The Guards Crimean War Memorial is a memorial in St James', London, that commemorates the Allied victory in the Crimean War of 1853–56. It is located on Waterloo Place, at the junction of Regent Street and Pall Mall.
Its sculptor is John Bell (1811-1895) and this monument is his best-known work. The sculpture was erected in 1861.
On a granite base, the statue is composed of three Guardsmen. One of these is a Coldstream, one Grenadier and one Fusilier. It is the first war memorial to focus on the ordinary soldier rather than a commander. Above the group of 3 Guardsmen in front, on taller granite pedestal there is a young female allegorical figure with open arms referred to as Honour and Victory. The statues were cast in bronze from the cannons captured at the siege of Sebastopol.
On the right and left facade of the base, we see the word CRIMEA and on right side, on the left upper corner, the name of the sculptor (John Bell, Sc).
Left side of the base
Right side of the base
On the left upper corner of the right side, the name of the sculptor (John Bell, Sc).
On both facades, but this time on the base bearing the young woman representing Honor, there is a circular shield adorned with foliage on which we see the names of three important battles of the Crimean War : ALMA, INKERMAN, SEBASTOPOL.
Right side
Left side
On the back facade of the monument's base, facing the road up to Piccadilly there is a plaque, a shield surrounded by foliage and mounted on guns.
Commemorative plaque
To the memory of 2152 Officers, Non-Com. Officers and Privates of the BRIGADE OF GUARDS who fell during the war with Russia in 1854–56. Erected by their Comrades
The Guards' Memorial was pulled down in 1914 and was re-erected 30 feet north to permit the erection of the Florence Nightingale and Sidney Herbert statues.
The famous statue to the memory of Florence Nightingale is a part of the Crimean War Memorial. It is a work of 1910 by British sculptor Arthur George Walker (1861-1936). The memorial has three parts: A lower grey, granite plinth, a central red, granite plinth and a bronze statue of Florence Nightingale being lifesize, on the top. The heigth of the memorial is about 5 metres. The statue represents Florence Nightingale, standing, holding a lamp in her right hand. She is wearing clothes that were probably the uniform of the nurses of her day.
The front face of central red granite plinth at the top is inscribed "FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE O.M". The significance of O.M is “Order of Merit”. The Order of Merit is a British honorary institution founded by Edward VII in 1902 to reward those who provided especially eminent service in the armed forces or particularly distinguished themselves in science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Members are awarded the right to use the post-nominal letters OM.
Below this inscription there is a bas-relief showing a view of 3 injured soldiers in the hands of the Barrack hospital (Scutari-Istanbul) staff and Florence Nightingale at the hospital door.
The right face is inscribed "BORN MAY 12. 1820" and the relief shows Florence Nightingale in old age surrounded by 13 nurses.
The relief of the back face shows Florence Nightingale negotiating with politicians and generals.
The left face is inscribed "DIED AUG 13. 1910". The bas-relief below represents a scene of medical consultation where we see Florence Nightingale discussing with a physician.
In front of "The Guards Crimean War Memorial" on the left of the Florence Nightingale statue there is also the statue of Sydney Herbert, made by the sculptor John Henry Foley (1818-1874).
Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea (16 September 1810 – 2 August 1861) was an English statesman and a close friend and supporter of Florence Nightingale. Herbert entered the House of Commons as Conservative member of Parliament for a division of Wiltshire in 1832. Under Peel he held minor offices, and in 1845 was included in the cabinet as Secretary at War, and again held this office from 1852 to 1855, being responsible for the War Office during the Crimean War, and again in 1859. It was Sidney Herbert who sent Florence Nightingale out to Scutari (Istanbul, Turkey), and with Nightingale led the movement for Army Health and War Office reform after the war.
The plinth of the statue is similar to the plinth of the Florence Nightingale statue. On the front side, at the top we see his name “SIDNEY HERBERT”. Below this inscription there is a bas-relief showing a view of a hospital scene with Florence Nightingale in the centre.
On the right side of the base is inscribed ”BORN 16 SEP. 1810” and the relief below this inscription shows an army scene with troops on foot and horseback.
The back side of the pedestal is inscribed “ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION A.D. 1867.”
The inscription of the left side is ”DIED 2. AUG. 1861”.The bas-relief below shows a factory scene where workers are making cannons.
