Royal Scots Greys

And that was a very successful kind of mission and well lauded.

In 1915, so a hundred years later, Scots Greys, by that point, or Royal Scots Greys, I believe, they commemorate that incident because obviously it's something amazing for their regiment.

So in 1915, you've got soldiers here at Stobbs walking around with those tunic buttons on their uniforms.

The irony and the amazing story is that in 2015, when we were here doing field work, that's when we found that button.

The heavy brigade had soon to return to the support of the troops defending Balaclava, and was fortunate enough in being at hand when a large force of Russian cavalry was descending the hill.

I immediately ordered Brigadier General Scarlett to attack with the Scots Greys and Inniskellen Dragoons, and had his attack supported in second line by the 5th Dragoon Guards and by a flank attack of the 4th Dragoon Guards.

Under every disadvantage of ground, these eight small squadrons succeeded in defeating and dispersing a body of cavalry estimated at three times their number and more.

The heavy brigade having now joined the light brigade, the division took up a position with a view of supporting an attack upon the heights.

This was Sir John Le Gonier, afterwards commander-in-chief of the British army at the time of Wolfe's campaigns in Canada.

He led the few British and Austrian cavalry, among them the famous Scots Greys, straight into the gap and on against the dense masses of the French beyond.

These gallant horsemen were doomed, and of course they knew it when they dashed themselves to death against such overwhelming odds.

But they gained the precious few moments that were needed.

The heavy brigade had soon to return to the support of the troops defending Balaclava, and was fortunate enough in being at hand when a large force of Russian cavalry was descending the hill.

I immediately ordered Brigadier General Scarlett to attack with the Scots Greys and Inniskellen Dragoons, and had his attack supported in second line by the 5th Dragoon Guards and by a flank attack of the 4th Dragoon Guards.

Under every disadvantage of ground, these eight small squadrons succeeded in defeating and dispersing a body of cavalry estimated at three times their number and more.

The heavy brigade having now joined the light brigade, the division took up a position with a view of supporting an attack upon the heights.

The Union Brigade moved through the infantry lines, while the Royal Dragoons ultimately succeeded in a fight with Charles-Francois Bourgeois' brigade and captured the Eagle Standard, a gift from Napoleon to each regiment, almost 100 of which were presented, from the 105E linea.

Similarly, the Scots Greys captured the Eagle Standard belonging to the 45E Ligne after overwhelming it, while the Innis killings destroyed yet another French division.

In the chaos, leaders struggled to rein in their troops, which led the Scots Greys and the Union Brigade to stumble towards the main French lines.

The Greys went on to slaughter many French gun crews, putting numerous French cannons out of action, while Napoleon ordered a counterattack by sending out further armed cavalry units.

British heavy cavalry were taken by surprise when they were charged at by such French troops, with the commander of the Union Brigade, Major General Sir William Ponsonby, was attacked and captured while attempting to rally his men.

A group of Scots Greys noticed the incident nearby and tried to rescue the leader, but Ponsonby was killed.

The French used his lance to then kill three of the Greys who tried to come to his aid.

Ponsonby's death marked another turning point in the battle, one which saw the upper hand returning to the French.

When they took post on the left of the second line of redoubts by an order from your lordship, the heavy brigade had soon to return to the support of the troops defending Balaclava, and was fortunate enough in being at hand when a large force of Russian cavalry was descending the hill.

I immediately ordered Brigadier General Scarlett to attack with the Scots Greys and Inniskilling Dragoons, and had his attack supported in second line by the Fifth Dragoon Guards and by a flank attack of the Fourth Dragoon Guards.

Under every disadvantage of ground, these eight small squadrons succeeded in defeating and dispersing a body of cavalry estimated at three times their number and more.

