Today is Balaklava Day: The Charge Of The Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson The Battle of Balaclava - Crimean War - Charge of the Light Brigade
There's also an "In Our Time" on... The Charge of the Light Brigade, In Our Time - BBC Radio 4 The Charge of the Light Brigade Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Charge of the Light - an event of no military significance that has become iconic in the British historical imagination. On November 14th 1854 The Times newspaper reported on a minor cavalry skirmish in the Crimean War: “They swept proudly past, glittering in the morning sun in all the pride and splendour of war... At the distance of 1200 yards the whole line of the enemy belched forth, from thirty iron mouths, a flood of smoke and flame through which hissed the deadly balls. Their flight was marked by instant gaps in our ranks, by dead men and horses, by steeds flying wounded or riderless across the plain”.This is the debacle of the Charge of the Light Brigade, which made little difference to the Crimean War yet has become deeply embedded in British culture. It helped to provoke the resignation of a Prime Minister and it profoundly changed British attitudes to war and to the soldiers who fought in them. It also brought censorship to bear on previously uncensored war reporting and inspired Alfred, Lord Tennyson to sit down and write “All in the Valley of Death rode the six hundred”.With Mike Broers, Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall; Trudi Tate, Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge; Saul David, Visiting Professor of Military History at the University of Hull The... "an event of no military significance" quote (above) makes me wonder though
I noticed in passing that the film... The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968 film) - Wikipedia Was on one of the UK's Freeview channels last night... And it will be "repeated" also on Saturday at 6.20pm... The Charge Of The Light Brigade Next Airing: Saturday, November 12th 6:20pm About The Charge Of The Light Brigade This satirical account of wartime Victorian England elicits brilliant performances by John Gielgud and Vanessa Redgrave in a tale of the contrasts between aristocracy and the squalour of the lower classes. (1968)
When I joined the 4th Queen's Own Hussars I was immediately informed that they traced their military roots back to the Charge of the Light Brigade ! 4th Queen's Own Hussars | Famous Units | Research | National Army Museum, London Ron
Reminder... is on tonight... I remember watching the version... The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936 film) - Wikipedia Some months ago and being befuddled by it as it was only "very loosely based on the famous charge" and included much additional fiction. And at the moment all the wiki page says as regards Reception is... (the 1936 film was) ... it was "a massive hit in Japan" Whereas for the 1968 film... "The film received generally positive reviews but proved a box office bomb." For me the ending of the 1968 "Charge of the light brigade" film was lacking most the narration and summary we got from Richard Burton in the 1964 Zulu film... Zulu (1964 film) - Wikipedia i.e. "The film ends with another narration by Richard Burton, listing the eleven defenders who received the Victoria Cross for the defence of Rorke's Drift, the most awarded to a regiment in a single action up to that time." To give more context etc. and even some clues as to what happened next. Ps. i.e. such as in the "Aftermath" section of the wiki page: Charge of the Light Brigade - Wikipedia
Yesterday ;-) The Royal Lancers The anniversary of the Battle of Balaclava which occurred on 25th October - in 1854 - was one of the major battles during the Crimean War. Part of the Siege of Sevastopol, the battle followed an earlier victory at the Battle of Alma after the French and British armies landed on the Crimean peninsula. The campaign saw the 17th Lancers deploy as part of the Light Cavalry Brigade (including antecedants of The Light Dragoons, The King's Royal Hussars and the The Queen's Roya...l Hussars) under The Earl of Cardigan. After a series of confusing and imprecise orders, into the “Valley of Death rode the six hundred” as immortalised by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The battle also saw other elements of great bravery including Charge of the Heavy Brigade (which involved the antecedents of our Catterick neighbours, The Royal Dragoon Guards) and the 'Thin Red Line' where men of the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders - today, known as @5Scots) defeated a force of Russian cavalry. As for the men of the Light Brigade, folly or military failure not withstanding, there is no doubt that those men rode into the Russian guns at the end of the valley with the utmost bravery and courage. 3 Victoria Crosses were awarded to the 17th for their actions that day - and of the 147 men who rode forward, 74 were killed and wounded. That sacrifice is remembered today by the serving Regiment with dinners in the Messes where Tennyson’s lines are read out. “Cannon to right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley’d and thunder’d; Storm‘d at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.” Death or Glory. See more
Balaclava...My God, what a mess. In all the press given to the Light Brigade disaster I think many forget that the battle was also marked by two brilliantly successful actions, the stand of the 93rd (the original 'Thin Red Line') and the charge of the Heavy Brigade.
Mark Adkin's The Charge is worth a read as he was able to visit the valley after the Iron Curtain opened.
It's worth reading Flashman at the Charge by George McDonald Fraser for an excellent account of the charge. It's fictionalised in parts, of course - he puts his cowardly anti-hero Harry Flashman in the vanguard - but Fraser uses the real historical context of the action, giving you a good factual idea of where and how it happened. Hilarious as well as educative.
Always felt that the Heavy Brigade of Sir James Scarlett get forgotten about on this day when after all, their action was an unqualified success.
When I had a week touring the Crimea, then in the Ukraine, it was disappointing to see the famous valley was occupied by a vineyard. It was difficult to appreciate the geography. Balaclava was still a small town, complete with an underground Soviet Navy submarine base - derelict we were told by our German guide. Sevastopol was a gem, although entirely rebuilt after two WW2 sieges; a warmer Portsmouth.
Went to Tredegar House today & saw the grave of Sir Briggs. The Charge of the Light Brigade, the Battle of Balaclava, 25th October 1854 with Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar (1831 - 1913) astride his Horse, 'Sir Briggs' File:John Charlton (1849-1917) - The Charge of the Light Brigade, the Battle of Balaclava, 15th October 1854, with Godfrey Charles Mo - 1553541 - National Trust.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
