Quote:
Originally Posted by Will M
An 1821p HC 4th DG sword
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I had missed commenting on this Will,
This is amazing to see one of these with these markings! which certainly suggests one of the swords at Balaclava. The 4th Dragoon Guards were of course part of the Heavy Brigade, whose clash with up to 3000 Russians with their number of 600+ on the morning of October 25, 1854 was nothing short of remarkable.
In "Nolan of Balaclava" H. Moyse-Bartlett (1971, p.212) it is noted that "..among such tightly packed horsemen, the sword was difficult to wield.The Russian weapons were blunter than the English".
In "The Crimean War" (R.L.V.French-Blake, 1972, p.77) "..,the redcoats hacked their way through the grey enemy masses until the Russian force began to sway and melt".
These seem contrasting in the view toward the use of the sword, with suggestions of the British swords being blunt. Most other accounts note extremely effective results with British saber cuts in this action.
It is interesting to note the disciplined training of the British troopers in this account from a wounded Heavy Brigade dragoon, "...I had just cut five (a body cut) at a Russian, and the damned fool never guarded at all, but hit me on the head".
This was recounted by Sir Evelyn Wood regarding the formal style of sword fighting taught to British cavalrymen. A man would stab or slash first, then return the sword to a guarding position to protect against his enemys return blow. Each of the prescribed cuts or slashes was designated by a number.
From "Death or Glory" (Robert Edgerton, 1999, p.223) citing Sir Evelyn Wood, "The Crimea in 1854 and 1894", 1895.
It is amazing to think of the descriptions of this action with the Heavy cavalry literally disappearing into the sea of grey coats, then to see them all disperse away from them. Had this combat been properly supported by the Light Brigade at the time, the outcome at Balaclava would have been quite different.