The assault was failing. Wellington's men had stormed the walls of the great frontier fortress of Badajoz only to be beaten back with terrible losses. Then on the keep of the old castle the French flag was torn down and a British officer's red jacket was hauled up the flagpole. It was the signal – the British were inside Badajoz!
This was one of the most famous incidents during the Peninsular War and marked not only the turning point in the capture of Badajoz but of the entire conflict. The jacket belonged to Lieutenant James MacPherson of the 45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment. The 45th had landed with Wellington at Mondego Bay in 1808 and fought with him throughout the entire Peninsular War gaining more battle honours than any other line regiment.
Wellington's Redjackets, The 45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment on Campaign in South America and the Peninsular War is one of the most detailed unit histories ever published of a regiment during the Napoleonic era. As the first, and only, study of this regiment, Wellington's Redjackets will undoubtedly be an essential purchase for those interested in Napoleonic warfare.
