Lieutenant Thomas Murphy of the Turkish Contingent, 1857

Oil on canvas, artist unknown, 1857 (c).

The difficulties of recruiting during the Crimean War (1854-1856) meant that, to augment the British Army, the authorities had to look abroad. Besides raising German, Swiss and Italian legions from continental Europe, in February 1855 Britain took into its pay a Turkish contingent of 20,000 men. The contingent's officers were British, and among them was Lieutenant Thomas Murphy (1833-1922), newly commissioned from the Royal Artillery. He is depicted here after the war wearing the undress uniform of the Turkish Contingent and his Crimea War Medal.