I notice that Edrington's troops are from the 95th Foot (their packs are marked 'XCV') - anyone know if a regiment was specified in the book, or is this perhaps a sly reference to the Sharpe books/films - Sharpe himself, of course, being of the 95th Rifles.
sharein the book, it was the 43rd Foot. very possibly a refetrence to the films/books you mention
shareMore likely it's that the packs/costumes were stock wardrobe already emblazoned with those numerals, and as it really didn't matter to the plot one way or another, they simply left them that way.
Except for the navy uniforms and some of the duchess' gowns, the Hornblower costumes were pretty much all from stock.
Thanks, both.
shareI believe that the 95th were in North America around the War of Independence so they may have come from an American film/Documentary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regiment_of_Foot#91st.E2.80.93100th_Foot