CRIMEA MEDAL WITH 4 CLASPS TO PTE. H. HOPE, 11TH HUSSARS (THE ONLY MAN TO RIDE IN BOTH THE CHARGE OF THE HEAVY & LIGHT BRIGADE)

Henry Hope was born in Carnarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales in 1831, the son of William Hope and working as a Moulder before attesting with the 11th Hussars on 5 Dec 1853 at Liverpool.

Hope suffered from epilepsy and was the target of frequent bullying from Sergeant Major George Loy Smith. He was imprisoned whilst serving in the Crimea for what was adjudged to be disobedience and drunkenness. Hope was to find himself confined to the guard tent awaiting Court-martial on the morning of 25 Oct 1854, a day that would forever be remembered in history.

On seeing the British heavy cavalry form up near the Light Brigade camp, and anticipating imminent action, Hope managed to escape and commandeered a spare horse from the Scots Greys. He followed them in what Tennyson’s lesser-known poem starts: ‘The charge of the gallant three hundred, the Heavy Brigade!’

Author M.J. Trow describes in The Charge of the Heavy Brigade, Scarlett’s 300 in the Crimea:

‘In his dark blue, yellow-braided jacket and crimson overalls, Hope must have stood out like a sore thumb in the Heavies’.

The Charge of the Heavy Brigade took place at 09:15 against superior Russian numbers, but Hope survived and had enough time to join up with his fellow light cavalrymen. Roughly one and a half hours later, The Charge of the Light Brigade would begin towards the Russian guns in what would be immortalised by Tennyson as ‘the valley of Death’.

‘He hurried over to the North Valley afterwards to join his own regiment, making him the only man known to have ridden both charges that day as far as the Russian guns.’ – M.J. Trow.

Lord Cardigan personally forgave Hope his offence on account of his bravery.

The last-surviving member of the regiment, William Henry Pennington described Hope as ‘an ignorant passionate Welshman of great simplicity of character, very powerful physique, but subject to epileptic fits and with whom a kind word would have accomplished miracles.” He also said that Hope was cruelly pursued and persecuted by Sergeant-Major Loy Smith and flogged on two occasions, through the latter’s influence. Evidence of Hope riding in the Charge of the Light Brigade can be found in Pennington's full account of events in 1887:

"Worthy of record is the heroism of a Welshman named Hope of the Eleventh Hussars who, a prisoner in the guard tent for some slight offence, finding every available man absent from the lines, mounted a horse belonging to the Scots Greys and took part with that regiment in the heavy charge against the Russian Cavalry. Returning unscathed, he then made for his own regiment, riding with the Eleventh into the 'Valley of Death', and bearing himself like a knight-errant at the Russian guns."

At the time of the Crimean campaign, Welsh newspapers published one of Henry Hope’s letters home under the headline 'Letters from Welsh Soldiers in the Crimea':

‘Balaklava, March 12th 1855 – “My dear Father and Mother. I now take the opportunity of writing to you, hoping this will find you in good health, as it leaves me, thank God for it. I will tell you a little of my hardships. I can assure you we have been miserable for the want of provisions. The weather being so bad we could not get anything to eat for two and three days at a stretch, and could not get water under two miles, so that with the wet weather we seldom get a comfortable meal. We are not so badly off as the Infantry, for they have been in the trenches all winter, and the best part of them got frost-bitten. But it is heart-breaking to see what we have been through. I can assure you we have had some hard fighting. We lost a great number of men and horses at the Battle of Balaklava and Inkermann. In the troop I belong to we have only ten horses, for we have lost a great many through being exposed to the weather.”

“Dear father, I hope you will answer this by return of post and let me know all the news you can. I dare say you have seen all about the war in the papers, for we can gain more information by them than we can see. Please to remember me to all old friends, and tell them I think myself a lucky man for escaping the engagements, as I have been through the whole, and never got a scratch, thank God for it. Dear father, there is great talk about the Light Brigade coming home, which I hope is the case; not that I fear war, but it is miserable to be stuck under canvas in bad weather. I am afraid there will be a deal of sickness this summer, as there are so many men and horses buried close to the camp. You cannot get a yard without tumbling over a grave of some sort. Dear father, now I must conclude, with my kind love to you all, and still remain, Your affectionate son, Henry Hope.”

Hope is recorded as being in prison again from 8 Oct 1855 to 11 Oct 1855 until he was given a damning assessment from the Chief Medical Officer, forcing him out of the Army:

“Henry Hope has been subject to epileptic fits/persistent character, influenced by any excitement ever since he first joined; apparently constitutional, but no doubt influenced by drinking. The man is rendered perfectly unfit for military duty, as he cannot be trusted, nor can he groom a horse. He is therefore recommended to be discharged from the service.”

Hope refused to sign the document, as detailed by the Commandant of the Invalid Depot at Chatham:

“Private Henry Hope refused to sign the Certificate on the second page of his Discharge, stating as his reason that he has not got his medal, and has never received his Ship’s Clearance, the latter statement is incorrect, and the former refers to a medal which has been stolen from him, and I have taken measures to procure him another in lieu thereof, which will be sent to you when received.”

Discharged at Canterbury, Henry Hope died in Carnarvon at the young age of 33 and was buried on 30 Jan 1861. The Carnarvon & Denbigh Herald recorded that his medal was sent to his father two years later:

‘Carnarvon – A Soldier’s Reward – The following has been received by the War Office, by William Hope of this town:- July 3rd 1863 William Hope – I am directed by the Secretary of State for War, to transmit to you, herewith, the medal which has been granted for Henry Hope, service as a soldier off the 11th Hussars, to be kept in commemoration of his gallant conduct in the campaign in the Crimea.’

Recognised by L.W. Crider and M.J. Trow as having ridden in the Charge of the Light Brigade, Hope has also been added in Roy Dutton's revised edition of 'Forgotten Heroes' as a new entry, finally afforded the status of 'Rode in the Charge'.