The Crimean Army Fund Station at Kadi-Koi erected by Mr St Leger Glyn, and Mr Jervois Smith

Sepia lithograph by Robert M Bryson (fl 1863-1876) after artist unknown, published by Paul and Dominic Colnaghi and Company, 7 May 1855.

'The Crimean Army Fund' was set up and administered by 'The Times' newspaper in response to its reports of the privations of soldiers in the Crimea in the winter of 1854-1855. The public response to the Fund was immediate and the first of a number of ships, carrying gifts to a value of £60,000, sailed for the Crimea in December 1854.

In addition to the £22,100 raised by the Fund to purchase goods, a number of manufacturers and suppliers contributed their wares to the relief effort. For example, the distillers of Campbeltown in Scotland sent 700 gallons of whisky for the use of the Highland regiments. The Fund purchased and distributed such goods as clothing, food, beer and spirits, books, cutlery, tobacco, stationery, coffee-mills, soap and candles; it also received gifts from private benefactors of knitted clothing and Christmas hampers.

Not wishing to burden the Army with the administration of the aid, the Fund's representatives conveyed the supplies directly to the hospitals and built a Crimean Fund Station at Kadikoi to distribute the goods straight to the troops in the field. While the Fund's agents used their discretionary powers to hand out some of the supplies as gifts, most were sold to the soldiers at very low prices.