Soldier Soldier

Soldier Soldier
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Genre	Military drama
Starring	Robson Green Jerome Flynn plus others (see below)
Opening theme	"Soldier Soldier"
No. of series	7
No. of episodes	82
Production
Running time	50 minutes
Production company(s)	Central Independent Television
Distributor	ITV Studios
Release
Original network	ITV
Picture format	4:3
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	10 June 1991 (1991-06-10) – 9 December 1997 (1997-12-09)

Soldier Soldier is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name - "Soldier, soldier will you marry me, with your musket, fife and drum?" - an instrumental version of which was used as its theme music.

Produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 1991 to 1997. It featured the daily lives of a group of soldiers in 'B' Company, 1st Battalion The King's Fusiliers, a fictional British Army infantry regiment loosely based on the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Set in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, it is a dramatisation of army life in the early to mid-1990s, when the British Army was undergoing significant change. This is perhaps best demonstrated during the third series, around 1994, when a significant number of real regiments were forced into amalgamations with each other due to downsizing of the army. In the world of Soldier Soldier, the King's Fusiliers are also forced to amalgamate with the Cumbrian Regiment, another fictional regiment, becoming the King's Own Fusiliers. At the time Soldier Soldier was broadcast, the fatality rate was low with most casualties due to training accidents and suicides. The military as a whole was assigned to performing more peacekeeping missions than actually doing any fighting. As a consequence, the show served well to portray the army, despite the domestic problems that could occur, in a fairly good light.

Although many well known and not so well known actors appeared in Soldier Soldier over the period it was broadcast, perhaps the best known are Robson Green and Jerome Flynn, who portrayed Fusilier Dave Tucker and Sergeant Paddy Garvey respectively. It was their performance of "Unchained Melody" in an episode of the series that propelled them to stardom, giving them several number one songs and a best selling album. Both actors left the series in 1995, following which viewing figures began to decline, leading to the series being cancelled in 1997.

TV presenter Chris Kelly wrote and produced some episodes of the series.

Regular cast

Military personnel

• Robson Green as Fusilier (later briefly Lance Corporal) David "Dave" Tucker (Series 1-5)
• Jerome Flynn as Lance Corporal (later Corporal and then Sergeant and then Corporal again) Patrick "Paddy" Garvey (Series 1-5)
• Gary Love as Corporal (later Sergeant and then Corporal again) Anthony "Tony" Wilton (Series 1-4)
• Holly Aird as Corporal (later Sergeant) Nancy Thorpe (later Garvey, then Thorpe, then Garvey) RMP (Series 1-3, 5)
• Miles Anderson as Lieutenant Colonel Dan Fortune (Series 1-2)
• David Haig as Major Tom Cadman (Series 1)
• Richard Hampton as Reverend Simon Armstrong CF RAChD (Series 1-2)
• Peter Wingfield as Lieutenant Nick Pasco (Series 1)
• Sean Baker as Company Sergeant Major Chick Henwood (Series 1)
• Robert Glenister as Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Ian Anderson (Series 1)
• Winston Crooke as Fusilier Joe Meakin (Series 1)
• Simon Donald as Major Bob Cochrane (Series 2)
• Lesley Vickerage as Second Lieutenant (later Lieutenant and then Captain) Kate Butler (later Voce) AGC (Series 2-4)
• Angus Macfadyen as Second Lieutenant Alex Pereira (Series 2)
• Mo Sesay as Fusilier Michael "Midnight" Rawlings (Series 2-3)
• Robert Gwilym as Lieutenant Colonel Nick Hammond (Series 3)
• Adrian Rawlins as Major Tim Radley (Series 3)
• Dorian Healy as Captain (later Major) Kieran Voce (Series 3-4)
• Rob Spendlove as Company Sergeant Major (later Regimental Sergeant Major then Lieutenant) Michael Stubbs (Series 3-5)
• Akim Mogaji as Fusilier Luke Roberts (Series 3)
• John Bowe as Lieutenant Colonel Ian Jennings (Series 4)
• John McGlynn as Major James McCudden (Series 4)
• Ben Nealon as Second Lieutenant (later Lieutenant then Captain) Jeremy Forsythe (Series 4-7)
• David Groves as Fusilier Joe Farrell (Series 4-6)
• Paterson Joseph as Fusilier Eddie Nelson (Series 4)
• Duncan Bell as Lieutenant Colonel Paul Philips (Series 5)
• Dougray Scott as Major Rory Taylor (Series 5)
• Sophie Dix as Captain Sadie Williams RAMC (Series 5)
• Richard Dillane as Sergeant Brad Connor (Series 5)
• Shaun Dingwall as Lance Corporal Steve Evans (Series 5-6)
• Simon Sherlock as Fusilier Mel Briggs (Series 5-6)
• Danny Cunningham as Fusilier Andy Butcher (Series 5-7)
• Philip Bowen as Lieutenant Colonel Mike Eastwood (Series 6)
• James Callis as Major Tim Forrester (Series 6)
• Biddy Hodson as Second Lieutenant Samantha Sheridan AGC (Series 6)
• Jonathan Guy Lewis as Sergeant Chris McCleod (Series 6-7)
• Fiona Bell as Sergeant Angela McCleod AGC (Series 6-7)
• Ian Curtis as Corporal Mark Hobbs (Series 6-7)
• Kate O'Malley as Private Stacey Grey (later Butcher) RLC (Series 6-7)
• James Cosmo as Lieutenant Colonel Philip Drysdale (Series 7)
• Lucy Cohu as Major Jessica Bailey AGC (Series 7)
• Conor Mullen as Company Sergeant Major Alan Fitzpatrick (Series 7)
• Thomas Craig as Fusilier Jacko Barton (Series 7)
• Chris Gascoyne as Fusilier Tony Rossi (Series 7)
• Ross O'Hennessy as Cpl Dando P.T.I. Instructor (series 5 + 7)

