, Living History and shooting and collecting firearms especially Military. My Moms maiden name was Souza. Her Mom’s maiden name was Almeida and Her Mom’s maiden name was De Borba all from the Azores. I also really enjoy taking My Kids to Living History events and dressing in period clothing. We used to have a very large Renaissance Fair Here in Black Point just East of Novato Calif. We also have a small Civil War re enactment at Duncan’s Mills along the Russian River. North of there on the coast along Highway 1 stands Fort Ross a Historical site maintained in its original configuration and style as built and occupied by the Russians until 1841. There are also fortification’s on Angel Island and the Marin Headlands. Under the South End of the Golden Gate Bridge is Fort Point Constructed after the Gold Rush of 1849. Sometimes they host encampments there and occasionally a re enactor dressed in period Civil War Uniform will greet visitor’s at the gate. My Paternal Grandfather was 18 when He was in the Italian Army that fought at Adwa in 1896. He barely escaped capture there. Your Remark about governmental Paranoia and fear of its Citizen’s rings true. My Dad would say the government is gun shy because if the people ever found out how bad they were getting fucked with no love they would be pretty upset.
@@pelonehedd7631
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almeida_(Portugal)
Yes I agree I've always wanted to get into ww2 reenactment but at 44 I'm too old to do justice to the ww2 soldiers who were in there late teens to mid 20s in the main.
Ah, the fewest the finest the 79est! Reenacted the Camerons (napoleonic and 79th NYSM ACW) in the late 80'ies and 90'ies and when in my prime, when I was in my twenties and even back then it was largely an "old mens hobby"... Enjoyed it immensely back then, playing the pipes from 30 years war to the ACW outfits, taught you about the hardships of those lads those days even without shot and shell flying at you in earnest!!!
As a former US Navy sailor who had to wear whites I can feel for these soldiers with the white belt. Their NCOs probably made them spend hours each day cleaning them.
I think they used powdered chalk to spiff it up ? I’d get that all over my red coat 😊
Excellent presentation. As an Army veteran, I'm always drawn to military history, especially when it involves Anglo-Zulu or Anglo-Boer wars. My great, great grandfather ( on my father's side ), born 1803 in Ireland, served in the 45th Regiment of Foot, the Sherwood Foresters. Apparently, they had taken a beating in Afghanistan, 1841 or 42. The survivors were shipped down to the Cape of Good Hope. Arrived in 1843. Some were deployed in the Northern Cape, others including my great, great grandfather were sent to Natal, objective was to keep the peace between the Burgers ( Boers ) and the Zulus. Apparently he was a Major with the 45th. While in Natal he met his second wife, a Dutch Girl ( a Boer ), born in Utrecht, Holland. They settled in the lower Umzimkhulu River valley, and farmed, after he retired from the Army. One of his sons was killed during the Anglo-Zulu Battle at Isandlwana, 1879. Thank you for sharing those details, has special significance to me. My great grandfather, from Bethnal Green, London, a recent arrival in Natal, married one of the Major's daughters. They settled in the Himeville, Underberg area. One of their sons, my grandfather, a Corporal with the Border Mounted Rifles, fought against the Germans in South West Africa during WW1. My father, a Staff Sergeant with the Natal Mounted Rifles, fought and was wounded during the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt during WW2. My oldest brother, a Sergeant, tank commander, took part in the conflict in Angola about 40 years ago. I was in the process of transferring to a Commando Unit, as Signals Officer, Lt. when my wife and I decided it was time to emigrate. My mother and her family were from England. Her father fought in WW1 in France and WW2, stationed in Egypt. He died with the rank of Lt. Colonel with the King's Royal Rifles. His son, a Captain with the 7th Gurkhas, fought against the Japanese Army in Burma during WW2. My sister-in-law, married to my oldest brother, her father was a Spitfire pilot, took part in the Battle of Britain during WW2. My sister-in-law married to my third oldest brother, her father was taken POW during the battle of Tobruk, WW2. Shipped off to POW camp in Italy. My father-in-law, a Sergeant, was the navigator in a bomber crew, stationed at Cairo during WW2. It appears I'm connected to a few wars, conflicts which have taken place in various countries around the world, hence the interest in military history.
