The Seaforth Highlanders, Sevastapol, Crimea - 1855 "Famous Seaforth Highlanders heroically stood their ground despite murderous artillery fire from the beseiged Redan fortress then attacked repeatedly until they forced the enemy to abandon their heavily fortified positions" THIS PRINT WILL BE FRAMED BY THE MUSEUM AND MOUNTED IN THE SGTS MESS. 14 FEB 2018. The Crimean War (October 1853 – February 1856) was a conflict in which Russia lost to an alliance of France, the United Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia. The immediate cause involved the rights of Christian minorities in the Holy Land, which was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. The French promoted the rights of Catholics, while Russia promoted those of the Orthodox Christians. The longer-term causes involved the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the unwillingness of the United Kingdom and France to allow Russia to gain territory and power at Ottoman expense. It has widely been noted that the causes, in one case involving an argument over a key, have never revealed a "greater confusion of purpose", yet led to a war noted for its "notoriously incompetent international butchery." The 72nd Highanders in the Crimea 1855-1856 The regiment eventually sailed for the Crimea and arrived at Balaclava on 29 May 1855. Before it had even disembarked it was ordered to join the British expedition to destroy the Russian port of Kertch, but it did not have to land. The 72nd joined the Highland Brigade which was commanded by Sir Colin Campbell. The brigade included the 42nd, 79th and 93rd Highlanders. Between June and the fall of Sevastopol in September, the 72nd took their share of duty in the trenches during the siege operations. They also spent a period at Kamara where the Highland Brigade was sent to support the Sardinians against an expected attack. From October 1855 until the withdrawal of the army from the Crimea in July-July 1856, the 72nd lived in the hutted camp established for the Highland Division at Kamara. (The arrival of the 1st and 2nd Bns The Royal Scots, the 71st and the 92nd Highlanders had allowed the formation of the Highland Division).