The heavy brigade having now joined the light brigade, the division took up a position with a view of supporting an attack upon the heights.

came into action chapter six chapter seven cavalry

charges a nervous young man broke down when trying at a party to recite tennyson's charge of the light brigade the considerate hostess said just give it in your own words mr my words are very inadequate to describe the charge of the ninth lancers at toulon terrible damage was being done to british infantry and artillery by eleven german guns concealed in a wood at last the commanding officer of the lancers said we must take those guns and ordered his men to charge they rode straight at the guns though stormed at by shot and shell they were like men inspired declared a spectator and it seemed incredible that any one could escape alive when the brave fellows got near the guns they came across hidden wire entanglements horses and men went down in a heap nothing however could stop them they got to the guns cut down the gunners and put the guns out of action the lancers took the praises that were given to them very modestly we only fooled round and saved some guns they said at san quentin the black watch and scott's greys acted in concert as at the battle of waterloo the highlanders got into the thick of the fight by holding on to the stirrup leathers of the cavalry the greys plunged straight into the ranks of the enemy each horseman accompanied by a comrade on foot and the germans taken completely by surprise were broken up and repulsed with tremendous losses our men said a wounded eye-witness of the charges came on with a mighty shout and fell upon the enemy with the utmost violence the weight of the horses carried them into the close-formed ranks of the germans and the gallant greys and the kilties gave a fearful account of themselves On another occasion, the Scots Greys, seeing the wounded cut at by the German officers, went mad, and even though the retreat had been sounded, a non-commissioned officer leading, they turned on the Potsdam guards and hewed their way through, their officers following.

Having got through, the officers took command again, formed them up, wheeled, and came back the way they went.

Ugh,

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truly the greys lived up to or died up to their motto second to none they charged no less than five times at the battle of mons one of them thus wrote the germans and our people had been fighting at long range for several hours and we stood looking on impatient to get at them our officers told us not to worry as our chance would come and we soon found that they were right the enemy greatly outnumbering our chaps kept creeping up slowly in spite of tremendous losses one body was endeavoring to work round our flank and when they came close enough we had our chance we tore down into them cutting and thrusting they did not wait long we were covered with blood

and so were our horses of a combined charge of the scots greys and the twelve

lancers a sergeant of the berkshire regiment wrote it was grand i could see some of the germans dropping on their knees and holding up their arms then as soon as our cavalry got through the germans picked up their rifles and started firing again our men turned about and charged back it was no use the germans putting up their hands a second time our cavalry cut down every one they came to i don't think there were ten germans left out of about two thousand the officer commanding the brigade said that it went through the german cavalry as circus horses might go through paper hoops another episode was the capture of fourteen german guns by the second and fifth dragoons they were attacked at dawn in a fog and it looked bad for them but they turned it into a victory an officer wrote there was no stopping them once they got on the move many flung away their tunics and fought on with their shirt sleeves rolled up about the elbow one trooper with his shirt in ribbons actually stooped so low from his saddle as to snatch a wounded comrade from instant death at the hands of a powerful german then having swung the man right round to the near side he made him hang on to a stirrup-leather while he lunged his sword clean through the german's neck well might sir john french write in an official despatch our cavalry do what they like with the enemy i was at pekin at the end of the boxer trouble in china and was standing one day near a german officer when a regiment of indian cavalry marched past the german officer made many disparaging remarks about them the following is a description of the first charge in this war of our indian cavalry and the germans must have learned from it that indian soldiers are as little contemptible as is the rest of french army the charge took place one day when the enemy had been pressing us hard all along the line we had been at it hammer and tongs for three weeks and were feeling the strain towards nightfall the enemy kept pressing closer and closer and it looked as though their dead weight alone was going to force us back their plan seemed to be to break our line at a point where they guessed our men to be most exhausted just when they were half-way towards our trenches the indians who had arrived the day before and were anxious to get into it were brought up at the word of command they swept forward only making a slight detour to get out of the line of our fire and then they swept into the germans from the left like a whirlwind the enemy were completely taken aback the turcos they knew but these men with their flashing eyes dark skins and white gleaming teeth not to mention their terribly keen-edged lances they could not understand the indians didn't give them much time to arrive at an understanding with a shrill yell they rode right through the german infantry thrusting right and left with their terrible lances and bringing a man down every time the germans broke and ran for their lives pursued by the lancers for about a mile when the indians came back from their charge they were cheered wildly all along our line but they didn't think much of what they had

Ah.

Now, um, the Scots Greys, who are cavalrymen, they charge downhill directly into the disordered-

Mm

... out-of-line French infantry.