The Charge of the Light Brigade

Now this may seem like an all too familiar story but just like so many before me, I had vowed not to get sidetracked by different eras and projects. However when a very good friend, Richard very kindly gave me 30 Foundry cavalrymen capable of representing the various regiments that made up the Light Brigade how could I refuse? Not only was this a hugely generous gift but also I felt somewhat embarrassed as Richard had already primed, and in some cases started painting, the Brigade. The project had originally started nearly 20 years ago, intended for the Queen’s Own Irish Hussars Museum in Eastbourne so the prospect of stripping down the figures and starting all over again left me considerably apprehensive as to the task in hand.

An afternoon spent with a tub of ‘Wicks’ paint and varnish stripper, a toothbrush and several pairs of rubber gloves followed (they kept snagging on the unfiled areas of the models – my, doesn’t neat paint stripper sting!). Having successful stripped the first 15; I selected the 5 for the paint table. Richard had also supplied copious amounts of reference material and was always on hand to ask advice from. Sadly what with the demands of the day job progress has been a lot slower than planned but here at least are the first five.

From this ...

... to this! 

Richard's original version No. 1 

Richard's original version No. 2

The Good Mrs. Awdry insisted on a dappled grey

Charge!

Just another 595 to go!

The Charge of the Light Brigade

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.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'

Was there a man dismay'd?

Not tho' the soldiers knew

  Some one had blunder'd:

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.

Cannon to the right of them,

Cannon to the left of them,

Cannon in front of them

  Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell

  Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,

Flash'd as they turned in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army while

  All the world wonder'd:

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right thro' the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reel'd from the sabre-stroke

Shatter'd and sunder'd.

Then they rode back, but not

Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

  Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell,

They that had fought so well

Came thro' the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of Hell,

All that was left of them,

  Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

  All the world wonder'd.

Honour the charge they made!

Honour the Light Brigade,

  Noble six hundred!

—Alfred, Lord Tennyson