Over the Hills and Far Away is a traditional folk song orignating from late 17th Century England. The song has strong ties to the British Army of the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as a specific link to the 95th Rifle Regiment, this attachment was popularized by the TV adaption of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels.

Due to this long history, there are different versions of the lyrics for each period it was sung in, referencing Queen Anne, all the way up to King George III, as well as generals such as Marlborough, and the Duke of Wellington.

I thought it'd be nice to have the picture be some redcoats, as opposed to the usual green jackets, just for a change.

The painting is '28th Regiment at Quatre Bras' by Elizabeth Thompson (better known as Lady Butler), the history of this painting is quite interesting, and great lengths were taken to make it as authentic as possible. Sadly it bears one noticeable inaccuracy in that the 28th were still wearing the older "Stovepipe" style shako at Quatre Bras, whereas all other British regiments present wore the newer "Belgic" type. It is my belief that this error should not be attributed to Lady Butler herself, but rather to the government manufacturer she contacted to tailor an appropriate uniform which she would then use as reference for her work.

свернуть