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As soon as it became clear that war with Russia was inevitable, there was a frantic scramble amongst the British Generals to secure commands in the Expeditionary Force which was being assembled. Many appointments were predictable, but when it was announced that Lord Lucan would command the Cavalry Division and that Lord Cardigan would command the Light Cavalry Brigade reporting to him, reaction in the London Clubs varied from incredulity to cynical amusement. Attractive odds were available to those reckless enough to bet that the reporting relationship would outlast the voyage to the Golden Horn.
Born in 1800, George Bingham the Earl of Lucan had been blessed with exceptional good looks, and as a boy was open and affectionate. After school at Westminster his father bought him a commission in the 6th Foot and thereafter through a series of judicious transfers he had profited from the purchase system to become Colonel of the 17th Lancers at the age of 26. The 17th was a fine regiment and in reality only needed an occasional practised touch on the tiller to keep it on course. But since his childhood years some experience or trauma had changed him into a ruthless, humourless despot. He hit the regiment like a whirlwind. A workaholic who was convinced he was a always in the right, he set almost impossibly demanding standards for his officers and himself, backed by an overly harsh disciplinary regime. Bingham was a mass of contradictions. He was fiercely proud of his regiment, expending vast sums of money to have his men dressed and mounted superbly, winning them the nickname 'Bingham's Dandies'. He had many talents and was highly intelligent. On the other hand he totally lacked common sense, and had no ability to prioritise; he would plough through a huge workload of unimportant detail daily. Needless to say he was highly unpopular, and details of his brutally harsh regime leaked out into London society. Highly sensitive to criticism he took the advice of his favourite aunt and decided to take a break away from the limelight. He had been elected Member of Parliament for Mayo in 1826, but he wanted to go farther afield. Early in 1828 he got himself onto Prince Woronzov's staff during the Russian campaign against the Turks in the Balkans, and stayed till the close of the campaign a year later. He did well, always in the thick of the action, proving brave, tough and resourceful - the Tsar awarded him the Order of St Anne 2nd Class. (This was not a comment on his level of performance - you had to get 2nd Class before qualifying for 1st!) |
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