Churchill's Secret War WIth Lenin: British and Commonwealth Military Intervention in the Russian Civil War, 1918-20

[Waggoner]

Damian,

 

Thank you. I am in the process of getting his service records from the NA.

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[Waggoner]

Damian,

 

Just received his records. At first glance, 1123 HT Coy and Syren Force.

 

All the best,

 

Gary

Edited 8 March , 2020 by Waggoner

[wrightdw]

Hi Gary,

 

How intriguing, I don't have much at all of 1123 HT Coy. other than that they were listed as 'Horse Transport' Company on OoB but this may have been a transcription error for 'Heavy Transport'?. Either way they certainly used horses as the Russian 'drosky' horse and cart was the only reliable method of transport available. Local Reindeer sleigh transport was used to a limited extent but was found to be unsuitable to transport heavy loads of artillery shells and ammunition. There is also an account that the Canadian malamute sled dogs went berserk the first time they encountered the reindeer transport column and the two had to be kept far apart.

 

One of their number died of illness in October 1918 but he is the only 'casualty' I can find to them, if there are others they are likely listed only as 'RASC'.

 

If you are interested their War Diary is: WO 95/5432.

 

There will undoubtedly be awards to the unit but they will all be gazetted 'RASC' so very difficult to isolate them further to this particular company.

 

For your interest the following RASC units served at Murmansk 1918-19.

[Waggoner]

Damian,

 

Thanks! Beaton has a bit about them but not much. Mike Young lists them as LofC troops. I will put the war diary on my “to do” list!

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[Guest]

Hi Damien. Thank you so much for your book which I used quite a lot in researching my granddad's time in South Russia. He was an Irish man, William Gerald Forbes Scott, though I doubt you have come across him. (I have heard he got into a fight in Russia with another soldier who he later met during the Civil War in Ireland so if you have heard of any such brawls let me know!)
In preparing a book on my research it has been pointed out to me that your use of Paustovskys wonderful prose about the evacuation from Novorossiysk is actually about Odessa and my own research suggests the same. Can you shine any light on that? From my own research I think the situation may have been similar - I think there were nearly half a million refugees through there in those months -  though I am told by someone who had a relation who was there that Novorossiysk wasn't at all as dramatic. My blog is www.southrussiadiary.wordpress.com and I have referenced you throughout. Many thanks again for your work!
Clare

 

[wrightdw]

Hi Clare, thank for your message. Interesting to learn of your granddad’s service with RAF in South Russia. You are correct that the airman who your granddad was coffin bearer for on 27 December 1919 was either 331013 AC2 Frank Oliver FREEMAN (died 27 December 1919) or 331023 AC2 James Thomas GARVEY (died 24 December 1919), these are the only RAF men to die in South Russia around the date of the diary entry.

Your granddad arrived in South Russia quite late in the campaign and just in time to participate in the great White Russian retreat of early 1920. Some of the sights he would have seen would have been quite terrible. It was a very grim time and typhus was causing hundreds of deaths every day. Families were freezing to death in the streets.

The link between service in the Russian Civil War and Irish Civil War is well established, a large number of British officers (and even an Australian born New Zealander) who served in Russia later served as secret agents or with the ‘Auxies’ in Ireland. A much smaller number would have served with the Irish Free Army though, so your granddad was unusual in that regard.

I am intrigued regarding Paustovsky’s account, I no longer have all of my ‘Russia’ library to hand to look up the passage but did find the quote on google books but it only showed a snippet so I could not discern further.

Williamson’s Farewell to the Don is quite descriptive regarding the evacuation of Novorossiysk and the scene he described could only be described as dramatic, I see that you have quoted from it extensively. He was badly ill with typhus at the time so I wonder how much of his account is first hand vs recounted to him by others after his recovery. It is certain that the Royal Navy fleet was shelling the hills surrounding the city as the Red cavalry were entering it and Red artillery was firing on the Royal Navy ships in return, the oil wells had been set on fire, quite dramatic stuff.

An area that would benefit from further research is the role of the Royal Navy Black Sea Fleet, 1919-20, which saw quite a few actions shelling the Reds in South Russia, Kuban and Crimea including the evacuation of the Russian Royal family from Yalta in April 1919 and evacuation of Novorossiysk, March 1920. I see your granddad recorded in his diary the shelling of Green Guards by HMS Benbow in February 1920 and HMS Steadfast struck by fire from the Green’s later the same month causing two casualties.

Also recorded by your granddad are the events of 10 March 1920 when Green Guards raided a British stores depot and for a time held British troops prisoner, relieving them of their weapons and ammunition. I believe this was a unique event with regards to British troops interaction with Green Guards.

