Quote Originally Posted by Lachlan09 View Post
In 1970 I bought an excellent book called “The Thin Red Line” by John Selby published in hardback by Hamish Hamilton... Surgeon Munro figures largely in the book. So do the Duberlys, the husband being an officer of Lord Cardigan’s (Cardigan fancied Fanny Duberly)...
I'm not sure where you got this bit of information, unless it was from Tony Richardson's grossly inaccurate portrayal of Mrs. Duberley in his 1968 film, Charge of the Light Brigade. While Richardson's film is visually stunning (especially the battle sequences) it is truly appalling in it's lack of historical accuracy. About the only thing the film gets right is the fact that there was a Crimean War. The portrayal of the relationship between Mrs. Duberly and Lord Cardigan has no basis in fact, what so ever.

The historical Fanny Duberly seems to have been a woman married to a rather boring husband (accurately portrayed in the film by Peter Bowles) and who was immensely popular with the troops due to her nursing abilities as well as for courage under fire. She was widely respected by the officers who were acquainted with her, and that included Lord Cardigan-- who, despite undeniable faults, really did his best to be a first class soldier. Whether or not he succeeded in that endeavor is up for debate.