Captain William Pechell and men of the 77th (East Middlesex) Regiment of Foot in winter dress, 1855 (c)

Photograph by Roger Fenton (1819-1819), Crimean War, 1855 (c).

By the time Roger Fenton arrived in the Crimea it was already spring and he had to ask the troops to don their winter clothing specifically for this photograph. A large consignment of winter clothing had been lost when the supply ship 'Prince' was wrecked in the great storm that hit Balaklava Harbour on 14 November 1854. Following the public outcry at the troops' conditions in the Crimea during the winter of 1854, the British Government sent out fresh supplies of warm clothing. Replacements began to reach the Army in January. The gratitude of the soldiers was tempered by regret, as Captain William Radcliffe of the 20th Regiment noted: 'I spoke to a man yesterday that was carrying some sheepskin coats on his back, & said what capital ones they were. He said, "Yes Sir, it's a pity they didn't come before so many poor fellows were in their graves". I could not but agree with him.'