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LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

Added 30.4.11. Minor edits 23.11.2013, 31.3.2014.

1478, Private Charles POLLARD — 13th Light Dragoons

Birth & early life

Enlistment

Enlisted at London on the 23rd of June 1852.

Age: 19.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: None shown.

Service

At Scutari General Depot from the 27th of June 1854 and sent to rejoin the regiment on the 6th of August.

Horse killed under him during the Charge.

Albert Mitchell, in his "Memoirs", recalled Charles Pollard in the Charge:

"Just at this time, a man of my troop, named Pollard, came to me and throwing himself beside the carcass of my horse for shelter from the bullets, called to me, saying, 'Come here, Mitchell, this is good cover'. I said, "No, we had better make our way back as quickly as possible, or we shall be taken prisoner, if not killed, if we remain here," Upon this he jumped up and we made our way back."

Sent to Scutari on the 9th of December 1854, and probably died on his way there.

There is an exclamation mark by the side of this entry in the October-December muster rolls. And that for January-March of 1855 shows "See Report No. 1." This was the report sent to the Paymaster of the unit or Depot that men were going to.

There is no trace of him on the Depot or Hospital muster rolls for December 1854 through to March of 1855, nor on any muster roll taken after the regiment returned to England in 1856.

It can only be presumed, therefore, that he may have died "on the voyage down to Scutari" in December of 1854 and the fact was not recorded by the regiment at the time.

(See record of 1195 TSM Edward Hunt, 13th Light Dragoons for comments on how badly the Regimental records were kept at this time.)

Medals & commemorations

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.

The Sebastopol clasp roll states "Dead." No other information is shown.

Lummis and Wynn refer to him as "Thomas" Pollard and also show his number as "478" and this number is shown as such on various rolls.

Death & burial

Probably died on his way to Scutari in December 1854 (see above).


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