Civilians

• Rosie Rowell as Donna Tucker (Series 1-5)
• Annabelle Apsion as Joy Wilton (Series 1-5)
• Matthew Beard/David Gallivan/Sonny Dudley/Luke Burt as Matthew Wilton (Series 1-5)
• Melanie Kilburn as Carol Anderson (Series 1)
• Samantha Morton as Clare Anderson (Series 1)
• Gareth Parrington as James Anderson (Series 1)
• Cathryn Harrison as Laura Cadman (Series 1)
• Susan Franklyn as Juliet Grant (Series 1)
• Lesley Manville as Rachel Elliot (Series 2)
• Suzanne Burden as Sandra Radley (Series 3)
• Rakie Ayola as Bernie Roberts (Series 3)
• Denise Welch as Marsha Stubbs (Series 3-5)
• William Ash as Jack Stubbs (Series 3-4)
• Tara Simpson as Sarah Stubbs (Series 3-4)
• Angela Clarke as Colette Daly (Series 4-5)
• Gabrielle Reidy as Isabelle Jennings (Series 4)
• Ellis Fernandez/Milo Taylor as Macaulay Tucker (Series 4-5)
• Nthati Moshesh as Lilian Malanje (later Forsythe) (Series 5-7)
• Alison Skilbeck as Dr Sarah Eastwood (Series 6)
• Kate Ashfield as Cate Hobbs (Series 6)
• Kelly Hunter as Jackie Reece (Series 6)
• Laura Howard as Deborah Osbourne (later Briggs) (Series 6)
• Joanna Phillips-Lane as Karen Fitzpatrick (Series 7)
• Lee Ingleby as Kevin Fitzpatrick (Series 7)
• Sarah Smart as Lucy Fitzpatrick (Series 7)
• Michelle Butterly as Julie Oldroyd (Series 7)

Episodes

Series 1

1991. Following a six-month tour of duty in Northern Ireland, the King's Fusiliers Infantry Regiment

return to duty at their Midlands' headquarters.

