155 years ago today........

[BringbacktheP&P]

For the hisorians amongst you!

http://www.britishbattles.com/crimean-war/balaclav...

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to 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.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

[RedLeicester]

Quite, sadly forgotten by most, though granted overshadowed today by the D-Day service @ Westminster which at least Winky bothered to turn up to.

[mybrainhurts]

Did he have a choice...?

[Uncle Fester]

Ah yes, a small number of courageous British soldiers.

Given orders by an idiot, lacking in equipment, sent into the wrong place.

Thank god we don’t have that kind of debacle nowadays.

It never fails to amaze me what things the courage of a few men can accomplish. It’s just a shame good government isn’t among them.

[bigandclever]

It's also the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt. Win some, lose some.

[ellroy]

bigandclever said:

It's also the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt. Win some, lose some.

Actually win some win some in this case. The war was a win for the allies.

[Jasandjules]

Thank you for poem.

One of the greatest, and lowest, points of our military history.

[Martial Arts Man]

Jasandjules said:

Thank you for poem.

One of the greatest, and lowest, points of our military history.

Can't argue with that.

The COTLB is one of those moving poems that makes me proud to be British.

Where has the gallantry gone from our lands?

We don't make em like we used to.


RIP brave soldiers of yesteryear.