Scots Fusiliers Guards (now Scots Guards) at the Battle of the Alma September 20th 1854

Watercolour by Richard Simkin, 1890 (c).

Scots Fusiliers Guards assault a Russian redoubt at the Battle of the Alma.

The first action of the Crimean War (1854-1856) took place when an allied force found its route to the naval base of Sevastopol blocked at the Alma River. The Russian force, under the command of Prince Alexander Sergeievich Menshikov, numbered 36,400 men.

The allied force crossed the river without too much difficulty but were then faced by a steep slope. This was only carried after a hard fight and the Russians were driven off the heights south of the river. Menshikov lost 1,200 men killed, although more than 4,000 Russians were captured. Allied losses were heavier with about 3,000 British and 1,000 French soldiers killed in action.