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Winston's Charge: Lieutenant Churchill in the British Army's Last Cavalry Charge
A blow by blow account of Winston’s bloodiest battle.
On September 2, 1898, on the sandy plain outside the Sudanese city of Omdurman, Colonel Martin of the 21st Lancers gave the order, “Charge!” Lieutenant Winston Churchill, aged twenty-three, rode with the 21st in the British Army’s last full cavalry charge.
The 200 spearmen and riflemen stood firm as the regiment of 440 lancers charged. At the last moment, 2600 additional warriors hidden in a dry waterbed appeared behind the 200. The regiment leaped in among them, and horses came to a standstill in a closely packed killing zone.
“Blood, blood, blood everywhere.” Lieutenant Robert Smyth
Over 100 lancers were killed or badly wounded, but the regiment drove the enemy away. In Winston’s Charge the men of the 21st Lancers tell their story, alongside Churchill’s. In their graphic accounts, we relive the mad dash of the charge, the clash with the enemy, and the bloody carnage that followed.
“As we charged a wild feeling and a wish to put sword into enemy came over me. Bullets hailed among us and there was a continuous ‘whizz’, ‘whizz’, ‘whizz’, and an occasional clink as a bullet hit a sword or lance point.”Lieutenant Rene de Montmorency
“As my horse leaped among them my lance entered the left eye of a warrior who raised his sword to strike. The impact shattered the lance. I drew my sword as another man pointed his rifle. I struck him down and blood splattered his white robe.”Private Wade Rix
“The two riflemen in my path both fired. I passed through the smoke, unhurt. The trooper behind me was killed at this moment. Not a few of my comrades, clutched at from every side, stabbed at and hacked at, were dragged from their horses and cut to pieces.”Lieutenant Winston Churchill
“Swordsman cuts at me, I guard with my sword. Next man fires, misses. I cut him across the face, he drops. Large bearded man with heavy sword in both hands cuts at me, but pace tells and my guard carries it off. Duck my head to spear thrown, just misses.”Lieutenant Robert Smyth
“A warrior threw himself on the ground and I saw the gleam of his curved sword as he drew it back for a ham-stringing cut. I turned my pony out of his reach, and leaning over I fired two shots into him.”Lieutenant Winston Churchill
Winston’s Charge enlists the reader into the 21st Lancers, to ride alongside Winston Churchill in the Charge at Omdurman.
Terry Brighton has been an Anglican priest, chaplain to the SAS [British Special Forces], and museum curator of The Queen’s Royal Lancers, the descendant regiment of the 21st Lancers with which Lieutenant Churchill rode at Omdurman. He lives in England with his wife, Linda, and their dog, Belle.
On September 2, 1898, on the sandy plain outside the Sudanese city of Omdurman, Colonel Martin of the 21st Lancers gave the order, “Charge!” Lieutenant Winston Churchill, aged twenty-three, rode with the 21st in the British Army’s last full cavalry charge.
The 200 spearmen and riflemen stood firm as the regiment of 440 lancers charged. At the last moment, 2600 additional warriors hidden in a dry waterbed appeared behind the 200. The regiment leaped in among them, and horses came to a standstill in a closely packed killing zone.
“Blood, blood, blood everywhere.” Lieutenant Robert Smyth
Over 100 lancers were killed or badly wounded, but the regiment drove the enemy away. In Winston’s Charge the men of the 21st Lancers tell their story, alongside Churchill’s. In their graphic accounts, we relive the mad dash of the charge, the clash with the enemy, and the bloody carnage that followed.
“As we charged a wild feeling and a wish to put sword into enemy came over me. Bullets hailed among us and there was a continuous ‘whizz’, ‘whizz’, ‘whizz’, and an occasional clink as a bullet hit a sword or lance point.”Lieutenant Rene de Montmorency
“As my horse leaped among them my lance entered the left eye of a warrior who raised his sword to strike. The impact shattered the lance. I drew my sword as another man pointed his rifle. I struck him down and blood splattered his white robe.”Private Wade Rix
“The two riflemen in my path both fired. I passed through the smoke, unhurt. The trooper behind me was killed at this moment. Not a few of my comrades, clutched at from every side, stabbed at and hacked at, were dragged from their horses and cut to pieces.”Lieutenant Winston Churchill
“Swordsman cuts at me, I guard with my sword. Next man fires, misses. I cut him across the face, he drops. Large bearded man with heavy sword in both hands cuts at me, but pace tells and my guard carries it off. Duck my head to spear thrown, just misses.”Lieutenant Robert Smyth
“A warrior threw himself on the ground and I saw the gleam of his curved sword as he drew it back for a ham-stringing cut. I turned my pony out of his reach, and leaning over I fired two shots into him.”Lieutenant Winston Churchill
Winston’s Charge enlists the reader into the 21st Lancers, to ride alongside Winston Churchill in the Charge at Omdurman.
Terry Brighton has been an Anglican priest, chaplain to the SAS [British Special Forces], and museum curator of The Queen’s Royal Lancers, the descendant regiment of the 21st Lancers with which Lieutenant Churchill rode at Omdurman. He lives in England with his wife, Linda, and their dog, Belle.
118 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 24, 2020
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About the author
Terry Brighton
13 books9 followersTerry Brighton is a British military historian and writer. His work is published in the U.K., the U.S., and in translation around the world.
In his controversial extended essay, The MAGA Offensive, published by Hard Corps Essays in September 2020, he argues that "the re-election of President Donald Trump is crucial for the survival of the real USA and the core values of Western culture."
He is best known for his research on the Charge of the Light Brigade, published in “Hell Riders: The True Story of the Charge of the Light Brigade.” But according to Publishers Weekly it was his work on three Second World War generals, “Patton, Montgomery, Rommel: Masters of War” that moved him “into the top rank of general audience military writers.”
His first novel, “Hell's Mile,” was published in 2020. According to the author, this makes good a promise he made to Richard Madeley on the British TV chat show Richard & Judy that he would “write the novel” of the Charge of the Light Brigade. “Hell’s Mile” is based on survivors’ graphic accounts and is not for the faint-hearted.
Terry Brighton has been an Anglican priest, chaplain to the SAS [British Special Forces], and curator of The Queen's Royal Lancers Regimental Museum. He lives in England with his wife, Linda, and their dog, Belle.
In his controversial extended essay, The MAGA Offensive, published by Hard Corps Essays in September 2020, he argues that "the re-election of President Donald Trump is crucial for the survival of the real USA and the core values of Western culture."
He is best known for his research on the Charge of the Light Brigade, published in “Hell Riders: The True Story of the Charge of the Light Brigade.” But according to Publishers Weekly it was his work on three Second World War generals, “Patton, Montgomery, Rommel: Masters of War” that moved him “into the top rank of general audience military writers.”
His first novel, “Hell's Mile,” was published in 2020. According to the author, this makes good a promise he made to Richard Madeley on the British TV chat show Richard & Judy that he would “write the novel” of the Charge of the Light Brigade. “Hell’s Mile” is based on survivors’ graphic accounts and is not for the faint-hearted.
Terry Brighton has been an Anglican priest, chaplain to the SAS [British Special Forces], and curator of The Queen's Royal Lancers Regimental Museum. He lives in England with his wife, Linda, and their dog, Belle.
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