Crimea Painting

[SergeantFirstClass]

I have a print of this in my home. It's also my home bar area. This is the print called the "Thin Red Line"


Oddly, later in the day after this action took place (Seaforth Highlanders under Captain Colin Campbell), the charge of the Light Brigade happened. This was the highlight of the day.....Battle of Balaclava.

[macwilkin]

I have a print of this in my home. It's also my home bar area. This is the print called the "Thin Red Line"


Oddly, later in the day after this action took place (Seaforth Highlanders under Captain Colin Campbell), the charge of the Light Brigade happened. This was the highlight of the day.....Battle of Balaclava.

It wasn't the Seaforths, though...it was the 93rd (Argylls). A correspondent for the Times reported that the Argylls stood like a "thin red streak tipped with a line of steel" against the Russian cavalry at Balaklava. The phrase has been shortened in popular culture to "The Thin Red Line" and the great Kenneth Alford, bandmaster for both the Argylls and the Royal Marines, as well as the author of the world-famous "Colonel Bogey" march from The Bridge on the River Kwai wrote a march with that same name.

And I believe Sir Colin was a general, not a captain.

http://www.aboutscotland.com/argylls/93bala.html

Cheers,

Todd

[Nervous Jock]

It wasn't the Seaforths, though...it was the 93rd (Argylls). A correspondent for the Times reported that the Argylls stood like a "thin red streak tipped with a line of steel" against the Russian cavalry at Balaklava. The phrase has been shortened in popular culture to "The Thin Red Line" and the great Kenneth Alford, bandmaster for both the Argylls and the Royal Marines, as well as the author of the world-famous "Colonel Bogey" march from The Bridge on the River Kwai wrote a march with that same name.

And I believe Sir Colin was a general, not a captain.

http://www.aboutscotland.com/argylls/93bala.html

Cheers,

Todd

Indeed the Argylls and i believe this is reflected in the style of the dicing on their Glengarry's, as with many events, other brave men of the day are forgotten, in this case the Turks who held the line with the 93rd

[davim19]

We can't forget the Royal Marine Artillery and Royal Marine Light Infantry who were also involved.

The Highland Brigade had a very successful campaign in the Crimea, they not only held the line at Balaklava, but also led the second charge up the hill up the Alma, attacked the port at Kerch and served in the trenches at Sebastopol.

I re-enact the Crimea as an infantryman in the 19th Foot and intend to one day put together a full 93rd uniform as a talking piece for our displays.

[Nervous Jock]

[QUOTE=davim19;436930]
The Highland Brigade had a very successful campaign in the Crimea, they not only held the line at Balaklava, but also led the second charge up the hill up the Alma, attacked the port at Kerch and served in the trenches at Sebastopol.
[QUOTE]


Reflected in the "Forward the 42nd" painting

[Cawdorian]

A bit of trivia - this regiment wore the Campbell of Cawdor/District of Argyll tartan kilt.

If I'm wrong on this, someone (Todd) please correct me.

[macwilkin]

The 93rd was also engaged at the Battle of New Orleans on 8 January 1815, and almost succeeded in breaching Jackson's line:

On the left three light companies, among them the 93rd, stormed a redoubt on the river bank from which the whole enemy line could have been turned. But there too the Brigade Commander was killed, and the advance came to a standstill. The 93rd alone pushed out into the centre until they were only 1OO yards short of the ditch. Their Commanding Officer was killed. His successor would neither advance nor retire without a clear order. So there they stood rock-like, in close order, being slowly destroyed by the concentrated fire of the whole American line, until Lambert, the surviving General, after a careful survey, at last withdrew them. They came back with parade-ground precision, leaving three-quarters of their total strength killed or wounded and having laid the foundations of an immortal legend: a reputation for disciplined and indomitable courage. An American observer later commented; 'It was an act of cool determined bravery'. The British had nearly 2,000 casualties that day, of whom 557 were from the 93rd. The Americans behind their parapet had 6 killed and 7 wounded.

-- http://www.aboutscotland.com/argylls/93norleans.html

Regards,

Todd

[macwilkin]

A bit of trivia - this regiment wore the Campbell of Cawdor/District of Argyll tartan kilt.

If I'm wrong on this, someone (Todd) please correct me.

Jim -- you're spot on -- it was only at the amalgamation of the 91st & 93rd during the Cardwell Reforms of 1881 that the Argylls adopted their variation of the Government Sett.

But at New Orleans, they were wearing trews.

Cheers,

Todd

[SergeantFirstClass]

Thanks for the correction on the unit, I did know 93rd however. The Russian cavalry overtook three Turkish artillery placements in this action which were not recovered. The Russians were stopped at the point of the painting. Later, the English Heavy and Light cavalry moved through the center of the vallay that the artillery emplacements overlooked. Instead of charging up the center, they could have turned to the right and climbed the ridge that the emplacements were on....as the Russians thought they were going to do. They could have done it successfully. They chose to charge down the middle and get slaughtered instead, made famous by the poem "Charge of the Light Brigade". If anyone wants to see the valley, look up the photo (daguerotype) from Roger Fenton called "Valley of Death". The cannon balls look like spilled marbles, by the thousands. There are some great photos from that war. It was the first war that was covered extensively be war correspondents. My mistake was based on a pipe tune called Captain Colin Campbell. ANyway, it's my favorite painting.

[CEF]

In 1856 Two photographers,Joseph Cundall & Robert Howlett set up at Aldershot to photograph men who had fought at Crimea, here are a couple of examples. the Piper was David Muir of the 42nd The Royal Highland Regiment (Blackwatch)
I don't think I would have liked to have faced these fellow's




try this link for more photos
http://www.btinternet.com/~james.mckay/crimea01.htm