Crimea

The Crimea

In 1853 Russia declared war on Turkey, and Great Britain and France intervened on the side of the latter. An Anglo- French force was despatched to the Crimea. It included the 21st which took part in the victory on the Alma and in the battle of Inkerman, where it made an heroic stand on a position on the Inkerman Heights known as ‘ The Barrier’. The 1/71st from Corfu and 2/71st from Canada arrived in the Crimea in 1855, where they were amalgamated. Both the 21st and 71st served in the trenches before Sevastopol (1854) during the long seige and subsequently at its capture. The 71st was later engaged in operations on the Kerch Peninsula. Peace was declared in 1856 after a war notorious for the privations inflicted on the troops who took part.