Thanks for sharing. An amazing family story!
Thanks folks, great to see all those uniforms and equipment. From that period, my favourite sidearm is the Webley No.5 Army Revolver.
I once got to fire one and was impressed by how naturally it pointed exactly where I wanted to shoot,
24th Foot, is a great reenactment group, done stuff with them in events before.
I enjoyed the exhibition very much. It was great meeting you and having a quick chat.Matt the big guy had a long chat with me and my mate. Very interesting and knowledgeable guy!!
Great reenactors of uniforms and weapons of 24th foot during Zulu War
I was surprised to hear that wearing the uniform when it was 42 degrees was merely 'warm'. I would have expected it to be bloody roasting! When he was talking about bayonets I couldn't stop thinking of Corporal Jones in Dad's Army. 'They don't like it up 'em!'
Ha, the good old lunger...nasty!
I can testify that wearing the uniform in SA in January 2019 when it was 42 degrees it was as you say merely warm. I could not believe it but with no moisture/humidity (A dry heat) and drinking plenty of water it was doable and the kit worked. As a side note wearing the very same kit back in the UK later the same year over a hot bank holiday weekend in a heat of 26 degrees it nearly killed me - how mad is that.
@@jamesthompson3674 Just goes to show the difference between dry heat as in South Africa and wet heat as in the UK. Less heat but with humidity is worse.
Brilliant. Fascinating to see the details of the uniforms and weapons up close. :)
I applaud these men in helping keeping history alive. A big thank you to them, and a big thank you to you for sharing. Excellent work. :)
Thanks a lot.
Thank you for the video. We need to preserve our history and learn from it ,not forget about it.
If you're posting as a Brit, you really should research what the "British Empire" actually did solely in pursuit of financial profits above all else. One book I would highly recommend to you is: "Legacy of Violence" by Caroline Elkins. That tells you all you need to know about the "British Empire" and what it wanted to achieve - even after WWII!
MsG
I am not a Brit. I am a Yank. Thank you for the book recommendation. We can't change history, it is in the past but we can learn from it.
@@johnmartin6804 My apologies, Mr Martin. I thoughtmurdering
in my opinion, reenactors do a brilliant service to those interested in military history !
when it comes to details, there´s no better way debunking the myths than being hands on on trying out for real.
that aside, they can give a representation of how certain events in history could have looked like and in the field of british military history, the Diehards are certainly premium.
when it comes to minute detail in handling of small arms I may recommend Rob and his britishmuzzleloaders channel, who is also an aquaintance with the Diehards !
my only objection woulde be, there´s never enough of them.
witnessing a fullblown company or battalion salvo would be quite something !
Really loved this video, I do Canadian Northwest Rebellion reenactment which uses a lot of the same type of equipment. The British army always knows how to dress sharp!
sharp looking, yes - am kind of surprised that miltary thinking hadn't turned yet to using uniform colors that don't do such a splendid job of advertising torso sized targets to the enemy.
Well, it's just that firearms had become vastly more effective for accurate shooting from greater distance by this point in time.
This was a very interesting video, thanks. I really enjoyed. Fair play to the men from the re-enactment society. 👍🇬🇧
Brilliant thanks for sharing 👍 gives a real idea of the kit the guys carried. Cheers to Tim and the guys for keeping all this history alive for us.
Glad you enjoyed it
Well consider me your newest subscriber. I've always found the Victorian era very fascinating I've been wargaming the second angle Afghan war for a few years now as well as I wear a British pith helmet and khaki jacket in my day-to-day life. so I'll definitely be sticking around to hear more of the history
Another great Video! ❤ Thank you. Would be interesting to see a similar video with the Zulu 'campaign kit' being discussed in this manner. Thanks Again.
Thanks, I am glad you like it. Yes, that would be a good video.
I own both a martini Henry(mk4)and a snider(mk2* that has had the wood cut back for hunting). Here in Canada both martini’s and sniders are fairly common. The snider seen service here for a very long time in one form or another full length rifles and carbine were used by the north west mounted police into the 1920’s they were also used by prisons for a long time with buckshot. In the late 1890’s into the early 1900’s rifles were cut down into “cadet” carbines for the cadets(kids under military age). They were sold as surplus sometime in the early 1900’s and lots of people bought them and used to to put food on the table.
