1955-01-15 — Page 5

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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1955.

"Pare

MIGHT HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS FAMILY COULD NOT GO TO A BOAT SHOW AND JUST LOOK AT BOATS."

Another of the World's Strangest Stories

THE

O

London Express Borrice

ODDEST WAR IN

BRITISH HISTORY

N those spring mornings one hun-

dred

when

years ago British the

Army embarked for the Crimea no cloud of doubt.

no premonition of disaster

By FELIX

BARKER

hung over the celebrations, Mrs Duberly's) wont mad with Bands played 411 the fear in the lurching holds and quaysides, and As flowers, hail to be shot.

cases of wine, and hothouse

A gruelling summer of boro-

mander of the Cavalry Division, refused her permission point... blank,

Lord Cardigan

touched by her tears, ogreed t turn the blind eye. 6o, early

on the morning of embarkation, she disguised herself

24

趄

Turkish woman ani, smothering her laughter

was smuggled past vigilant Lucan in a native

the

cart and so on board.

Lord Cardigan's disregard of Lord Lacan's order about Mrs dom, training, and widespread Duberly was just one example:

in-

fruit Wer carried board death from Cholera was spent of the many issues over which the transports at Southumper the barren coast of Bulgaria these two men came to logger- ton and Plymouth everyone agreed that the sight of British steel would

BOO settle the Russians.

officers Bu For many

no sadness men there was LUL separation from their womenfolk. Wives and even grey-haired mothers going with them.

were

Looking very beautiful in a riding habit with long skirt, tail- coat, and shining butts, Lady Erroll had taken the preaALICIA of bringing her French maid, and was to share a tent with her husband-he Commanding Offler of the 60th Riftes--during the campaign ahead.

Her foresight was matched by Frances Duberly, who had taken om the wife of her husband's sergeant-major as her naid. This gay young woman had also brought along ther favourite home. A keen horsewoman, she probably visualised the undulat

Crimea ing

ideal hunting country.

Co

One man who might renson- ably have been expected to sail with his troops the Light Brigade was its commanding offer. But Lieut.-General the Earl of Cardigan bad permision far more civilised ep- proach to the theatre of war,

to make

He was to follow later and so

be able to stop on the way for

Varna. around

Supplies were heads. short and the troops cursed at

Though

related by marriage, being forend to polish and pipe-

each other they disliked clay their equipment and drill unsely. and nothing could day after day as if they were at

have been торо unfortunate their

home depots.

than their appointments in the

As Com Expeditionary Force

of tho Light Brigader Lord Cardigan found himself at 57 under the orders of Lord three years his Lucan, a man junior, who had the command of the whole Cavalry Division.

It came as a rellet when in August Lord Raglar, the Commander mander-in-Chief, issued order for embarkation across the Black Sea, and it was known that war Was to be taken right to the enemy with an invasion of the Craneo.

CARDIGAN: Brave, stupid.

X

ORD Cardigan, proud, aITO- gant and rather stupid, was the last man to accept gracefully e subordinate role. Quarrelsome and pigheact, his coving grace his deep love for the was Cavalry, an affection which led him to spend £10,000 a your of his own money on the 11th Hussare of which he was Coknel; and at the testing moment of crisis he proved that he could behave with in calculable bravery,

the

The redoubtable Mr. Duborly, bør horse, and hor husband, whom she followed to the battlefield,

regiments 151 the

cavalry

at a tra At a walk Arty

at a canter... the three tong To the left rose the Fediou-

lines of cavalry started down the king Haighte; to the right the valley. Lord Cardigan, at their Causeway Heights. The valley head, was a magnificent figure in between them was about a mile cerise, royal blue, and gold frog- wida. And at the far enkl gins.

his sword drawn for the 11⁄2 miles away. — could

be hurge. seen the Russian field-guns and, behind, the hastily re-formed Atraen ́of Buraları cavalry and infantry.

On the Causeway Heights to tho right the Russians held three strong-points, and it was fast about 11 when Lard through Bagtan's staff looking field-glasses sow the Russians beginning to pull back their guns from these redoubts.

At once the Commander-in- Chief sent a message to Lord Lucan: "Lord Ragian wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly That moment came at ten to the front follow the enemy minutes past 11 on the moming and try to prevent the enemy of October 25, 1854, in North carrying away the giane." Valley, a long pinin between two ridges of hills near the little Crimean senport. of Balaclava,

X

In perfect parade-ground or- der the Light Brigade moved forward, the Jingle of their har- ness breaking the silence that suddenly fell on the valley.

