In 1854 during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War, because of the misunderstanding of an order, the British Light Brigade charged the Russian artillery, with massive loss of life. The following is a survivor's account of the charge:
The fire was murderous. Ward, in front of me, was blown to pieces. Just at that moment my right arm was shattered. Glanister unfortunately broke his sword off short at the hilt by striking a Russian on the top of his helmet. The order to retire was given, and on turning I perceived a Cossack firing at Glanister and myself. The ball whizzed by my face and struck Glanister, shattering his bottom jaw, and causing him to fall forward. The Cossack bolted at once, and I grasped the reins of my horse and placed them in my mouth, at the same time seizing those of Glanister's horse and turning it into the ranks. By this means, no doubt, his life was saved.
克里米亞戰爭有一八五四年巴拉克拉瓦之役。是役之中，英軍輕騎兵旅誤解了命令，衝向俄軍砲兵隊，死者枕藉。以下是一生還者所述：
砲火有如催命符。沃德在我前面，被炸得粉身碎骨，同時，我右手也遭擊中，骨折筋傷，血肉模糊。格闌尼斯特揮劍砍向一俄國軍人的頭盔，可惜劍身卻在劍柄附近折斷。退卻的命令這時傳來。我轉身時，看見一個哥薩克人向着我和格闌尼斯特開槍。子彈在我面前呼嘯而過，擊碎了格闌尼斯特的下巴，格闌尼斯特向前便倒，那哥薩克人馬上逃去。我抓住自己的馬繮，放到嘴巴咬着，同時伸手抓住格闌尼斯特坐騎的繮繩，帶牠轉身和大夥兒一起跑。這無疑救了格闌尼斯特的性命。