I've been interested about the Zulu War since watching the film. Good work all around.
Loved this video, nice and relaxed yet very informative ...................... Please tell me I am not the only one during this video who was playing out scenes from the film Zulu in their head.
Brilliant. Great to see a kit video! 👍
Love that they’ve stuck to the accuracy of officers frock having a more robust dye than the other ranks, leading to the other ranks bleaching to a brownish-red.
Only at 6:42 myself now so I’ll be interested to see if it comes up
I hope my brothers and sisters at arms will accept the sincere respects and regards from the officer and men of Company C, 4th United States Infantry Regiment, Washington [State] Civil War Association. Our company garrisoned the Puget Sound in decade prior to the Civil War and went on to fight in the Eastern Theater. Our intention is to present the common soldier and give students a 'boot's eye view' of history, replacing those marble images with human beings.
Military historian is often seen as a quirky 'collector hobby' in the US, little different than restoring classic cars. But it's always seemed to me that historian is a respected profession in the Commonwealth and I was **deeply** impressed with some of the remembrance efforts surrounding the Great War.
Respectfully Submitted,
-/s/ CR Hicks Jr.
- First Lieutenant
- Co. C, 4th Infantry Reg't
- Ft. Steilacoom, Wash. Terr'y
Excellent Episode 👍
Best wishes on your journey to fill time Content Provider!
Another very interesting video Chris, as someone else commented, it would have been good to know a bit more about their footwear, an extremely important bit of kit. Fridays sound great to do posts, good to know there is a regular slot in the week for them. 👍 Keep up the excellent work.😊
Thanks mate. They actually did comment about footwear but I cut it out to keep the film shorter - I regret that now 🤦🏻♂️ (ps just edited this as I realised how I had written it before made zero sense 😂)
I wish I could have gone to see the Clash Of Empires. Great coverage Chris, well done.
Thanks mate. Sorry you missed it but I’m glad you enjoyed the videos
@redcoathistory I always enjoy them. The last year has been quite hectic with my job, but its settling down now. I have a lot of catching up on all your videos, which I am looking forward to.
Wow! From Sharpe I get all the info about the Army in India/Peninsula in the Napoleonic era; there's loads of info about the army in the Great War and WWII; but this was the first time I watched a vid about kit in Victorian times! Thanks again!
Thank you Chris, excellent.
I always liked Fripp's painting, saw the original in the National Army Museum a long time ago and here in Melbourne I have a good-sized print framed and up on the front room wall.
very informative! Im right now painting some miniature soldiers from the zulu war, so this video was vert good. Greetings from Sweden
That's great - thanks a lot...
Thanks. Always enjoy the presentation
Cheers for watching 👍🏼
I love what you're doing with the channel. Queen Victoria's Little wars will never go out of style, but I understand what you're up against. Cheers!
Thanks a lot. Yeah it’s a fascinating period and obviously a bit ‘unfashionable’ but I do love it.
Excellent way to demonstrate, show and tell about the soldier. More of that kind. His uniform, weapons, equipment, use, advantages and disadvantages should for my taste be much more elaborately and detailed described. For me, re-enactors are an opportunity to experience the soldier up close as a living mannequin. What I have a hard time digesting is that it is all too often an overweight, grey-bearded man of 50+ who dominate the numbers, when it was supposed to be boys at 16 - 30 years old that was the reality; but I imagine that they absolutely have a bloody good time when they are "on duty" and peace be with that. Great show. Well done Chris. By the way, what about the New Zealand wars?👍Jan
Hi Jan. I was a reenactor playing an English Civil War pikeman (later promoted to standard bearer) in the UK a couple of decades back. You're right, most of the group were middle aged chaps and only myself and a couple of other pikemen were as young as they would've mostly been on average. Not many young people want to do this hobby a it takes up quite a bit of leisure time and the equipment can be expensive. My replica clothing, boots, helmet, pike and breastplate cost a few hundred pounds back then. Aren't there any Maori and colonial troops reenactors in NZ?
