| This small unmounted "snapshot" photograph depicts an elderly if somewhat ragged looking gentleman and is an otherwise unremarkable image from sometime around the turn of the 20th Century. What makes it stand out is the period fountain pen inscription on the reverse identifying the sitter as "one of the 600". The full inscription in only partial legible with the first word looking like an abbreviated version of "Lancer". The rest of the brief ink inscription reads: "Lancer(?) Dobinson one of the 600". This seem to indicate that Dobinson was one of the 600 who made the famous charge at Balaclava during the Crimean War. Information kindly provided by Mr. Michael Hargreave Mawson author of Eyewitness to the Crimea reveals that there was no one with the name of Dobinson appears in the rolls of those who served with the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. Perhaps Mr. Dobinson did see active service during the war or was a member of the 17th Lancers at another time and place but his story - like all good fish tales - grew with the telling as the years passed until at least to those who knew him he did indeed become one of the immortal 600. Not liking to leave a mystery unresolved I did a bit of research into the Crimean War medal rolls to see if I might turn up any other possibilities as to the actual identification to the above pictured Mr. Dobinson. To date my research has led to the uncovering of only two men by the name of Dobinson who were entitled to the Crimean War campaign medal. Naturally this very short list is not exhaustive and there could very well be others that have escaped my investigation at this point. I also looked into the possibility that the first world in the inscription I have taken as an abbreviation of "Lancer" may have been a first name such a "Lanoe" but this has led nowhere. The two soldiers that I have found are Private No. 1394 John Dobinson of the Transport Corps and Private No. 6076 Joseph Dobinson of the 3rd Battalion, The Grenadier Guards. I quickly eliminated Joseph Dobinson since the medal roll list his as being killed in action at Inkerman on 5 November, 1854. That would leave the first man John Dobinson as a possibility. Unfortunately my serach for his service records have come up empty thus far keeping me from searching further for him via other routes. Unmounted Photograph 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Inches (approx 8 cm x 11cm) Unknown Photographer c. 1900 |
