Valley of the Shadow of Death

[Jim McDougall]

In previous post I was describing the sword disciplines of the British, but in one line it was suggested that the British swords were as 'blunt as the Russians swords'. In further reading, this does not seem the case, though it is made clear that the Russian swords were indeed blunt.

In "Hell Riders" (Terry Brighton, 2004) very well researched accounts from Balaclava survivors better tell this.
p.94, as charge was sounded and the Heavies went into the huge mass of Russians (the British outnumbered by at least 3 to 1) it is noted they seemed astonished and went from a walk to halt, as the forces met Lt. Godman notes "...all I saw was swords in the air in every direction, the pistols going off and everyone hacking away right and left".,

The Heavies were vastly outnumbered and fighting uphill, but "..the Heavies swung their sabers viciously". with the Russians "...rather astonished at the way our men used their swords".

In this account it was noted that there were few casualties in the five minute melee suggesting the thick grey coats the Russians wore and that the British swords were not sufficiently sharp, and the Russians were worse as no attempt had been made to sharpen them (evidenced by the swords found later on the ground).

Lt. Strangways of the Heavies noted regarding a dead trooper of the 4th DG, "...his helmet had come off in the fight, and he had about 15 cuts on his head, not one of which had more than parted the skin. His death wound was a thrust below the armpit". (p.96, Brighton, op. cit.).

A Lt. Elliott of the unit had "..fourteen saber wounds and was recorded as 'slightly wounded' because only one of them, a cut across his face, had opened the flesh". (p.96)

Apparently the melee was stopped when Royal Horse Artillery began firing over the heads of the Heavies into the Russian ranks outermost, and their forces broke. (p.95, op. cit, Brighton)