1. "All the King's Men" (10 June 1991)
2. "Fun and Games" (17 June 1991)
3. "Dirty Work" (24 June 1991)
4. "Fighting Spirit" (1 July 1991)
5. "Battlefields" (8 July 1991)
6. "Loyal to the Corps" (15 July 1991)
7. "Flying Colours" (22 July 1991)

Series 2

Series 2, 1992, was set in Hong Kong, apart from the first episode, which was about a training exercise in Wales.

1. "A Man's Life" (21 September 1992)
2. "Something Old, Something New" (28 September 1992)
3. "A Touch of the Sun" (5 October 1992)
4. "Lifelines" (12 October 1992)
5. "Saving Face" (19 October 1992)
6. "Lost and Found" (26 October 1992)
7. "The Last Post" (2 November 1992)

Series 3

Series 3, 1993 was set in New Zealand & Germany.

1. "Shifting Sands" (7 September 1993)
2. "Live Fire" (14 September 1993)
3. "Base Details" (21 September 1993)
4. "Fall Out" (28 September 1993)
5. "Disintegration" (5 October 1993)
6. "Hide and Seek" (12 October 1993)
7. "Trouble and Strife" (19 October 1993)
8. "Hard Knocks" (26 October 1993)
9. "Camouflage" (2 November 1993)
10. "Staying Together" (9 November 1993)
11. "Dutch Courage" (16 November 1993)
12. "Stand by Me" (23 November 1993)
13. "Leaving" (30 November 1993)

Series 4

Series 4, 1994, saw the Fusiliers move to Cyprus.

1. "Stormy Weather" (20 September 1994)
2. "Away Games" (27 September 1994)
3. "Damage" (4 October 1994)
4. "Second Sight" (11 October 1994)
5. "Over the Top" (18 October 1994)
6. "Proud Man" (25 October 1994)
7. "Further Education" (1 November 1994)
8. "Baby Love" (8 November 1994)
9. "Band of Gold" (15 November 1994)
10. "Going Back" (22 November 1994)
11. "Poles Apart" (29 November 1994)
12. "Bombshell" (6 December 1994)
13. "Changing the Guard" (13 December 1994)

Series 5

Series 5, 1995 was set in Australia, UK & South Africa.

1. "For Better, For Worse" (5 September 1995)
2. "Second Chances" (12 September 1995)
3. "Love Not Money" (19 September 1995)
4. "Bushed" (26 September 1995)
5. "Far Away" (3 October 1995)
6. "Ill Wind" (10 October 1995)
7. "Sweet Revenge" (17 October 1995)
8. "The Army Game" (24 October 1995)
9. "Love and War" (31 October 1995)
10. "Leaving" (7 November 1995)
11. "Hard Lessons" (14 November 1995)
12. "Stick Together" (21 November 1995)
13. "Under The Sun" (28 November 1995)
14. "Baptism of Fire" (5 December 1995)
15. "Twist of Fate" (12 December 1995)

Series 6

1. "River Deep" (3 September 1996)
2. "Divided Loyalties" (10 September 1996)
3. "All for One" (17 September 1996)
4. "Walking on Air" (24 September 1996)
5. "Under the Gooseberry Bush" (1 October 1996)
6. "Flash Point" (8 October 1996)
7. "Money For Nothing" (15 October 1996)
8. "Dear Joe" (22 October 1996)
9. "Asking for it?" (29 October 1996)
10. "Delayed Action" (5 November 1996)
11. "Beast" (12 November 1996)
12. "Fall for Love" (19 November 1996)
13. "War Path" (26 November 1996)
14. "Deliver us from Evil" (3 December 1996)
15. "Hell and High Water" (10 December 1996)

Series 7

1. "Divided We Fall" (23 September 1997)
2. "Things Can Only Get Better!" (30 September 1997)
3. "Line of Departure" (7 October 1997)
4. "Under Fire" (14 October 1997)
5. "Friends and Lovers" (21 October 1997)
6. "How Was it for You?" (28 October 1997)
7. "The Road to Damascus" (4 November 1997)
8. "Out" (11 November 1997)
9. "Fit to Explode" (18 November 1997)
10. "Chain of Command" (25 November 1997)
11. "Sounds of War" (2 December 1997)
12. "No Pain, No Gain!" (9 December 1997)

