Lieutenant William Stirling, Royal Artillery, 1855

Photograph by Roger Fenton (1819-1869), Crimean War (1854-1856), 1855.

Stirling's photograph was taken before his transfer to the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) in July 1855: he still wears the Royal Artillery shell jacket which lacks the gold braid at the edgings, collar and cuffs of the RHA version. Stirling subsequently saw action with 'C' Troop RHA and the British Cavalry Division at Eupatoria in October 1855. After the Crimean War he served in the suppression of the mutiny in the Bengal Army, the China Expedition of 1860 and the 2nd Afghan War of 1878-1880. Knighted in 1893, Stirling attained the rank of general and was Lieutenant of the Tower of London between 1900 and 1902.