@@PaIaeoCIive1684 Thank you for your response. What I was looking for was for Chris to do some lectures on the Maori wars as I thought they were under-explained. There are two warriors that I have deep respect for: Gurka and Maori and the fact that the UK could not wipe them out; but got an equal relationship and coexistence.
@@janlindtner305 Agree with you about the fighting skills of both peoples. I remember reading about the Maori tactics preventing British colonial troops defeating them, such as hit and run ambushes in the forests and retreating to fortresses rather than fighting in the open where British firepower would crush them. The British learned to respect them all right. Only the Maori, Boers and Afghan tribesmen got the better of the Empire in battle. Hurrah!
Tremendous demonstration and presentation here. Hats off to all involved. (I've just subscribed as well)
Welcome, Sir. I hope you enjoy the other videos also.
I would love to see a series in the format of Band of brothers from the moment Lord Chelmsford decides to invade to the moment the king of the Zulus is introduced to Queen Victoria.
That would be cool
@@redcoathistory wouldn't it just, but who would have the courage to make to make such a series?
@@kristiannoel4866 yes it would never be made now sadly.
Keep up the great work. Stay proud
Great work gentlemen. 👏
Thank you so much 😀
Re enactment actors are damn good people. Thank you for your commitment to education of the past.
They certainly were snappy dressers to be sure!
my husband’s heritage is Zulu and he still has relatives living in Eswatini.
His family has a martini henry which my husband is the holder of and he enjoys studying the Anglo-Zulu war.
That white band was the perfect aiming point for us in the Revolutionary war😂
Those rifles are bad ass. What a punch it packs!
The Martini Henry is a beast. I have fired one and it was awesome. Because it is slow you actually hear the round travelling away from you. Ballistics of a snowball but very high impact when it connects.
I absolutely love the living history groups!
i know i should not question reanactors, but that officer is quite confusing, why he is not wearing officer unifor m?
i saw plenty references of officers that had white piping, and gold ssymbols on both sleves ornaments
during the US Civil War, the North's Union Army cavalry did get issued Spencer repeating rifles, which by reports was very effective. After the war, the US Army standardized on a single shot breach loader. Am wondering if the British ever issued repeating carbines to cavalry units?
I've been a reenactor in the US since 1995. For me it's very much experimental archeology.
Makes you wonder why modern soldiers can’t go anywhere without atleast 20kg of kit
"The redcoats are like the wood-pigeon. They cannot fly through the lianas" - A Māori chief advising his warriors on bush fighting.
I’d love to see this for every era of British Army kit. I could personally cover down on The Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 and the American Revolution 1775-1783.
Thanks a lot - do you own all the kit? If so which country do you live in?
We are in North Carolina, USA and have all the required kit to interpret the 7th Fusiliers 1775-1781 and Barrel’s Regiment 1745-46 among many other things.
I was a civil war reenactor for years and my hand goes out to people who had to wear wool uniforms
Brilliant.
Interesting. Thx.
I see no sergeant stripes. Were they introduced later?
Where are the rank signia on these uniforms?
Hi. No there were stripes. But these men were privates. There was also long service stripes (which one of these re-enactors has on lower right sleeve). Hope that helps.
@@redcoathistory i see. Thank you.👍
What about the speaker. It seems he represents an officer. Where are his rank signs?
(I might have missed some info of the video as I am a non native speaker)
At the start of the video he says his rank stars would have been on his collar.
@@DrMikeOckhertz ah ok, the signs are usually at the collar. Does he explain why they are not shown?
Can anybody tell me where those chaps get their pith helmets? I have one slightly similar but it just doesn't look as good as those.
I have 5 MH’s (my wife: “where did that come from?? Me: “what? I’ve always had it!”), and a 3 band snider. I do my own reloading. Both are excellent and fun to shoot…but, I do prefer my MH’s.
Also interesting to see the officers wearing a more “regular soldier” type of uniform. They also did this in the 18th century during the French and Indian wars.
Ha Ha, that is like me and my books! "No dear I've always had that massive pile of new books" :-)
it would be cool to have one of these on the Zulu had for kit and clothing
well done Chris.
Just wondering, but isn't the RIC revolver carried by Tim Rose a later pattern that was produced in the early 1880s?
I noticed everything seems to be geared for a right-handed soldier/officer, what happens if you happen to be left handed? After all you don't want to go into battle if you're struggling to get your pistol/weapon out in a time of need.
