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What happened next is History. Rifleman Moore after alighting from the troop-train was stopped in Marylebone in London by a policeman who wanted to know 'what was in the bag?' and it was of course as I was uniformed as a 95th Rifleman of the Peninsula War - knapsack, haversack, water-bottle and all - my Baker rifle. After a brief conversation during which I explained the reason for my visit to London, I was allowed to go on my way but as an after-thought - and as he seemed very interested - I asked him for a postal address and I did write to this policeman reminding him of our encounter enclosing one of my first and subsequently very popular 'Reports from the Front' on-campaign with Sharpe (which he did - in aroundabout fashion - eventually receive).
The script-reading when I arrived there was at first 'uncomfortable' in that nobody had told the Director I was coming or who I was, but this did eventually work itself out. 'Teaching the actors how to be British soldiers' meant going out to a rifle-range for two hours afterwards which enabled them to fire several shots from my rifle and during which I imparted to them as much practical and theoretical information as I could, recommending several books for them to read and ending before getting on the Tube back to London (still in uniform) with a quote from a book written by a very popular 95th Rifles officer: "Whatever Happens, always remember you are an Englishman." I was later told that I made such a favourable impression on them, the group of actors who later became 'The Chosen Men' all went straight into The Production Office to see the Producer to insist or persuade him that I be asked to come out to the Crimea location with them for 'two weeks to get them started'. I agreed at once when asked and three weeks later in August 1992, packing only a small kitbag - and still wearing my rifleman's uniform - got on the aeroplane with them to set off on our first campaign with Sharpe for their planned twelve-week long shoot of the first three episodes - to finally return to England an unplanned twenty-six weeks later and I've been 'on campaign' with them on every Sharpe series ever since.
Rifleman Moore in 1996: looking rather careworn but very experienced and after press interviews about Sharpe, described in one as 'epitomising the mind, body and soul of the British rifleman of the Peninsula War'.
Sharpe Film did become an 'efficient little army on the march' with our own Commander, Chief of Staff (including 'Military Intelligence'), a Sergeant-Major and a host of Corporals in several operational departments handling an enormous amount of logistics: the 'Quartermaster's Store' and the 'Catering Corps' to name but two - and what became a 'Bored of Ordnance' dealing with arms, artillery and explosives to say nought of our cavalry brigade and 'The Officers Mess' - and we even had a Recruiting Office. Hundreds of people worked daily in front of and also behind the scenes 'to keep the army in the field' but we had - and the prevailing weather is included in this - only one real enemy to defeat - Time... and to overcome this we all worked at the speed of an express train: thirty - or even forty separate camera set-ups per day became usual.

My title eventually became 'Military & Technical Adviser / Armourer' to cover a multitude of duties. I worked closely with all our extras, in many cases starting out with them for a week before filming commenced to employ what became my method on Sharpe for 'training the troops'. It wasn't all arms drill and pounding the parade-square: I also advised them on what to expect from the script, what happened on a daily basis re costuming-up, guidelines on behaviour on set, pay and conditions, looking after any valuables, don't wear wrist-watches or carry cellphones, keep your souvenir cameras hidden, only pester the actors when you get the word - but above all, enjoy yourselves... in fact I made only three 'rules' (as Richard Sharpe did with his soldiers): Always do your very best when on-camera, If you have any problems at all with anything come and see me, Look after and don't ever mess about with your firearms... and the unspoken but understood 'fourth rule' that I would never ask them to do anything I wouldn't be prepared to do myself (and this often led to me 'costuming-up' and joining them in difficult battle scenes - but I was never very far away from them.) I have always enjoyed a marvellous relationship with all our extras including making several close friendships over the years.
September 1993: the result of great expense and weeks of labour on the first series of Sharpe sees one of our finest achievements - 'The South Essex Regiment' - once again on the march in Sharpe Series Two for the episode of Sharpe's Company. The soldiers here are from the Ukrainian Army and the drummers are cadets of The Russian Black Sea Fleet based in nearby Sevastopol. Before 'The Storming of Badajoz' scenes in Sharpe's Company, they were all enjoying sunny days and having a wonderful time but after fourteen nights filming in sub-zero temperatures participating from the wet and frozen trenches into and beyond the demanding assault sequences, their 'battle casualties' and 'regimental morale' had to be carefully restored by the author before the next episode.