William Wellington Waterloo Humbley

William Wellington Waterloo Humbley (1815–1886) was a cavalry officer in the British Army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He wrote a first-hand account of the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845–1846, in which he served as a captain of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers. He held the degree of MA from Trinity College, Cambridge. Quotes The late Colonel Cureton of the 16th Lancers, who was unfortunately killed at Ramnuggur, had been known to say that Lancers should never be employed in charges with the enemy in less than a squadron, and from the results of this battle many cavalry officers have questioned whether the lance is the best weapon for cavalry in India. In the charges at Aliwal the Sikhs have been known to receive the point into their bodies and then to kill their adversary by cutting him down. The Sikh could not extract the lance, nor had the Lancer time to draw his sword. There is no doubt that Lancers should never charge in small parties. Nothing less than a wing should attempt to break squares of infantry. Journal of a Cavalry Officer; Including the Memorable Sikh Campaign of 1845–1846 (London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1854), ch. 5, p. 146 External links Q140248445 Category:1815 births Category:1886 deaths Category:Military leaders from England Category:Non-fiction authors from England Category:University of Cambridge alumni