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

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

1289, Private John WHITEHEAD — 4th Light Dragoons

Birth & early life

Born in the parish of St. Andrew's, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Dublin on the 1st of October 1846.

Age: 20 years 2 months.

Height: 5' 8".

Trade: Printer's block-maker.

Appearance: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Auburn hair.

Service

From Private to Corporal: 11th of May 1849.

Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 28th of July 1850 and reduced to Pte.

Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 28th of May 1852 and sentenced to 21 days imprisonment, of which 7 were remitted.

Horse killed under him in the Charge. He later recalled:

"We advanced towards the enemy, the 17th Lancers leading, men and horses falling wholesale. About three parts down the valley, a shell landed in front of my horse. When it exploded it caught her fair in the chest and brought her down. I shot over her head for a dozen yards but my poor mare didn't move, being instantly killed. The shots from the Russian guns were so thick that I had to lie down behind my horse for protection.

When at last the firing ceased I retired on foot to where the Roll Call of the Regiment was being called. I didn't do much in the actual charge: but thank God, I never had another such experience."

From Private to Corporal: 17th of April 1855.

Corporal to Sergeant: 1st of December 1855.

Permitted to resign to Private, "at his own request", on the 18th of July 1856.

Discharge & pension

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Dublin on the 21st of March 1871.

"Own request, having completed 24 years' service."

Much of his service after returning from the Crimea was spent as a "Groom to the Cadets", at Sandhurst Military College, going there on the 1st of April 1857'

Letter relating to him, and another man from the regiment, sent to the Military College, Sandhurst:

Horse Guards,

9th January 1857

Sir, — By the desire of the General Commanding-in-Chief I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo and to acquaint you that His Royal Highness has been pleased to select the men named in the margin for the Riding Troop about to be formed at the Military College, at Sandhurst and to request you that you will hold them in readiness to proceed to Sandhurst early in the ensuing weeks according to the route which you will receive from the QuarterMasters Department.

I am, etc,. etc.

G..A. Weatherall,

DAG.

Similar letters were sent to the Officers Commanding the 8th Hussars, 11th Hussars, the 13th Light Dragoonsand the 17th Lancers, listing the names of the men selected.

Served 24 years 123 days.

In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months.

Conduct: "very good".

In possession of five Good Conduct badges.

Twice entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Twice tried by Court-martial.

Aged 45 years on discharge.

To live, c/o. the Staff College, Sandhurst.

Medals

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

Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman, Balaklava, and Sebastopol.

John Whitehead's medals were offered in a number of auctions in the 1990s, along with a "write-up" on his service, events after leaving it, and his death and funeral, together with a number of original items, including:

1. Whitehead's official invitation to spend Jubilee Day 1897 in the offices of T.H. Roberts, the card also being printed with the names of the other survivors who had been invited.

2. Souvenir Programme of a Matinee Concert given at the Tivoli Theatre, The Strand, on 25th October 1912 in aid of the Balaclava Light Brigade Survivors Relief Fund.

3. A copy of a 20-stanza poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade", pasted on to the card cover of a 1890 calendar.

4. An Army group photograph said to include the recipient's son and two documents relating to an A.E. Whitehead (possibly a son or grandson) who had made an unspecified presentation to the Science Museum (his then address being No. 42 King's Ride, Camberley, Surrey), and a souvenir certificate of appreciation for his services during World War Two to 760056 F/Sergeant A. E. Whitehead, No 1 Signal Depot.

Items 1-3 were said to be damaged.

His recollection of the Charge, quoted above, was included in the descriptive "write-up", and not previously known.

The group was purchased by the officers of the regiment. Contact was made by them with a member of the public who claimed to be a relative, but who was unable to say to what degree or to add anything further to what is already known.

(See copies of photographs of both the medals and the group of men of whom his son was said to be one, in the 4th Hussar file.)

Further detailed medal information archived.

See also the record of 1561 James Whitehead, 4th Light Dragoons

.

Commemorations

Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.

Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.

Present at the Fleet Street offices of T.H. Roberts for the Jubilee celebrations held there in June 1897 and signed the testimonial given to Mr Roberts on that occasion. (See copy in the "Memoirs" file.)

He was also a pensioner of the Roberts Fund, being granted a total of £272 by it, attended the Annual Dinners in 1895-97 and 1908 and named in the Balaclava Survivors List of 1907.

Eligible for a "Campaign pension" on the 1st of October 1892.

Pension letters recorded to the 14th of September 1912.

Towards the end of his life, by which time there were very few survivors of the Charge, he was feted throughout the world, as shown in this item from Sydney, Australia (1913):

(Click on image to enlarge)

FIFTEEN BALACLAVA SURVIVORS

Reduced by one by the recent death of Lord Tredegar, the following are now the survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade:

Sir George Wombwell, 17th Lancers.
Major Phillips [8th Hussars]
Alderman Kilvert, 8th Hussars [actually, 11th Hussars]
J Mustard, 17th Lancers
T. Boxall, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
J. Whitehead, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
H. Wilsden, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
J. Olley, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
W.S.J. Fulton, 8th Hussars
J. Parkinson, 11th Hussars
T. Warr, 11th Hussars
G. Gibson, 13th Hussars [formerly 13th Light Dragoons]
E. Hughes, 13th Hussars [formerly 13th Light Dragoons]
W. Ellis, 11th Hussars
W.H. Pennington, 8th Hussars [actually, 11th Hussars]

[Source: (Sydney, NSW), 20 April 1913 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/126459695 (accessed 15.2.2014) [PB].]

Life after service

Death & burial

Died at Camberley, Surrey, on the 8th of May 1915 and was buried with military honours in St. Michael's churchyard on the 12th of May.

See reports of his obituary notice and funeral taken from the Camberley News for the issue of Saturday the 15th of May 1915, in the 4th Hussar file, and also a photograph taken of him in later life. This appeared with a number of others in the Picture Magazine, published in the mid-1890s.

Newsreel film footage was also made of the funeral and is still in existence.

(A search of St. Michael's churchyard at Camberley shows no trace of a memorial stone to him.)