Thursday - November 06, 2008

ANOTHER BATTLING BRIT.  1854 AND THE VALLEY OF DEATH. WHAT A STORY HERE.

First-hand account of the Charge of the Light Brigade unearthed

A graphic first-hand account by the last survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade, describing his ride ‘in the valley of death’ during the Crimean War, has been unearthed.

By Nick Britten
Last Updated: 12:02PM GMT 06 Nov 2008

Pte James Olley, of the 4th Light Dragoons, who was in the van of the 1854 cavalry action, tells of how he relentlessly fought the Russians despite having an eye blown out and a chunk of his head torn off.

The three-page document is believed to be one of the only eyewitness accounts by a frontliner and is expect to fetch about £2,000 at auction.

Pte Olley, who was aged 16 at the time, recalled how he charged into battle against the Russians and was shot through the left eye.

He added: “I still rode on and fought through the lines of the enemy.”

He wrote: “A little further on my horse was shot down - I caught one of the horses, which was coming back without its rider who had been shot out of his saddle.

“I turned it round facing the enemy - I mounted it and rode down to the Guns, when I was attacked by a Russian Gunner who I cut down with my sword.

“I received a severe wound on my forehead which went through the skull bone.

“The man I cut down.”

The account is a sobering antidote to the romanticism that has grown up around the disastrous charge into the face of Russian artillery by British cavalry under the command of Lord Cardigan during the Battle of Balaclava.

With such lines as “All in the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred”, Tennyson’s poem The Charge of the Light Bridge is a typical example.

Despite his injuries, Pte Olley, from Holt, Norfolk, lived until 1920, when he died at the age 82.

He wrote how he had raised the alarm that morning, having spotted the Russians advancing, before “every man was called to his horse”.

“All the Light Brigade were soon in their saddles ready to do their duty or die - order was given to advance and back up the Turks.”

After a couple of advances and retreats, they were ordered to charge the Russians.

Pte Olley said all went well initially before they were suddenly overwhelmed.

He wrote: “After a time we prepared to return when, to our surprise we found that we were overpowered by the enemy.

“When we got through we rode into our encampment what few there were left of us.”

The document, signed and dated 1897, goes on sale at Ludlow Racecourse on November 6.

http://tinyurl.com/6ny37r

OKAY PEOPLE NOW PLEASE GO TO THIS LINK http://tinyurl.com/6k5hvk WHERE YOU WILL FIND A BIT MORE INFO INCLUDING A SAMPLE OF THIS GUYS HANDWRITING.
Amazing!  Looking at this guys photo, I swear I’d never challenge this guy even as an old man.  Does he look like he’d be easily frightened?

What a contrast to that wimpy embarrassing blot on the Royal Navy who (recall last year was it) was taken with other navy personal by Iranians and cried about losing his ... what the hell was it he lost?  An iPOD or some such device?  Remember that silly looking clod?  They kept him in the navy as I recall.  This old fellow would kick his dumb ass.  Try telling this guy you had a hard childhood or ate too many twinkies or yeah, try political correctness on the likes of him? Ha.

I know this photo isn’t too good.  The one in yesterday’s paper wasn’t bad and had more detail. But for some reason, the Telegraph didn’t give us an online photo, and the Daily Mail did but they enlarged it online and so lost detail.  But the written stuff at the Mail is good.  I LOVE this stuff.

Posted by peiper     on 11/06/2008 at 07:15 AM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
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