We had to memorize this as kids, and I tell you, dear readers, education don't come cheap. "All in the valley of death rode the six hundred," and that's exactly what they did. What men, cavalrymen, like no kidding:
I
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!” he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
II
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
III
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.
IV
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reeled from the sabre stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
V
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell.
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
VI
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
Noble six hundred! Dam straight. The UK doesn't have any cavalry units anymore because they sold all their regiments to buy votes for Moslems. What does this mean? They'll have to reform.
Your Pal,
LSP
Will UK pull back from the brink before Shelley has to make some additions to this?
ReplyDelete"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
We better be praying they can. So had they.
Could have a similar poem for Pickett's Charge ... or Malvern Hill
ReplyDeleteNo more Scots Greys to charge the line...even in armored dune buggies.
ReplyDeleteHave a copy of "The Reason Why" by Cecil Woodham-Smith. Excellent historical account of events leading up to the charge, including the "selection" and promotion of officers at that time.
ReplyDeleteThe British Army has two mounted units. The Household Cavalry and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The British Army has more horses than Tanks. Horses are not very useful in a Modern War of IEDs and Drone strikes.
ReplyDelete