A NEW & PREVIOUSLY UNRECORDED LIGHT BRIGADE CHARGER.

682. Private. David Pease. 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars.

CRIMEA MEDAL 1854:
This superb medal, which has never been publicly advertised or professionally researched before, was still with the extended paternal family line until recently.
We have now proven beyond all reasonable doubt that David Pease rode in the charge as it's always been known by the family that he did.



This is a correctly engraved medal in the superbly executed and classical running script of the period. When the medal arrived with us it was wearing a single ALMA clasp with a tiny section of original ribbon still clinging to the suspender. We have now returned it to it's original issue condition with it's BALACLAVA & SEBASTOPOL clasps which were indeed originally mounted loose on the original ribbon. The medal retains all it's original deep and undisturbed tone and naturally aged patination over crisply struck and prooflike surfaces.

(SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE )
This type of late 'loose' ( & missing ) clasp issue on cavalry medals was a common situation which I myself encountered in 1979 when I purchased an almost identical medal, the Light Brigade K.I.A. charger medal to DAVID PURCELL 11th HUSSARS.
The David Purcell medal also arrived with a single ALMA clasp.This medal was Sold by us to The Rev LUMMIS in 1980

David Pease is clearly entitled to the ALMA, BALACLAVA & SEBASTOPOL clasps, but not unusually, and as with a goodly few similar men, he's not recorded at all on the relevant cavalry medal rolls. However, the medal is entirely genuine and 100% correct in all respects. David's full service papers ( colour copies pictured above ) have luckily survived at the National Archive. Such Crimea medal roll omissions, transpositions and errors are very regularly encountered and such inaccuracies and vagaries are a very common feature of the hand complied Victorian medal recording of the period.

(NOTE)
A further 'unrecorded' medal with 2 clasps, Alma, Balaklava To Cpl Wm. Burgess, 8th Hussars, was sold as Lot 694 by DNW on 17th September 2004.
Thus, there were clearly some very poor recording issues with the medals to men of this unit.)

David Pease was not present at INKERMANN as having been wounded in The Charge he was in SCUTARI HOSPITAL during November 1854. He was invalided out on 30th March 1855.

An Interesting and Compelling Family Story and background came with the medal from David's present family, that:


" He had his horse shot from under him and was badly wounded when he hit the ground hard having been unseated at the fast gallop"
And recently a further statement has surfaced from the family stating that it was known that David was 'right at the back of the other men and horses' and he had only galloped a few yards when his horse was shot, it threw him off and he hit a boulder with his side"Apparently he was then, "cared for over 'a couple of days at camp' before being taken to the hospital"
Having carefully listened to the verbal reports from the family, I can tell you with great certainty that David Pease's wounding pretty much certainly took place in the first few moments of The Charge as the 8th Hussars were indeed right at the back of the entire cavalry formation right at the start of the charge. His family also know what type of injuries he had sustained and they completely tally with the written medical reports on his papers ....right down to the slightly late hospital admission.

His male descendent also remarked to me that as a 'typical Pease' and as a common labourer he was not the type of Norfolk man who would be seen at posh get togethers and reunion dinners etc and that it is known he was pleased to be back home and out of the army....in tune with that opinion is the fact that he clearly never wore his medal as it's 'stiff' and practically mint state !

*see injury description in medical history below.

David Pease is recorded in the classic Lummis & Wynn work 'Honour The Light Brigade' as being in hospital at Scutari, October-December 1854 and discharged in March 1855.

His army medical discharge papers state:
( Doctor's statement )
'Rendered unfit for active service by severe pain in left side and difficulty of breathing. Suffered greatly from frost in Turkey and afterwards from rheumatism and is still liable to be better in change of weather'

According to a Consultant Surgeon who is a great friend of our company , this obviously painful and limiting injury could well be the result of a fall from a horse which looks like it probably also caused a broken rib and could also have caused associated lung damage.

Further:
( Senior medical officer's findings ) 'After examination of Pte David Pease (36 days treatment in general hospital), am of the opinion that he is unfit for service '

OUR OPINION;
This is a 'classic' new find which fits in 'exactly' with the known histories of many other men who rode and were injured in the charge. David Pease was a member of the 8th HUSSARS and was a wounded charger as he was clearly admitted to Scutari hospital after The Charge in late October 1854 where he remained until December.

His medal, which is close to mint state, and having until now resided with the Pease family has never come up for sale previously and as such has never received the full attentions and in depth research given to other known 'extant' medals to other chargers.

Another supporting factor is his recorded 'invaliding out' in early 1855 which again is seen being a very common factor with a great many of the permanently damaged men who took part in the charge.

He was recorded as an in-patient at Scutari Hospital for '36 days' until December 1854. This period neatly reflects his hospitalisation from 27th October 1854 to 2nd December 1854 and indicates fairly serious wounding rather than sickness. Men with enteric fever either died or recovered more quickly than this. In addition, he is shown on the published internet roll as 'invalided' to England from Scutari on 30th March 1855. Men were not 'invalided out' by enteric fever...they either died or recovered.

**DNW have only sold three Crimea medals to the 8th HUSSARS in the thirteen years since 2002 and they are extremely rare.

In depth research continues.IF YOU ARE A LIGHT BRIGADE ENTHUSIAST OR HAVE ANY INFORMATION WHATEVER THAT MIGHT SHED EXTRA LIGHT ON THE CAREER OR SERVICE OF DAVID PEASE WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO HEAR FROM YOU. THE FAMILY STORY OF DAVID's EARLY WOUNDING IN THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE IS CLEARLY AND PATENTLY CORRECT.

There are various accounts which deal with the recorded numbers of wounded men who rode with 8th Hussars. The official Balaclava casualty roll states "14 other ranks wounded" ...however, the recent work 'Forgotten Heroes' now records '17 other ranks wounded' and hence it's now well known that the official roll does not show an accurate picture. Indeed, as these clearly obvious 'newly proven' chargers do occasionally show up over the years, the standard and accepted literature will have to be amended and updated, just as it has always been updated to include men like David Pease. The true record of those who took part in The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava on 25 October 1854 will from today show another Forgotten Hero ....DAVID PEASE ! ........

A "MUST HAVE" MEDAL at ONLY £8,500.
WITH PART-EXCHANGES VERY WELCOME