When Goodbody lands on the beach, he eventually comes across rows of helmets with black capercaillie feathers, representing a military graveyard, with a French flag at half-mast. No French troops wore helmets like this, but the Italian Bersaglieiri did.
In the desert, Goodbody refers to Transom as "Corporal of Musket", even though he is wearing sergeant's stripes.