Were They Really Scum? The Reality of the Men Who Beat Napoleon!

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?