I can't be sure, but bare in mind that in those days lefties were forced to write with their right hand in schools so I doubt the military made too many concessions to them (though maybe an expert may comment and say I'm wrong here).
You are right lefties or South Paws would have been forced to be right handed.
My dad fought in World War Two. He told me a memory when he was in Navy boot camp training. He talked about a man who was left-handed. The CPO forced the man to fire his rifle right handed. They were issued bolt action M1903 Springfield so he must have suffered.
Love your content mate.....looking forward to the Sepoy mutiny stuff.✌
Thanks so much. Two sepoy episodes already out -
The next one is due on Friday 28th.
Great content.
An honour coming from you, Sir!
Super cool, though I had a horrible vision of a bugler boy fighting for his life with that little sword.
@robertstallard7836 I’ve done a video on the drummer boys issue that you may enjoy. Just check out my videos 👍🏼
@robertstallard7836 small world! Pay is a brilliant bloke.
It seems odd that soldiers were still carrying wood canteens sealed with bees wax in 1850s.
Was there no tin available?
Glass or wood is archaic maybe?
I wonder if it were an idea created by somebody who didnt spend any time in the field?
Another brilliant video Chris
Thanks mate! Have a great flight and chat soon.
Hi Chris, a great video and reminder of the Symposium at the Clash of Empires last week. One question that I should have asked Tim last week and only thought about it on the train home was regarding his comments about musketry training in the 1880s, ie the shift from volley fire to individual firing (I assume as a result of the 1st Anglo-Boer War). Given the increased emphasis on individual firing and I assume skirmishing, then why then did we perform so poorly in the early battles of the 2nd ABW?
I am hoping to take a deep dive into the 2nd Anglo-Boer war next year so hopefully we can look into more detailed questions like this. Thanks for flagging.
@@redcoathistory Cheers Chris, will look out for it.
Love these videos!
Nice.....Too brief in my opinion. A longer version covering all of the various weapons and equipment of the guys at various Battles within the Zulu Wars would be nice. Similar to when some channels do a "mannequin of the month" type run down of clothing, equipment and weapon.
Edit to the above. I just stumbled upon a video from Rob at British Muzzle Loaders channel showing exactly that. I hope you don't mind me showing the link. ruclips.net/video/6Je6fhdbd4I/видео.html @21.20
I have a Canadian Snider carbine and 1878 Martini Henry.
The Snider is not very accurate but could because of the ammo
I really like the Martini Henry
I also have some American trapdoors and think the martini Henry’s are better rifles
I have a Remington rolling block New York militia rifle in 50-70
I think the rolling block is the best single shot system
How is your rifle's barrel condition. Are it rifling groves worn or in good condition
@@michaeldelucci4379 the rifling is very good
I have read that the poor accuracy is from the ammo being loaded with .577 bullets which is slightly undersized and doesn’t expand to grip the rifling.
Don’t know
I was just wondering about the rifle. That's great an old rifle still has a good rifling
Very interesting, thank you fo this video. Greetings from the world war 1 german cavalry (a hussar obviously), an impression still in the making. Great so see some previous periods of other countrys.
Thanks a lot and welcome! One day I plan to do more WW1 videos but only once I’ve exhausted the Napoleonic and Victorian eras.
@@redcoathistory There is a lot to tell about all these eras. Just the napoleonic on its own is so richt of stories
Very interesting 👍
I have explored the Isandlwana area on numerous occasions, and one thing is obvious, the ground is very hard & rocky , impossible to have dug any form of defensive ditch or barrier, so the Officer in charge of the camp , can't really be blamed for not taking extra measures for defending the camp , yes mistakes were made , but not digging defensive positions is unrealistic considering the terrain .
Hi, true but You don't have to dig to form defensive positions - there were wagons and plenty of rocks to make sangars.
@@redcoathistory True , but each wagon weight was 2 ton , sure there was no shortage of manpower, but can you imagine the time & physical effort to move the wagons into Lager on that ground , half of the men in camp
Would have been exhausted, labouring under the heat of the day , when" Stand to "was Bugled.
