In UK re-enactment, the redcoats and French do talk and communicate. My unit has a good relationship with three or four redcoat groups, representing all arms. The stumbling block comes from politics between NA and none NA groups. Most none NA groups are living history based, have high turn out in dress, drill and discipline. NA units, at least for the french, have very low standards of drill, dress, and virtually no living history, and base their reconstructions on no primary research and dubious tertiary sources at best. This and the NA seeing itself as the only Napoleonic re-enactment body in UK, coupled with its control freak tendancies at events over insurance, saftey issues, drill, causes friction. Thus most none NA units stay clear, and generally operate solo or with other like minded groups.