Black Powder - Crimean War: British Line Infantry Regiment

The thin red line! There are few more glorious military spectacles than the measured tread of Her Majesty’s line regiments wheeling by division the marching at their steady pace towards their enemies – unflinching, unafraid, and unstoppable.

If war has any glory in it at all, it can be found in the splendid turnout and resplendence of the British Army and its fabulously dressed soldiery of the Crimean War.

The men of the line regiments, of which over fifty served in the campaign into the Crimea, may not have been saints, and many had enlisted simply to avoid jail or the poorhouse, but they behaved magnificently when put to the test against the Russians.

At the Alma, at Sevastopol, at Inkerman – the redcoats did their bit for Queen and country five-fold, many losing their lives or their limbs. The Crimean War has been described as the first modern war, but has just as accurately been described as the last old-fashioned war – the troops being led to death or glory by officers who had fought at Waterloo all those years earlier! Sadly neglect, incompetent commanders, and disease killed far more British soldiers than the Russians ever did – a poor reward for extraordinary service.

Box Contains:

• 24 Metal British Line Infantry.