Survivor

Anthony Wilder was one of only 200 men who survived the Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854.  This was a failed military action that was undertaken against the Russians as part of the Balaclava Battle during the Crimea War. The Light Brigade consisted of the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons, the 17th Lancers, and the 8th and 11th Hussars.

The Light Brigade was a lightly armoured strike for armed with lances and spears, not equipped for facing enemy guns.

Anthony Wilder was in the 11th Hussars.  Due to a major miscommunication the Light Brigade were sent into a full frontal assault on Russian guns when they should have been sent to the side of the Russian cannons to prevent the guns being removed during a retreat,  so they could be seized by the well armed Heavy Brigade.

 “The British soldier will do his duty, even to certain death, and is not paralyzed by the feeling that he is the victim of some hideous blunder,” – Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Poet Laureate

Poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote a narrative poem called The Charge of the Light Brigade which raised the awareness of this ‘blunder’  with the British public.

Police Officer

After his retirement from the 11th Hussars, Anthony Wilder joined the Great Western Police Force and retired after 31 years service. He had 4 children and was survived by his widow Mary Ann.  His coffin was pulled on a gun carriage by led by a company from the Royal Artillery from Horfield Barracks. According the Bristol Mercuy Oct 19 1898 his funeral was very well attended with about 120 service men from the veteran association at the graveside.

This memorial is a hard to reach and inaccessible part of the cemetery and visiting it is not advised.