Is it true 3 soldiers were killed by their commander during the Charge of the Light Brigade for smoking?

Question

forced to charge unarmed, 2 were killed, 1 survivor was flogged to death; for being caught smoking the night before

Answer 1

No, that is incorrect.

I think you are confused about the charge of the light brigade - it was a light cavalry charge down a valley held on three sides by Russian cannons during the middle of a battle. Therefore they wouldnt have been smoking (they were charging down a valley with cannons roaring on them from all sides, I think they ahd bigger problems), they weren't unarmed and the commanding officer would have had other things on his mind too!

Are you thinking of something else?

Answer 2

I think this is a fiction .Facts between 661 and 673 charged 118 killed,127 wounded and 362 horses lost.Though flogging was still used in the army it was not used to execute people and to send unarmed men into battle wqould be self defeating in the cavalary.

Answer 3

Well I guess that you have never ridden a horse at full gallop, struggling to stay a top a great heaving, grunting, farting mass of enraged dobbin, it is the best most of us can do just to hang on, light a smoking device ? Downright impossible !


It is probably the following that came to your attention :

Quote :

Cardigan saluted again, turned his horse, murmuring loudly to himself as he did so, 'Well, here goes the last of the Brudenells!', and he rode up to Lord George Paget. On the way he passed some men of the 8th Hussars who were smoking pipes. Their colonel angrily told them to put them out as they were 'disgracing his regiment by smoking in the presence of the enemy'. Paget himself was smoking a 'remarkably good' cigar and was embarrassed by Colonel Shewell's comment and then annoyed with Cardigan, who, after telling him to take command of the second line, added, 'and I expect your best support — mind, your best support', repeating the last sentence 'more than once'.

Unquote

And, yet again, a great tale of bravery and heroism is .....what ? Another great ****-up ! That's the reality of war.

Answer 4

Six survived. They weren't unarmed, and they certainly didn't have time to smoke. An ancestor of mine was one of those who survived. Considered by the family as a hero, my theory is that he was so scared he rode faster than everyone else. If they did smoke the night before then it was certainly whacky backy - and who could blame them. One of the most stupid orders ever given in the history of British cavalry.

Answer 5

I've never seen or heard this story before.

Can you give us a source so I can dig deeper ?

Or did you make it up ?