History: Urgent--need info on soldiers for Battle of Balaclava

[johnsemlak]

I'm using Tennyson's poem the Charge of the Light Brigade with an English student of mine, who has a keen interest in military history. I'm trying to find detailed info on the weapons of the soldiers in the battle. My google fu has lead to a lot of sources that aren't very specific. I'm also interested in some plain English definitions of the units involved in the battle and time period (what exactly is, for example, a 'light brigade').

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Jdvn1]

Does this help?

 

[reveal]

All I know is that the soldiers were covered in pistachios and honey and went great with gyros.

Oh wait. That's the Battle of Baclava. Never mind.

 

[diaglo]

they wore those spiderman looking masks.

 

[MonsterMash]

The light brigade was the british light cavalry division. This consisted of the light dragoons (4th and 13th regiments, 8th and 11th Hussars, and 17th Lancers) - with the exception of the lancers all the cavalry were armed with a sword and carbine. The lancers would have a lance, pistol, and sword.