Painting of a military battle

[Segilla]

As a child, 1940s - 1950s, I used to do a large puzzle of a picture on plywood, none of whose pieces interlocked.

It was of cavalry charge, (19C I suppose), the familiar scene of them advancing at full tilt as if towards the painter. It was a desert battle, with a severed turbanned head at the front right or left hand side lying in the sand and a scimitar or sabre on the sand too.

Any ideas about this?

[dotjhawkes]

Battle of Futtenhabad, 1879 by Henry Dupray ? Maybe?

[jno]

I thought of that one too, but when I tracked an image down it wasn't quite as I remembered - see here fourth picture down - no sand etc

[mike b]

I presume you've checked out the most famous British 19C desert charge, 21st Lancers at Omdurman - there are several versions, but I don't know about the severed head - might even have been added by an enthusiastic popular print-maker...

[Segilla]

Thanks for responses.

The picture I recall is more like Saving the guns at the battle of Maiwand, 2nd Afghan War