Batman

A batman is a soldier assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant. An officer's batman was also in charge of the officer's "bat-horse" that carried the pack saddle with his officer's kit during a campaign.

The U.K. English term is derived from the obsolete bat, meaning "pack saddle" (from French bât, from Old French bast, from Late Latin bastum), and man.

The official term used by the British Army in the Napoleonic era was "soldier-servant". Every officer was assigned a servant, usually chosen by the officer from among his men, although in Show the Colours we tend to use the more modern word.

During the Napoleonic era, a soldier-servant in the British Army received an extra shilling a week, as well as his usual army pay. The role was considered to be a privileged one and was much sought-after due the prestige it offered. It was not unknown for an officer's batman to follow him into civilian life as a valet.

In Show the Colours
In StC, we have several characters who are soldier-servants. Often the batman and officer characters are played by the same player, although this need not always be the case.

Gabriel Cotton is a Rifleman who acts as batman to Captain Vickery.

Friedrich Rottlaender is batman to Captain Edward Torrington of the Royal Engineers.

Martin Darling is a nervous and inexperienced batman to Captain Benjamin Blackwood.