Historical
Enquiries
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All Other Enquiries contact
the curator
jmh.qrl@btinternet.com click
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The
Charge at Aliwal
The
16th Lancers was part of a British force fighting the
Sikhs of the Punjab in 1846 when the armies met at Aliwal
on 28th January. Major Rowland Smyth, commanding the 16th,
was ordered to take the Sikh artillery, and led a headlong
charge against guns that kept up a continuous fire. Behind
the guns stood squares of Sikh infantry. He spurred his
horse and led the 16th through them. Sergeant Gould wrote:
' At them we went, bullets flying like a hailstorm.
Despite a bayonet wound, Smyth reformed his men and charged
back, and he enemy withdrew.
Click
to enlarge and examine the elaborate uniforms
adopted by the regiments when they became Lancers,
and as worn during the Charge at Aliwal.
The
Charge of the Light Brigade
In
1854 during the Crimean war, during a Russian attack on
the British base at Balaklava, a misunderstood order led
the Light Brigade to charge down a mile-long Valley of
Death at a line of Russian cannons. The 17th Lancers,
commanded by Captain William Morris, rode in the front
line and suffered badly throughout the seven minute ride,
and took a terrible revenge when they reached the gun
line. Private Wightman wrote: 'The smoke was so dense
I could not see my arm before me. In this gloom we cut
and thrust and hacked like demons.'
Click
to examine the original bugle blown to sound
the Charge of the Light Brigade, and other items.
Video:
An introduction to the Balaklava Bugle - the bugle that
sounded the Charge of the Light Brigade.
Use
the bottom left-hand corner button to start, stop
or replay.
Video: The Charge of the Light Brigade
This
six-minute documentary was produced by Terry Brighton
and Mick Holtby for The Queen's Royal Lancers Museum.
It
features graphic scenes, quotes from survivors'
accounts, and the 1890 recording of Tennyson reading
his famous poem.
Use
the bottom left-hand corner button to start, stop
or replay.
The
Indian Mutiny
During
the Indian Mutiny, which broke out in 1857, the 17 Lancers
chased one of its leaders,Tantia
Topi, for nine months and covered a distance in excess
of 1000 miles, 500 of which were covered in a single month.
It was during this pursuit that Lieutenant Evelyn Wood
was awarded a Victoria Cross for single handedly attacking
a squadron of mutineers from the Bengal Light Infantry.
Tantia Topi's force was eventually defeated; he was captured
and court-marshalled in April 1859. The regimental farrier-sergeant
assisted in the anging. The rope with which Tantia Topi
was hanged
Click
to see Tantia Topi's elephant tusk ornaments
and other items
Historical
Note
The
Charge at Aliwal in 1846 and the Charge at Balaklava in
1854 became the primary Battle Honours of the 16th and
17th Lancers respectively, and these are still celebrated
each year by The Queen's Royal Lancers
QRL
Museum
September 2008
Site information
Each
room of the Virtual Tour will cover the period indicated
in the left hand column boxes, and display our most significant
items. Visitors will be able to click on each thumbnail
to enlarge and learn about each item - for a sample click
on the first thumbnail.
Click Room Two to see another sample page.
Coming
Soon
Masters Of Battle
Terry Brighton
Click the book to visit
mastersofbattle.co.uk
Now
In Paperback
Hell Riders: the Truth about the Charge of the Light Brigade
QRL
Guidon
New high-definition photos - click to enlarge
Be
seen
If
you have a relevant product or service to sell, please contact
the Curator
QRL shop
Visit
The Queen's Royal Lancers giftshop for souvenirs
including the famous 'motto' cap badge
Exit
sample pages
We hope you enjoyed your visit to the online Queen's
Royal Lancers Museum - visit us again soon as new pages
are uploaded regularly
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The
Charge at Aliwal
The
Charge of the Light Brigade
The
Indian Mutiny
