Dear Mr. Cornwell, Just a quick question if I may? Now if Im right in thinking, during our Sharpe time period a Regiment/Battalion was commanded, (in theory) by a Colonel, who was in fact a General in the army. But, the actual commander of a Battalion was the Lieutenant Colonel. Now I may have missed this, as it has been a while since I have read your wonderful Sharpe novels but, who was the Colonel of the South Essex Regt? If memory serves the first Lieutenant Colonel was that prat Simmerson, then Lieutenant Colonel Lawford I believe, then that nice chap who got killed by Colonel Leroux in Sharpes Sword, then the little chap Lieutenant Colonel Girdwood, then Lieutenant Colonel Ford I believe, who bought it in Belgium, then finally Sharpe himself. But is there any mention to The South Essexs Colonel? P.S. Sorry, one other quick question. Do you know, when a Regiment had more then one battalion, who commanded each battalion. Did the Regiment have a Lieutenant Colonel for each of them do you know? Many Thanks for your time sir. Andrew