Cameo corner: Rifles and black powder

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There was a dramatic and noisy reconstruction cameo for this programme, which saw Tony Robinson trying his aim with a Napoleonic-era rifle. So the Time Team website simply had to catch up with Christopher Shaw, a member of the 95th Rifles Regiment of Foot Re-enactment Society, to find out about black powder and his involvement with the preservation of the Shorncliffe Redoubt.

How did you get involved with Shorncliffe Redoubt?
I got involved because two years ago, as a member of the 95th Rifles Regiment of Foot Re-enactment Society, I was researching our regiment's past and I uncovered the whereabouts of the Rifles' birthplace thanks to eBay! I bought a copy of the original plans of the Redoubt and within 24 hours I was standing on the battlements looking towards France.

I also met local historian and author Michael George, whose book Coast of Conflict tells the story of the Redoubt. The Redoubt is in a very poor state and I decided then and there to save it.

What is so important about the Redoubt?
The Redoubt is the birthplace of light infantry tactics. In 1803, Sir John Moore realised that the new Green Jackets and their rifles could create a new edge to the standard 'Line them up and knock them down' tactics of the day. If he used them in conjunction with Redcoats, the Rifles could pin the enemy in place and with their superb accuracy, target the officers and NCOs of the foe and destroy the 'command and control' capability of the enemy. When the thin Redline engaged the now disorganised and demoralised opposition, there would be no leaders to rally the troops and the soldiers would rout and run away.

Sir John also realised that, due to the range of the Baker rifle, if the British army was retreating, the Riflemen and their devastatingly accurate fire would force any pursuing enemy to keep their distance and a low profile. This would allow the army to escape to fight another day.

Sir John and the Duke of Wellington used the Rifles and these tactics to great effect in the Peninsula during the Napoleonic wars.

We are currently discussing with the MoD to stop building on the site and let our society take over its care and restoration. It is a very long process and will require substantial funds. But this is one of the most important military sites in the UK, if not the world.

What materials did you require for the reconstruction cameo?
A Baker Rifle, black powder and a reliable flint. That and my sergeant, Adam Paylor, barking orders.

Oh, and Johnny Frenchman to aim at.

Was the weapon historically accurate?
The Baker rifle takes its name from the gun's designer, Ezekiel Baker. Its maintenance is very simple. I use a pricker [a long needle] and 'brush' to keep the vent hole clear and sweep powder residue from the pan; a small edged hammer to knap [sharpen the flint] and keep it sparking; and a 'crucifix' three-pointed screwdriver to remove the barrel and lock [firing mechanism] for cleaning, repairing or replacing.

Thanks to the start of the industrial revolution and mass production, locks and barrels were interchangeable and could be done by a well-trained Rifleman on the battlefield in minutes.

What steps are in the process?
To start we get the order to 'prime and load'. First, we remove a cartridge from our cartridge box and re-button the box. Then we pull the hammer back one click into the 'half-cocked position' and push the 'frizzen' forward.

I bite the top off the paper cartridge and pour a small amount of black powder into the pan and close the frizzen over it. I empty the rest of the black powder down the barrel, screw the cartridge into a ball and push it into the barrel. I remove the ramrod and ram the cartridge down the barrel and return the ramrod.

I then bring the gun to the port position. I receive the order 'Make ready'. On the order 'Present' I fully cock the hammer and bring the gun to my shoulder and the firing position. On the order 'Fire' I pull the trigger and death and destruction follows.

What was the hardest part of the reconstruction?
There was no real hard part. All the re-enactors are trained under military discipline and regulations. They are great fun to work with because as soldiers they will obey any order the film crew give them and want to give the director a good sequence for the camera.

Would you change anything if you did the reconstruction again?
Only that I would have liked to have shown a more detailed reconstruction of the light infantry tactics and drill developed by Sir John Moore on the site, which revolutionised army battle tactics and are still in use today.

Do you work in any other areas?
I'm chairman of the Shorncliffe Redoubt Preservation Society. Our aim is to take over the upkeep and development of the site, which is truly unique because it is home to Napoleonic fortifications, a first world war trench system and second world war Bren gun and mortar pits. Bernard Cornwell, author of the excellent Sharpe series, is our greatest supporter.

My re-enactment regiment (95th Rifles Regiment of Foot) works closely with the current British Army rifle regiment, the Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) and puts on battle displays for their members. The RGJ reformed in February 2007 and took back their original name 'The Rifles', which made them feared and respected by Napoleon's army 200 years ago.

I also run a company called Firepower Productions, which organises battle re-enactments, provides trained re-enactors to TV and film companies, and specialises in history-based documentaries.

I have just been immortalised in the PC game 'Napoleon II – Total War'. This is a mod for the excellent strategy computer game Total War'. The game developers The Lordz asked for video footage of a Rifleman priming, loading and firing his rifle so they could create an accurate figure on the battlefield. There are now thousands of me fighting through cyber-space.

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