Audax Posted 24 February , 2009 Share Posted 24 February , 2009 Hi, I'm hoping that someone on this forum can assist with information regarding the International Force sent to Albania in 1913-14. I'm particulary interestered in the nature and makeup of the British Contribution to the Force. Any advice will gratefully recieved. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 24 February , 2009 Share Posted 24 February , 2009 Web based info but it may prove a useful start Desmond MacCarthy in his Introduction to Aubrey Herbert's book 'Mons, Anzac & Kut' [see http://www.gwpda.org/wwi-www/Mons/mons.htm] refers to 'an English Police Force under Colonel Phillips and Admiral Burney' There is a further ref here http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php...0&p=1053617 to the British element being "1 British Battalion: West Yorkshire Regiment " Note; Col Phillips was the CO of the West Yorkshire Regiment - see page 69 here http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3_Sh3y9...result#PPA70,M1 regards Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 25 February , 2009 Share Posted 25 February , 2009 A party of 2nd Royal Warwicks were in Albania, with the peace keeping force, prior to the start of WW1. There is a short piece about these events and photographs in my book Birmingham Pals. I also have a large group photograph taken at Scutari, 1913, of what appears to be NCO's (and a few sailors) of various nations that belonged to the force. The majority of British NCO's are all West Yorkshire Regiment. I would be quite happy to scan and email this photograph to any forum member interested. I have uploaded a small section of the picture, below. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 25 February , 2009 Share Posted 25 February , 2009 That's a great photograph Terry And what a colourful crew! It seems that all sorts groups were getting involved in Albania at this time as well as those above. There was something called the International Control Commission which was set up by the 'Great Powers' and represented in Albania by a force of gendarmerie. Apparently this job was first offered to the Swedes, but they turned it down and the Dutch took their place. There is a collection of Dutch photographs here http://www.albanianphotography.net/en/dmm_photos.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audax Posted 25 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2009 Thanks to those who have posted so far. Great photograph! There are some interesting items amongst th papers of Col George Lytton Crossman (1877-1947) in Liddel Hart Centre for Military Archives. They may be of interest to someone researching the West Yorks in Albania 1913. Reference code(s) : GB 0099 KCLMA Crossman Held at : Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London Full title : CROSSMAN, Col George Lytton (1877-1947) Date(s) : 1899-1928 Extent : 3 volumes, 1 file Name of creator(s) : Crossman | George Lytton | 1877-1947 | Colonel Context Administrative/Biographical history: Born 1877; educated at Radley College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; commissioned into The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regt), 1897; Lt, 1899; served in Second Boer War, South Africa, 1899-1902; Battle of Colenso, 1899; relief of Ladysmith, 1900; awarded DSO, 1902; Capt, 1904; service in Ireland and the UK, 1904-1907; Adjutant, 2 Bn, West Yorkshire Regt, 1904-1907; Instructor and Commanding Officer, Company of Gentleman Cadets, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1908-1912; served in World War One, 1914-1918; Staff Officer to International Force, Albania, 1913-1914; Staff Capt, 21 Infantry Bde, BEF (British Expeditionary Force), 1914-1915; Maj, 1915; transferred to Northamptonshire Regt, 1915; Bde Maj, 21 Infantry Bde, British Armies in France, 1915-1916; awarded CMG, 1916; General Staff Officer 2, 30 Div, Western Front, 1916-1917; General Staff Officer 2, 7 Corps, France, 1917; General Staff Officer 1, Headquarters, Royal Flying Corps, 1917-1918; temporary Lt Col, 1917-1919; served with Air Ministry, 1918; General Staff Officer 1, 59 Div, British Armies in France, 1918; General Staff Officer 1, No 1 Tank Group, 1918-1919; General Staff Officer 1, General Headquarters, British Armies in France, 1919; General Staff Officer 2, Northern Air Defences, 1919-1922; Lt Col, 1925; Col, 1929; commanded 133 (Sussex and Kent) Infantry Bde, 44 (Home Counties) Div, Territorial Army, 1930-1934; retired 1934; died 1947. Content Scope and content/abstract: Manuscript extracts from Regimental diary, Second Boer War, South Africa, 23 Dec 1900-4 Mar 1901; six letters relating to operations against Boer forces in the Transvaal, South Africa, 1899-1901, with manuscript sketch map of a Boer night attack, Lake Chrissie (Chrissiesmeer), 6 Feb 1901, approximate scale 1: 10, 660. Photograph album with 106 photographs, mostly relating to service in South Africa, 1900-1904, Ireland, 1904-1905, and the UK, 1906-1907; photograph album with 485 photographs relating to service in Scutari, Albania, 1913, with German map entitled Scutari (Militärgeographisches Institut, Berlin, Germany, 1912), scale 1: 200, 000, and typescript copy of article from the Yorkshire Post entitled 'The West Yorkshires in Scutari. Incidents of International Control', 28 Aug 1913; photograph album with 283 photographs, mostly relating to service in India, Aden, Egypt and the Sudan, 1925-1928. