The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent

A fine Charge of the Light Brigade D.C.M. group of four awarded to Troop Sergeant-Major F. Short, 4th Light Dragoons, afterwards Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry Cavalry: on reaching the end of the “Valley of Death”, he ‘disposed of several drivers, and their horses as well, thus materially preventing the enemy from removing the guns’

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (Serjt. Fredk. Short, 4th Lt. Drags.); Crimea 1854-56, 4 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (T.S.[M.], 4th Lt. Dragoons), contemporary engraved naming; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (1230 Tp. Serjt. Mjr., 4th Hussars), officially impressed naming; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian die (T.S.M., IV. L.D.), contemporary engraved naming, the first two with refixed suspension, severe contact wear and edge bruising, thus fair to fine, the last two about very fine or better (4) £10000-12000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent.

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Frederick Short was born at Windsor and originally enlisted in the 3rd Light Dragoons in December 1843, aged 18 years. In the following Summer, however, he transferred to the 4th Light Dragoons.

Advanced to Sergeant in July 1854, Short served with distinction in the Crimea campaign and particularly in the famous charge of the Light Brigade, when he accounted for several enemy artillery drivers with his sword, a fact confirmed by fellow 4th Light Dragoon, R. S. Farquharson, in his memoir Reminiscences of Crimean Campaigning and Russian Imprisonment:

‘Lieutenant Jolliffe and Sergeant F. Short of ours did some good hard work at the guns. The former cleared off a number of gunners with his pistol, and the latter disposed of several drivers, and their horses as well, thus materially preventing the enemy from removing the guns. On account of this, Short gained for himself the Medal for distinguished conduct in the field.’

Short gave his own account of the charge in an affidavit submitted for the famous Calthorpe vs. Cardigan court case in June 1863:

‘I have been a Troop Sergeant-Major for eight years. The regiment now called the 4th Hussars was formerly called the 4th Light Dragoons.

I remember the charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade at Balaklava. I was on the extreme left of the right hand squadron in the front rank during the charge. At the commencement of the charge the 8th Hussars were in line with the 4th Light Dragoons and the 11th Hussars were somewhat in advance of our lines.

I am certain that the entire of the 4th Light Dragoons who were not disabled charged right up to the Russian battery. On arriving at the guns the Russians were retreating with them from their original positions. The 4th endeavoured to take possession of these guns. Lieutenant Jolliffe (now Captain, retired) was next to me. I was slightly in advance and attacked the drivers of the guns while Lieutenant Jolliffe shot with his revolver the gunners sitting on the guns. I distinctly saw him do that. I state positively that I cut down at least six drivers.

Whilst we were so engaged, several scattered parties of Cossacks got to our rear, as did also a regiment of Russian lancers which formed to our left rear on our return. We were then ordered to form on the 17th Lancers, but, as we found out, the troops which we had taken for the 17th were Russian lancers. However, we got back in front of them without being molested by them. On returning to the place we originally started from, I saw, for the first time since we had departed, the Earl of Cardigan, who must have arrived before us, and he came up and said, “Men, it was a hare-brained trick, but it was no fault of mine.” I heard some of the men, who were naturally still rather excited, say, “Never mind, my Lord, we are ready to go again.” Lord Cardigan replied, “No, no, men, you have done enough.” I heard no command given that day by Lord Cardigan, whilst we were so engaged, that is to say from the time we started to our return.’

Family sources state that Short’s horse was so badly wounded that it dropped dead on returning to its master’s tent immediately after the charge.

Advanced to Troop Sergeant-Major in February 1855, Short was awarded his D.C.M. in the following month. He was attached to the Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry Cavalry as an Instructor on the Permanent Staff in April 1860, and served with them until rejoining the 4th Hussars - as his regiment was now titled - in January 1868, the month of his final discharge. He had been awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in February 1863.

Alas, Short’s immediate foray into civilian life as an Innkeeper was far from happy, as borne out by the following statement taken from The London Gazette of 4 January 1870:

‘Frederick Short of Regent Street, in Chapel-Allerton, in the parish of Leeds, in the county of York, formerly Innkeeper, but now out of business, adjudicated bankrupt on 11th day of November 1869. An Order of Discharge was granted by the County Court of Yorkshire, holden at Leeds, on the 30th day of December 1869.’

As a result of his bankruptcy, Short lost his military pension.

He attended the first Balaklava Banquet in 1875, became a member of the Balaklava Commemoration Soicety in 1879, and died at Kilmersdon, Somerset in May 1886, aged 61 years.

A portrait of Short in uniform, wearing his medals, circa 1855, by an unknown artist, is today in possession of the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars, and a photograph of the picture may be found in Michael Barthorp’s Heroes of the Crimea (p. 20); a modern copy of the same, oil on canvas, is included with the Lot.

See next Lot for the Army L.S. & G.C. Medal awarded to Short’s son, Frederick Jnr., who was also a Troop Sergeant-Major in the 4th Hussars.