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Return of the Army Works Corps from the Crimea, 1856. Creator: Unknown
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Return of the Army Works Corps from the Crimea, 1856. Creator: Unknown
Return of the Army Works Corps from the Crimea, 1856. Mechanics and labourers at Waterloo Station in London. The Army Works Corps...originated in a suggestion made by Sir Joseph Paxton, M.P...[he] proposed as a preventive of mismanagement of matters of detail, so much complained of in the conduct of the war, that a number of navvies should be sent out to the Crimea, to do the work which they had been accustomed to do, and to keep the troops to fighting. The Government took up the notion, and Sir Joseph, in the spring of last year, [was asked] to organise a party of navvies to make a railway at the seat of war. In October last Sir Joseph had sent out 3000, and in about a month he dispatched another thousand...We have termed the scene of their return a suggestive one from the worn state of their clothing denoting that they had seen rough service in the Crimea'. From "Illustrated London News", 1856
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Alcohol Beer Class Crimean War Drinking Fur Hat Homecoming Joseph Paxton Labourer Labourers Liquor Navvies Navvy Paxton Joseph Paxton Joseph Sir Paxton Sir Joseph Railway Station Railways Return Returning Sir Joseph Paxton Social Class Station Train Station Waterloo Lambeth London England Waterloo Station Welcoming Welcoming Party Working Class
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the moment of homecoming for the Army Works Corps, a group of mechanics and laborers, as they disembark from a train at Waterloo Station in London in 1856. The Corps, established in response to the mismanagement of war details during the Crimean War, was the brainchild of Sir Joseph Paxton, a prominent MP and horticulturist. Paxton proposed sending a contingent of navvies, or laborers, to the Crimea to manage the construction of essential infrastructure, allowing the troops to focus on fighting. By October 1855, 3,000 Corps members had been dispatched, with another thousand following soon after. The scene at Waterloo Station is a poignant one, with the Corps members' worn clothing serving as a stark reminder of their arduous experiences in the Crimea. Their return marked the successful completion of their mission, which included the construction of a railway and other vital infrastructure at the war's front lines. The Corps' contributions to the Crimean War effort were crucial, and their return to England was met with great fanfare and appreciation for their hard work and dedication. This photograph, taken from the pages of the Illustrated London News, offers a glimpse into a pivotal moment in British military history and the sacrifices made by these unsung heroes.
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