X

THEY had gone only 50 yards when the Russian guns fired their first salvo, and from that moment they were under a con- nual volley of deadly fire from right, left and centre,

They did not falter or slow down. As one man or hire feil unother took his place. The line Tem remained unbroken as they ad vanced farther and farther into the rain of shot and bail. "Close in! Close in the centre!" came WHAT he did not realise was the continual shout of command FXCW tewer that from his position high as their numbers This was the scene of Lord

above the valley he could see and fewer. Cardigan's triumph; the scene, too, of the most famous disaster the enemy's strong-points which In our military history; a scene were quite invlelbje which (as a final touch of the improbable) was witnessed by

in Farin and for a couple

a dinner party with Napoleon III

an

of

the

RAGLAN: Foolhardy.

pent

days' sightseeing in Athens,

X

He had also arranged for his

This

Jacht, the Dryad to follow him to the Black Sea with his French chet on board. proved a wise precaution for while his subordinates had to put up with mud, rain and lice- could be certain of a bath, a de- cent bottle of wine and a good infected bivouacs on shore ho night's sleep between sheets,

But there were less forgivable Indulgences

and Tpefficiency personal Jealousy batwon men command were bashest

in trappody, so that whers

to fend we pelobanta

LUCAN:

"No "women"

Lucan below.

At 80 yards the 12 Russian guns fred into them point-blank. With groans and cries the whole front line seemed to dissolve. Lord Cardigan, still a foarloes,

to Lord

"Attack, Sir? Attack what?" Mrs Duberly from a vineyard demanded Lucan of the alde-de-

heights above the valley, camp who brought the message, upright figure at their "Do not

In wait for breakfast,

ADEWEY the alde, a hot- went right through the tutors scribbled her husband who had headed, impatient young man, guns. While the Lancers, the in waved his hand in the direction Hussars and the Dragoons cut a home to the ship which she was living so that of the valley. "There my Lord, and slashed among the enemy she should come up to see the is your enemy!" he said, "There gunnars he rode to within a few battic.

your guns!

yards of the Russian infantry massed behind them.

X

It was a fatally imprecise ges ture and statement. To Lord Lucan this order indicated that of he was to attack the Russian guns masood straight ahead at the end of the valley. He also

BY 11 o'clock the Battle

Balaclava was half over. A force of 20,000 Russian infantry

and 5,000 cavalry which three knew it meant certain mudelde. hours earlier had opened attack

מס

MIL

great victory had been lost to But the long-standing of such of 500 horses,"

X

So acrene was Lord Cardigan,

O, his place in history secure, Lord Cardigan whooled his horso and at the head of the small Had he and Lord Cardigan body of tattered, bullet-torn sur- the British held part been on better terms they might vivors rode back down the val had been repulset. They had have discussed the onder, tried lay. Of the 700 who had start- refrented

but a to dellus Lord Ragtun's meaning, ed out only 195 returned: Among In confusion,

feud had the human dead lay the bodies our Army by not following up destroyed any a consultation. the advantage.

Now the Russians, had hind So ho simply put heels to his so little touched by the blazing Bowever, wern time to re-form, and so the horse, rode over to Lord Card hell through which he had led the order, his men, that when he sesin' the Light Brigade we are forced hopelendly inadequate. Orders na rose higher and the mist gan and repeated

bod, Lord Raglan looked Bickles for discipline though he roughed the Britms linen tho was member not only darling had to be given the animale wat down from the heights at the war, Cardigan could not refrain grected with ou

but also extraordinary and 4,000 bestpage must

bo left behind (many to starve west end of the valley.

Both mans had guns shoed, and voirrup-oup to

to donths), and that no worden befor the hunt note stick on were to follow with their hus Leet below www that batteries and riflement on the claimed hi smiudersion, diáriot last long, bends on this last stage of the semilac Light Brigade. They heights to the left and right. Andis ITEM NON MALKAN shape crisenmed journey. with troops and horses hit rough

the anniversarY

each October of the Charge of Transports,

The order **-Wäs

i

In the foreground,- "bout 600 om protesting that the Bus- !Were you, not the liquiry of:"

w

were at best, lounging mean "Lord Raglan will have it”, was statement be trottes diare. Undir - hormon du chatting an vesel, mil. Lord Luena could reply

"yacht, bude-to w hot sou mal fertily tot weather, garded by the incorrigible Mrs stooding 709 men belonging Lord. Cardigans brought down

Com- to five of the most finely teained his aword in salute. Many of the horses, (including Duberty. Lord

to

a bottle of pumpagne with hie

dinner, and then. bed.

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FINE OLD SCOTCH WHISKY

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STILL GOING

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