Charge of the Light Brigade

[ariel]

This one just ended on e-bay, and I am posting it here to gladden Jim Mc Dougall's heart ( although I suspect a memento of the Thin Red Line would have been even more elating).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_2626wt_1167

A genuine medal given for that mad charge must be a centerpiece of any British Militaria collection.
"Into the jaws of death...."

[Jim McDougall]

Wow! Thank you so much Ariel!
You know me too well, and indeed my youngest years of collecting had me obsessed with finding the swords carried in this charge, not only of the Light Brigade, but that of the Heavy as well.

The 'Thin Red Line' surely does reach the Highlander blood in my veins though!! and this lesser known part of the Battle of Balaklava that October 25th, 1854 surely carried forth the bravery shown by virtually all the combatants that day.

Sir Colin Campbell, commander of the 93rd Highland Regiment positioned his men in lines of two in preparation for a Russian cavalry charge, rather the the four lines usually placed, and said to his men,
"...there is no retreat from here men. You must die where you stand!".
An observer seeing this unusually narrow formation of redcoats in a long line, with bristling bayonets remarked it looked like a 'thin red line'.

With unflinching resolve, the Thin Red Line held firm, and the Russian cavalry unit, its commander thinking this had to be a diversion due to the very unnatural depth of these lines of troops, wheeled away. Many of the Highlanders began to charge after them, with Sir Colin scolding!!,
"...93rd!!! Damn all that eagerness!!" in holding them back.


"The Thin Red Line" by Robert Gibb (1881)

Thank you again Ariel for sharing this,
Jim

[Jim McDougall]

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