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audax Posted 25 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2009 Lt Col (Later Brigadier -General) George Fraser Phillips CB (1918) CMG (1916) born 14th May 1863. Educated Uppingham School. Joined West Yorkshire Regiment 1885. ADC to the Govenor, Hong Kong. 1897, commanded 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment. Commanded International Force, Albania, and Govenor of Scutari 1913 until the Great War broke out. 1914, commanded 2nd Battalion, West Yorks in France, 1914, Military Attache, Servia and Montenegro (1915-16) awarded CMG. Commanded 10th District, 1916, Head of British Military Mission to Greece, and Allied Military Control Commission, Athens 1916-17 (CB); Commander Paris Area 1917 -18. Albania 1918-20. Retired 1920. Died 2nd December 1921; aged 58 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audax Posted 25 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2009 Terry, Do you have any detail on 'Lieutenant Colonel Laring' of the Royal Warwickshires who commanded the 2 companies sent from Malta to Albania in 1913-14? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 25 February , 2009 Share Posted 25 February , 2009 His surname was Loring. below taken from the B'ham University OTC site LT COL LORING Lt Col Loring took command of a Regular Battalion, the 2nd Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which landed at Zeebrugge on 6 October 1914 as part of Sir Harry Rawlinson's 7th Division. After successfully covering the retreat of the Belgium Army the Division began to fall back on 14th October before the overwhelming force of the enemy. By the 16th the Battalion had formed part of a defensive line east of Ypres, capturing Menin under heavy fire two days later. The Germans reinforced and attacked resulting in three days of heavy fighting. Lt Col Loring was wounded in the heel on the 20th. On the 23rd the 2nd Warwicks threw the enemy out of Polygon Wood in hard and close fighting in a still dense wood and advanced for one mile beyond the wood to recover lost ground. "Colonel Loring, who in spite of his wound still remained with his regiment, rode that day at the head of his men, encouraging them to greater effort by the example of his fearless bearing. Twice his charger was shot under him, and at last he fell himself … as General Rawlinson told the regiment next day, it was a fine achievement that had saved the situation at a critical moment." The cost was over one hundred casualties. He died aged 46 and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres. Lt Col Loring’s two brothers were also killed in the first year of the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apwright Posted 25 February , 2009 Share Posted 25 February , 2009 De Ruvigny's: Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audax Posted 10 March , 2009 Author Share Posted 10 March , 2009 Many thanks to those who replied. My source was from the Balkans so Loring had been mispelt Laring. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted 11 March , 2009 Share Posted 11 March , 2009 Scutari International occupation force Naval Forces May 1913 1,000 men British-250 sailors Austro-Hungarian-300 sailors Italian-200 sailors French-150 sailors German-100 sailors Replaced by: Land Forces(from June 1913 onwards) 2nd Battalion of the West-Yorkshire Infantry Regiment, 339 men and an orchestra of 42 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips The British troops were reduced to 300 men at the end of 1913, and were replaced by two companies of the 2nd Royal Warwicks from Malta in July 1914, lead by Lieutenant-Colonel Laring.Left 1st August 1914. German Marine-Infanterie-Detachement,115 men Austro-Hungarian-4/87th Regiment,509 men French 4th Company,22.Colonial Infantry Regiment,204 men Italian -Two companies of 24th Infantry Regiment,477 men Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aim Posted 18 December , 2015 Share Posted 18 December , 2015 My grandfather was a Royal Marine bandsman. On 27 November 1912 he arrived at Malta on HMS King Edward VII for the first Balkan War. He took part in the blockade of Montenegro and the occupation of Scutari. On 27 June 1913 the King Edward VII rejoined the Home Fleet. As I never met him, I would be delighted to see any relevant photographs! AIM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aim Posted 7 July , 2016 Share Posted 7 July , 2016 Has anyone written a book about the Occupation of Scutari 1912-1913 (preferably in English with lots of photographs of the Royal Marines)? aim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 7 July , 2016 Share Posted 7 July , 2016 I'd say ask the Royal Marines Museum and archives but I rather think they're overwhelmed with work at the moment. Still, for what it's worth, http://www.royalmarinesmuseum.co.uk/research-and-collections sJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aim Posted 8 July , 2016 Share Posted 8 July , 2016 seaJane, Thanks for the reply. I had been thinking about that, but wasn't sure whether the Royal Marines Museum or the Royal Navy would be the best place to enquire. I might go mad and ask both! aim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 8 July , 2016 Share Posted 8 July , 2016 Why not? (they might end up passing the question to each other, mind ... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus Posted 22 April Share Posted 22 April A (very) LONG shot ! Message to Terry Carter (2009) - would it be possible for you to email me that photo please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 22 April Share Posted 22 April 40 minutes ago, pegasus said: A (very) LONG shot ! Message to Terry Carter (2009) - would it be possible for you to email me that photo please? You need to ping Terry Carter like this: @Terry Carter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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