Ships used for North Russian Relief Force

[Nbrimson]

My Great Grandfather, William Henry Brimson joined the North Russian Relief force with the RASC ( Reg number 19998) unit 10 mob coy MT RASC. He left for Russia on 16.08.19 and arrived 24.08.19 and left Russia for the uk on 30.09.19, from my research this seems to indicate that he would have been in Murmansk rather than Archangel? However, I would love to know if anyone knows what the ship was called that he left Russia on. Ive had a few names such as "the Schleswig" or "the glory" however, the dates seem slighty out.

Many thanks

Neil

[ARABIS]

Neil,

I have a small photo of the officers of the Dominion Line's S.S. Welshman taken in Murmansk in August 1919, so she might be a possibility.

David.

[harriottbrand]

My grandmother was one of the last civilians to leave Murmansk in 1919, on board the Csar. She went on board the Glory in Archangel where she was for 3 months on the 7th July and had tea with the Captain who 'knew' her brother Kenelm Lane Everard Creighton who at the time was serving on the New Zealand and had been at Jutland.

I think she travelled from Archangel to Murmansk on the Glory which returned to the UK in September. Avro arrived in Murmansk on the 26th followed by Garth Castle, Hyderabad and Bacchus. The first two stayed but Bacchus sailed home on the 27th. On the 29th HMS.Cyclops arrived and other craft from Archangel completing the evacuation. My grandmother was in Murmansk a week before leaving for Newcastle on the Csar. By the first week of October all the British forces had left.

In Archangel there were also The Garth Castle, Queen Empress, Fox (good diary of George Smith a sailor on HMS Fox).

Lots of photos available on line.

Unfortunately I have no photos and most of my information has proved difficult to prove as it is in the form of an account/diary written 20years after the events.

The names of the passengers and troops brought home on which ship is difficult to find and I only know my grandmothers because of her account.

Good luck

[Nbrimson]

Neil,

I have a small photo of the officers of the Dominion Line's S.S. Welshman taken in Murmansk in August 1919, so she might be a possibility.

David.

Hi David, Would it be possible to post the photo on the site?

Many thanks

Neil.

[Nbrimson]

My grandmother was one of the last civilians to leave Murmansk in 1919, on board the Csar. She went on board the Glory in Archangel where she was for 3 months on the 7th July and had tea with the Captain who 'knew' her brother Kenelm Lane Everard Creighton who at the time was serving on the New Zealand and had been at Jutland.

I think she travelled from Archangel to Murmansk on the Glory which returned to the UK in September. Avro arrived in Murmansk on the 26th followed by Garth Castle, Hyderabad and Bacchus. The first two stayed but Bacchus sailed home on the 27th. On the 29th HMS.Cyclops arrived and other craft from Archangel completing the evacuation. My grandmother was in Murmansk a week before leaving for Newcastle on the Csar. By the first week of October all the British forces had left.

In Archangel there were also The Garth Castle, Queen Empress, Fox (good diary of George Smith a sailor on HMS Fox).

Lots of photos available on line.

Unfortunately I have no photos and most of my information has proved difficult to prove as it is in the form of an account/diary written 20years after the events.

The names of the passengers and troops brought home on which ship is difficult to find and I only know my grandmothers because of her account.

Good luck

Hi, thanks for the information thats really good stuff. Ive already started reading the George Smith diary.

Many thanks.

Neil

[johndavidswarbrick]

According to Clifford Kinvig's book "Churchill's Crusade - The British Invasion of Russia 1918 - 1920" the transports "Tsar" and "Tsarina" both loaded with troops left Archangel on the 27th September 1919. They were the last ships carrying British troops from that port to do so and concluded the British involvement there. The British had a continued, if chaotic, presence in Murmansk for another couple of months.

Dave Swarbrick

[ARABIS]

Hi David, Would it be possible to post the photo on the site?

Many thanks

Neil.

Welshman's officers as requested.

David.

[Guest]

Hi, 

Apologies I know this thread is very old but I just want to say thank you to David for sharing the photo of the SS Welshman crew. For years my mum heard stories about her great Uncle Owen who was Chief Engineer on various merchant ships throughout WW1 and beyond - one such story being at the evacuation in Murmansk where he told how he saw piles of money being burned on the dockside. She was never able to really find out any more but we have recently tracked him down to the Welshman and then to this thread where she saw your picture of the crew and immediately said 'that's him!' She is really thrilled to have found the photo, so thank you again for making our day :-)

Best Wishes,

Laura

[ARABIS]

11 hours ago, Laura Albins said:

Hi, 

Apologies I know this thread is very old but I just want to say thank you to David for sharing the photo of the SS Welshman crew. For years my mum heard stories about her great Uncle Owen who was Chief Engineer on various merchant ships throughout WW1 and beyond - one such story being at the evacuation in Murmansk where he told how he saw piles of money being burned on the dockside. She was never able to really find out any more but we have recently tracked him down to the Welshman and then to this thread where she saw your picture of the crew and immediately said 'that's him!' She is really thrilled to have found the photo, so thank you again for making our day :-)

Best Wishes,

Laura

 

You are welcome Laura, glad it's been of use, thank you for posting.

David.