King's Own Fusiliers

The King's Own Fusiliers
Cap badge of the King's Own Fusiliers
Active	1993-
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Army
Type	Line Infantry
Role	Air Assault Infantry (at end of series)
Size	One battalion
Part of	King's Division
Garrison/HQ	1st Battalion - Aldershot (at end of series)
Motto	Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (Shamed Be He Who Thinks Ill Of It)
Insignia
Hackle	Blue over White From King's Fusiliers

The King's Own Fusiliers is the infantry regiment portrayed in the series. Like all fusilier regiments, the King's Own Fusiliers wears a hackle in its head-dress; this is coloured dark blue over white. Initially, the regiment was called the "King's Fusiliers"; however in the third season of Soldier Soldier, which took place during the Options for Change military reforms, the King's Fusiliers was forced to amalgamate with another regiment, "The Cumbrians (Duke of Rutland's Own)"; although attempts were made by the Cumbrians to keep the new regiment as an ordinary infantry regiment, rather than a fusilier regiment, the regimental commander of the King's Fusiliers found in his research that, at some point during their history, the Cumbrians had served as fusiliers. As a result, the new regiment was named the "King's Own Fusiliers".

The cap badge of the King's Own Fusiliers features the lion surmounting the crown, which is the recognised symbol of the British Army, within the band of the Order of the Garter. Surmounting the garter band is the traditional flame that indicates a fusilier regiment. (Note - in Crush (Red Cap episode 1.2), the Royal Cambrian Fusiliers wore the same cap badge and hackle as the King's Own Fusiliers).

Regiment

Role

As an ordinary infantry battalion, the King's Fusiliers/King's Own Fusiliers was in the arms plot rotation, and thus participated in a number of different roles:

• 1st Battalion, King's Fusiliers
  • Light infantry battalion in the UK
  • Resident infantry battalion in Hong Kong (with training deployment to New Zealand)
• 1st Battalion, King's Own Fusiliers
  • Armoured infantry battalion with 4th (Armoured) Brigade in Germany
  • United Nations peacekeepers with UNPROFOR in Bosnia
  • Public duties battalion in Windsor
  • Infantry training battalion Warminster
  • Air assault infantry battalion with 5th (Airborne) Brigade

During its time in Windsor, in addition to other duties, the King's Own Fusiliers provided the guard at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.

Recruiting area

As the King's Own Fusiliers has no geographical location in its name, it can only be speculated what recruiting area it represents. However, using Options for Change as a marker, it would be reasonable to assume that the regiment is from somewhere in the north of England, given that it is amalgamated with a regiment from Cumbria. In addition, the regiment's collar dogs are in the form of a stylised rose, suggesting the Red Rose of Lancashire. This suggests that the regiment is part of the King's Division. Despite this, the senior officers discuss the possibility of being amalgamated with other regiments from the Midlands.

During Series 1, the possibility of merging or disbanding regiments is discussed, and at that point, the Cumbrians and the Rutlands are expected to be amalgamated to form the Northern Regiment.

Commanding officers

• 1st Battalion, King's Fusiliers
  • Lt Colonel D. Fortune (1991–1992)
  • Lt Colonel N. Hammond (1992–1993)
• 1st Battalion, King's Own Fusiliers
  • Lt Colonel N. Hammond (1993–1994)
  • Lt Colonel I. Jennings (1994–1995)
  • Lt Colonel P. Philips (1995–1996)
  • Lt Colonel M. Eastwood (1996–1997)
  • Lt Colonel P. Drysdale (1997-)

Fictional regiments featured in Soldier Soldier

• The King's Fusiliers (later the King's Own Fusiliers)
• The Cumbrians (Duke of Rutland's Own) - amalgamates with the King's Fusiliers
• The Malvern Regiment - exercises with the King's Fusiliers during their time in Germany

See also

• Red Cap
• Spearhead

External links

• Soldier Soldier at IMDb
• Soldier Soldier at The Robson Green Web Site.
• Soldier Soldier: Deliver Us From Evil w/Jason O'Mara - caps/script