@@Bunduki And mutually supporting sangars? Quick and easy, plenty of rocks around. Anyway I'm going to dip out of this debate as need to crack on. All the best and I hope you enjoy the other videos.
Love red coats brave lads 😎
My great great grandfather fought in the Zulu wars
He served in a special detachment of mime artists
He never spoke about about what he did there
Where did they keep their phones?
What was the blue regimnt
Are any of these lads former service members? If not, do any of them intend to enlist?
Service lad with them didn’t want to be on camera 👍🏼
@@redcoathistory Okay.
A few ex-police and ex-forces in their ranks. Two reserve army officers and three drummer boys who have gone on to join the British Army, two of which are now serving army officers.
Reminds me I need to get another foreign service helmet.
Really interesting I enjoy these videos history should be kept alive without it we wouldn't have a future
Another great video
GREAT KIT Z!!!!
Very nice 👍
Great stuff!!!!!
"The MH carbine didn't find its way to SA until the 2nd invasion". How can this be true with the countless MH''s on display from Isandlwana?
You should have put on the redcoat and kit; you'd look smashing.
Ha ha it’s a great uniform but I think I’ll stick to my civvies 😅
Very nice
I did read most of the comments below and noticed not one Guard said a thing. Trust me when I say these uniforms were living Hel. I wore the real thing more times than they have and I don’t know how the soldiers could even live. Never mind the Bear Skin annoying your vision the uniform what very thick wool and I have no idea how I didn’t get heat stress. There is a reason why Guards fall down
I have a video on the guards coming soon! Watch this space
Wow, all day wearing wool in 107F temps. I thought Operation Desert Storm was bad.
My grandfather suffered two summers during the north African Campaign where temperatures exceeded that every day and men fainted in the heat after an hour's marching. He regularly cooked biscuits and fried eggs when they could be found on a shovel in the sun. The NCOs made sure the men's shirts weren't unbuttoned even though they were wet with sweat.
@@PaIaeoCIive1684Yeah. It seems counterintuitive, but it's best to keep as much moisture in as possible.
@@sharonrigs7999 Hi Sharon. Sounds plausible, as I've seen old photo of his unit and in their ridiculous shorts and ill-fitting tunics it can't have been for the sake of neatness! Interestingly, one of his mates was sent home after putting on his boot without checking them and being bitten by the fangs of a giant spider. Eek! His foot became infected as the field hospital took so long to reach.
Here is a question, the weapons that you showed, have they been neutered? On the other video you showed a martini Henry that was defiled to keep it safe for whatever they think it's safe for. I love the history and those that reenact are usually a plethora of info just like these kind gentleman here. Cheerio from The U S.
The Martini, Snider and Swinburne are legal antiques. The pistols will be deactivated.
@@skepticalbadger deactivated, that's the word I was looking for. So the revolvers have to be deactivated, even though they are also antique historical items? I can't imagine that ammo is that easy find and I bet nobody jas robbed a bank or mugged anybody with one. Thanks for the info.
@@JamesThomas-gg6il I have a Martini Henry, it has not been deactivated because it is an obsolete calibre, in other words no licence is required to own it because ammunition is not available for it. May be the case for the pistols, not sure what calibre they are.
I wont a lunger🙃 Great video.
Any history is better than no history.
Well, nothing about those boots! & Since they were used for 'Marching into Africa..' according to Kipling, as armies travelled on their feet as well as stomachs - why not - too unglamorous? Of course they Could be used as weapons, & were the most heavily-used clothing anyway.. Even the socks? I'll assume they were of leather & waterproof, perhaps studs on soles, as per my dad's WW2's. Cleaning equipment, polish, in personal kit..
As an Englishman I have personally never slagged off the Americans for their past and never will, all countries have there more dubious past episodes.
How did their faces and ears not get cooked off by the sun?
Even in Europe summer sun can be a potential hazard.
I never understood this about many of the historical military hats.
Good dream anywhere...Cheers.
Swarfega might get the oil dirt off your left arm.
@@peterwest7855 Lol
42 is hot? I have dealt with 50 in Western Australia on the southern half! I don’t want that level of heat stroke again horrible stuff having fluids out both ends with sever fever for a solid week not something I recommend for anyone
Stocks?
Long gone luckily