Just a point of more local interest for me about the Greys. The 2nd Dragoon Guards were raised not far from my home town under the command of "Bloody Tam" Dalyell, and were hardly what you would call a popular regiment at the time of their inception as they were used to break up open-air church services being conducted in defiance of the king's orders about reforming the Scottish church. Strange that they remained as the only scottish regiment of horse to be part of the regular army list.

Together with the Inniskillings and the Life Guards, they formed the "Union" brigade at Waterloo, which (as so often with British cavalry) made a magnificant charge then got out of control and were carved up by the French lancers etc... Sgt Ewart's capture of the eagle won him a commission as ensign, as evidenced by a pub which bears his name at the top end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, and the regiment continued to wear the French imperial eagle as part of their honours, like a few others, I believe.

I have to apologise for an earlier remark - which nobody has yet picked me up for, so maybe I should shut up - I wrote that the british red coat was a result of the availability of "madder" dye from new colonies. WRONG!!! Madder dye from her new colonies in Africa provided France with the red clouring for the trousers worn by the French armies during the 19th century and into the 20th.... Well, at least I got the name of the dye right....