I wanted to add notes on the legendary charge as well, as I have noted, I spent many years deeply obsessed with the history of this engagement and the weapons used there. I actually did find the M1821 light cavalry troopers sabres which prevailed of course with the four regiments that comprised the 'Light Brigade', as well as the M1822 sabre for the officers.
In research I did discover that there actually were several M1853 cavalry swords present, but these had not yet been widely issued, and it is presently unclear how many or who had them, notes are long buried!
I also found the incredibly hard to find M1829 heavy cavalry sabres, from the less heralded, and actually somewhat successful charge of those units on that day.
The terrible tragedy of this action was immediately apparant to those witnessing this unbelievable charge, clearly into the wrong valley and headlong into blazing cannon on all sides, and it is said that allied General Marshall Pierre Bosquet almost tearfully exclaimed as he watched,
"...it is magnificent! But it is not war!!".
The Russians were actually at first disbelieving, and in many ways somewhat puzzled and disconcerted by the advance of these gallant forces coming directly at them, against any expected tactics normally employed. It seems almost certain that they were probably trying to imagine what sort of tactic this was, and trying to imagine what would befall them as it unfolded.
I always dreamed of actually going to the battlefield, but in those days of the Cold War, this was patently impossible. In 2004, there was a commemorative ceremony, and a monument emplaced in this immortal valley, which is now a vineyard,
"...when can thier glory fade? O' the wild charge they made".
-Tennyson
Noble Six Hundred,
Illustrations of the charge in painting by R.CatonWoodville; and a view of the battlefield today, a vineyard; as well as the M1822 officers light cavalry sabre
All the best,
Jim
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