Regarding the enquiry on this site from one of your readers on 30th March… in the Sharpe’s Rifles film, Harper says: “Now that’s too bad, Sir &I thought you’d ave known, coming up yerself from the ranks as ye did & there are only two kinds of officers; Killing Officers and Murdering Officers. Killing Officers are poor old buggers that get you killed by accident. Murdering Officers are mad, bad old buggers that get you killed on purpose, for a reason & for a country or a religion & maybe even for a flag. They’re mean, murdering old buggers.” I haven’t looked through the book, but if the quote is to be found I guess it’ll be in Rifles.

Phil Dean