At last a fitting memorial for hero of the Light Brigade
Headstone for fearless dragoon
INTO the valley of death rode the 600... and now one of the heroes of the Charge of the Light Brigade has finally been commemorated with a proper headstone.
Private John Henry Harding was one of 673 men who joined the catastrophic cavalry charge against fierce Russian forces during the Battle of Balaklava in the Crimean War.
They came under artillery fire from three sides, and around 260 were killed or wounded and 475 horses lost.
But for those who survived, the hardship was far from over, with many going on to live in poverty – among them Pte Harding.
He grew up in Glastonbury, Somerset, and was just 19 when he enlisted in 1850.
CHARGE
Serving with the 13th Light Dragoons, he fought in all four main battles of the Crimean Campaign – including the fateful charge on October 25, 1854, immortalised in the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Pte Harding left the Army in 1870 and became a pub landlord in Cardiff.
But he died in poverty in 1886 and his final resting place in the city’s Cathays Cemetery was marked by a simple wooden cross.
Now it has finally been replaced with a new headstone after recently being discovered by Pte Harding’s great-great grandson, Tim Hill.
Mr Hill said: “My mother always told me about a family link to the Charge of the Light Brigade, but I did not know what that link was. It was only when I started researching the family history that I found out that he was my great-great grandfather and where he was buried.”
Martin Berkeley, a retired officer of The Light Dragoons, asked for a more fitting memorial to be provided.
The weather-worn cross was replaced with the stone memorial by The Lord Mayor of Cardiff.
City councillor Michael Michael said: “It is a fitting tribute to John Henry Harding to mark his important service during one of the most wellknown military events in history.”
Mr Hill added: “The family are delighted that he is now being honoured with a headstone.”
John Farnhill, treasurer of the Friends of Cathays Cemetery, said: “We are delighted to be involved with the unveiling of this significant headstone. This memorial to John Henry Harding will not only preserve his story and his memory, which were at risk of being lost, but it also links Cardiff to one of the most well-known military engagements of the 19th century.”