25 October: The Battle of Balaclava

On this date in 1854 the Battle of Balaclava took place. 10 things you might not know about it:

1. The battle took place during the Crimean War and was between an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the French Empire, and the United Kingdom against the Russian Empire. The Russians won.
2. The battle was part of the The siege of Sevastopol, Sevastopol being the capital of Crimea and the home of the Tsar's Black Sea Fleet, which threatened the Mediterranean. The Allies landed at Eupatoria on 14 September with 50,000 men and the intention of marching to the city and taking it. Needless to say, the Russians weren’t having it. The 56-kilometre/35 mile trek from Eupatoria to Sevastopol took about a year as the Russians kept attacking. There were a number of battles along the way, Balaclava being just one of them.
3. Balaclava is a port on the south Crimean coast, which is now part of the city of Sevastopol. There has been a settlement at that location since Ancient Greek times, when it was called Symbolon. The town changed hands, and names, several times – the Byzantines called it Yamboli and the Genoese named it Cembalo. The Turks gave it its current name in 1475 when they re-named it Balyk-Yuva, which means Fish's Nest. It has in turn given its name to a knitted garment covering the head and neck, the balaclava, because soldiers first wore them here.
4. One famous event which took place during the battle is “The Thin Red Line”, when the 93rd Highlanders under the command of Sir Colin Campbell stood between the charging Russian cavalry and the British cavalry. The event was so called because the regiment wore red and the line was just two men thick. From his vantage point on Sapouné Hill William Russell, the Times correspondent, described what he saw as a ‘thin red line tipped with steel’. The steel, of course, was the guns, with which they fired several volleys at the Russians, who withdrew.
5. Possibly the best known event of this Battle was the Charge of the Light Brigade. More about that later, but did you know there was also a Charge of the Heavy Brigade? The British Heavy Brigade, 900 cavalrymen commanded by Major General James Scarlett, which engaged with the 3,000 strong Russian Cavalry with help from the “Thin Red Line”.
6. The Charge of the Light Brigade was actually a monumental screw up caused by muddled and confusing orders from those at the top, and the animosity between the man who delivered the order and the commander of the Light Brigade, one Lord Lucan. As the Russian cavalry fled from the Heavy Brigade, a Captain Morris, who was in charge of the 17th Lancers, tried to persuade the British commander, Lord Cardigan, that there was a great opportunity here for the Light Brigade to rout them, but Cardigan wasn’t having it. Morris is said to have slapped his thigh and declare, ‘What an opportunity we have missed’. His opinion was shared by much of the army.
7. From where he was situated, Lord Lucan was unable to see what was going on and when General Airey’s written order (‘Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front, and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. Troop of Horse artillery may accompany. French cavalry is on your left. Immediate.’) was delivered by a man named Nolan, Lucan asked, which enemy and which guns? Nolan is said to have flung his arm out in the direction of the Russian cavalry force positioned behind its guns at the end of the North Valley and retorted, ‘There is your enemy. There are your guns, My Lord.’ His insolent reply meant that Lucan was disinclined to seek any more clarification and so sent the Light Brigade off in the wrong direction resulting in the loss of 278 soldiers.
8. Despite the incompetence of their commanders, the Light Brigade fought bravely and inspired Alfred Lord Tennyson to write his famous poem about it. The poem includes the lines, “Someone had blundered: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.” Tennyson also wrote a poem about the Charge of the Heavy Brigade, but that is less well known. Composer Franz Suppé was inspired by it too, and wrote an overture in tribute and called it ‘Light Cavalry’.
9. The famous words ‘C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la guerre’, (It’s magnificent but it’s not war) were uttered by the French General Bosquet as he watched the charge.
10. The British lost the battle which meant that the Woronzoff Road, important for communications between the British base at Balaclava and the siege lines outside Sevastopol, was lost for the winter of 1854/1855, a major setback. While battle honours are usually reserved for the winners of a conflict, the courage displayed by the soldiers meant the military authorities awarded Balaclava as a battle honour to the regiments involved.

Killing Me Softly

Sebastian Garrett is an assassin. It wasn’t his first choice of vocation, but nonetheless, he’s good at it, and can be relied upon to get the job done. He’s on top of his game.

Until he is contracted to kill Princess Helena of Galorvia. She is not just any princess. Sebastian doesn’t bargain on his intended victim being a super-heroine who gives as good as she gets. Only his own genetic variant power saves him from becoming the victim, instead of Helena. 

Fate has another surprise in store. Sebastian was not expecting to fall in love with her.

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-book