Happy Battle of Balaclava day

[crazyquik]

Balaclava was a sea port which was part of the overall plan to capture the Russian fleet's port at Sevastapol:

Battle of Balaclava was October 25, 1854. It was cold, and so begat the balaclava:

The British were commanded by Lord Raglan. He lost his arm at Waterloo, and the mitered sleeve made it easier to get his jackets on. You can even see the mitered seam peaking out under the epaulettes.

And the day was ended after the final Allied cavalry charge, after a mis-heard or mis-interpretted order from Raglan, sent Lord Cardigan on what became The Charge of the Light Brigade.

Today is also St. Crispin's Day!

 

[Piobaire]

93rd Highlanders. No Highlanders, it would have been a different story. Foot soldiers repel heavy cavalry? Amazing.

 

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

93rd Highlanders. No Highlanders, it would have been a different story. Foot soldiers repel heavy cavalry? Amazing.
+1. Best part is that after they routed the cavalry charge, some of the Highlanders broke into a bayonet charge, pursuing the horsemen.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by Connemara

+1. Best part is that after they routed the cavalry charge, some of the Highlanders broke into a bayonet charge, pursuing the horsemen.

Scots are the race
God made mad
For all our battles are happy
and all our songs are sad.

 

[matadorpoeta]

so who won?

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

so who won?
Does anyone really win in a war?

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Does anyone really win in a war?
considering 1/3 of the u.s. used to be mexico, i'd say yes.

who was fighting here? the scottish vs the english vs the russians?

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Scots are the race
God made mad
For all our battles are happy
and all our songs are sad.

I always have heard that little ditty applied to the Irish, not the Scots!

A version of it appears in G.K. Chesterton's marvellous "Ballad of the White Horse."

As to the Battle, Lord Cardigan's immortal line after the disastrous charge, "It was no fault of mine," is one of my favorites. I shall probably use it this week when a figurative train wreck occurs at work.

 

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

considering 1/3 of the u.s. used to be mexico, i'd say yes. who was fighting here? the scottish vs the english vs the russians?
That would be epic.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

I always have heard that little ditty applied to the Irish, not the Scots!

A version of it appears in G.K. Chesterton's marvellous "Ballad of the White Horse."

As to the Battle, Lord Cardigan's immortal line after the disastrous charge, "It was no fault of mine," is one of my favorites. I shall probably use it this week when a figurative train wreck occurs at work.

Jan:

You are a never ending source of new knowledge.

Any insight on the "Thin Red Line"? Which, I can't believe, no one has mentioned yet. Even if they were Campbells!

 

[Chiaroscuro]

Foot repelled heavy horse. Very impressive, I have yet to read about the battle. It sounds interesting

 

[NorCal]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Jan:

You are a never ending source of new knowledge.

Any insight on the "Thin Red Line"? Which, I can't believe, no one has mentioned yet. Even if they were Campbells!

Pio, would you happen to be a MacGregor?

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by NorCal

Pio, would you happen to be a MacGregor?

Mother is a MacDonald, thus the Campbell poke.

 

[JustinW]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Mother is a MacDonald, thus the Campbell poke.
We may just be related!

Actually, my great great great great grandfather (not the Macdonald, a William Hardman) fought in the Crimea before being pensioned out of the army to guard convicts en route to Australia.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by JustinW

We may just be related!

Actually, my great great great great grandfather (not the Macdonald, a William Hardman) fought in the Crimea before being pensioned out of the army to guard convicts en route to Australia.

My only recent ancestor not from Scotland, was my paternal great grandmother, a Von Herr from Germany. I usually wear a MacDonald, Lord of the Isle kilt. Last Highland games I was at, a guy came up and started talking to me. Told me I was a spitting image of a boyhood friend of his, and he was visiting from the Isle of Skye and was a MacDonald. That was very, very cool for me.