“A Balaclava survivor, William Colson by name, now in the St. Stephen’s Ward of Guy’s Hospital, describes the battle... It was a big crash - that was all, although we found afterwards that it had lasted almost half-an-hour. It was a case of cut and thrust the whole time. My horse was shot almost at the onset of the battle and I fell in a heap with about twenty or thirty other riders. I picked myself up and found another horse, mounted, and rode out of the engagement without receiving a scratch... He thinks that Rorke’s Drift (Zulu War of 1879) was the best thing that Britons have ever done in the way of fighting...”


Extract from “The Broad Arrow” for the 30th of November 1895:

“11th Hussars - William Drake Colson, late of this regiment, who died in Guy’s Hospital, London, on the 20th inst. aged 65, was one of the survivors of the Balaclava Charge. The deceased served in the Army for 24 years, and was in possession of the Crimean medal with four clasps, the Turkish medal and the medal for long service... “

Balaclava Charge. More lifes wasted by officer's making the wrong choices.