Posts Tagged ‘Sir James Scarlett’

Sir James Scarlett's specially modified helmet

General Sir James Scarlett was placed in command of the entire Heavy Brigade of cavalry in the Crimean campaign.  English Army of the East landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, without the Heavy Cavalry Brigade (2^nd Cavalry Brigade), which was still at Varna, awaiting transport.  Brigadier General Scarlett began landing the Heavy Brigade along the Crimean coast on 24 September 1854, and completed the landing at Balaclava on 6 October 1854.  The Heavy Brigade battle honours include The Battle of Balaclava and the Siege of Sevastopol.

On 25 October 1854, in South Valley at the Battle of Balaclava, General Scarlett led his Heavy Brigade in a charge against a strong force of Russian cavalry, and succeeded in driving them off the field.  Unfortunately, not much is heard of this charge, as it was over-shadowed by the spectacular disaster that followed it.  This was when Lord Cardigan led his Light Cavalry Brigade against massed Russian artillery and cavalry down a gauntlet of enemy fire in the North Valley.  The Heavy Brigade followed in support of the Light into the Valley of Death, but stopped midway into the valley on orders from Lord Lucan, who commanded the entire cavalry division.

General Scarlett’s own regiment was the 5^th Dragoon Guards.  The helmet of the 5^th Dragoon Guards is brass, but the front peak is straight down over the eyes, and there is a regimental badge on the front.  Scarlett was nearsighted and designed the helmet in this photograph with the front peak extended forward, no doubt to lend a better view.  He substituted long elegant black feathers for the horsehair plum.  He also seems to have redesigned the 5^th Dragoon Guards helmet plate with a full silver garter surmounted by a crown, leaving out the dragoon badge in the center.  Altogether this makes the helmet and this photograph quite unique.

Ironically, in spite of the better view afforded by his modified helmet, the near-sighted Scarlett almost missed the on-coming Russian cavalry until a staff officer politely pointed them out to him.

This artifact was photographed courtesy of the Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museum, Burnley, Lancashire, UK, where the Scarlett collection is maintained.