I read through your entire blog, you have done a wonderful job researching your family history, very well done indeed. You are fortunate to have some wonderful photographs of your granddad in 1922 uniform and such a well preserved diary. I expect the biro marks were made by him late in life when he re-read his old diary and made corrections?

[wrightdw]

From my visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Monitor HMS M.33 which served on the Dvina River, North Russia 1919 (N. Russia service 10 May - 14 October 1919) and was twice struck by Red shellfire on 08 July 1919, once in the morning which destroyed the wardroom but did not cause any casualties and again in the evening by a 5.9 inch shell which struck amidships, starboard side below the waterline putting the monitor out of action. She was also riddled by machine gun fire from ashore in the afternoon the same day although luckily only suffered two ratings wounded (other ships of the Flotilla were not so lucky).

 

She began to list and sink, an attempt to steam out of the firing line was not successful and the monitor became stuck on a sandbank under the noses of the Red machine gun which had peppered the upper deck earlier in the day. A crew member recorded:

 

It was with enormous relief that we saw the bow gradually paying off and the ship moving again. Once afloat, we legged it down river, firing our after gun, and the enemy shots following – ahead, astern and on both sides – the water creeping up and up, in spite of the pumps, till the engines were heaving round in three feet of water. In ten minutes or so we reached Troitsa Bay, a few hundred yards beyond the enemy’s extreme range, a few minutes before the fires were put out and everything stopped.

 

It was a lucky escape.

 

M.33 was repaired and again in action in August shelling advanced Red positions in advance of the 10 August 'Dvina Offensive'. She was again twice struck by Red shells on 07 August 1919, the second shell crashed through the starboard side Petty Officers mess and into the engine room where it lay unexploded.

 

CERA Sydney Rutland wrote in his diary: I shall never forget the feeling of the minutes following the shell’s entrance and I saw she had not exploded. I think everyone’s heart was in one’s mouth … Fortunately for everyone in the engine room it did not explode but it caused a few tense moments.

 

M.33 was back in action three days later providing fire support for the British Army's, 2nd (Sadleir-Jackson's Brigade) North Russia Relief Force's 'Dvina Offensive' on both banks of the Dvina River.

 

She is a beauty, having previously seen service off Gallipoli in 1915 and I understand one of only three ships with WW1 service that still exists. Certainly worth a trip to Portsmouth just for a visit.

 

 

 

 

[wrightdw]

Quiz:

 

Cdr. Claude Congreve Dobson's Victoria Cross on Display at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

 

What is the significant error in the video description?

 

[MartH]

Wasn't he in charge of the CMB Flotilla?

[wrightdw]

On 01/04/2020 at 23:45, MartH said:

Wasn't he in charge of the CMB Flotilla?

That is correct, he commanded the CMB Flotilla in the Eastern Baltic 1918-19 which operated from Terrioki yacht club in Finland.

 

The error in the National Maritime Museum display is they have Dobson's VC as awarded in '1918' when of course it was awarded for action in August 1919.

 

 

[MartH]

My Grandfather was at Terijoki yacht club when Agar was there.

 

My grandparents, mother and aunt went their in the 20's and 30's. It's beach, the sandy one was suppose to have been one the finest in the world and the Baltic was exceptionally clean then and the whole place in the summer was suppose to be idyllic. 

[wrightdw]

On 03/04/2020 at 23:59, MartH said:

My Grandfather was at Terijoki yacht club when Agar was there.

 

My grandparents, mother and aunt went their in the 20's and 30's. It's beach, the sandy one was suppose to have been one the finest in the world and the Baltic was exceptionally clean then and the whole place in the summer was suppose to be idyllic. 

 

Wonderful family connection!

 

It does look like an idyllic spot in summer.

 

The second image is of Lewis guns set up on the roof of the house where the CMB crews were staying. I think the person pictured is Midshipman Richard Marshall, RNVR who was awarded a DSC for the Raid on Kronstadt Harbour, 18/19 August 1919.

Edited 10 April , 2020 by wrightdw

[wrightdw]

Original British Army enlistment form and dog tags of Private Samuel George Pearse, 2nd MG Coy., AIF.

 

Pearse was awarded the Military Medal for bravery 28 September 1917 and later volunteered for the North Russia Relief Force and was posted as a Sgt. to 45th Bn., Royal Fusiliers.

 

On 29th August 1919 the attacking Australian Fusiliers were pinned down by fire from Red Army blockhouses near the enemy battery position near Emtsa, North Russia.

 

Pearse crawled forward with wire cutters and cut a way through the wire under fire before rushing the enemy blockhouse and knocking it out with grenades. He was killed by the last bullet fired during the battle and died of his wounds soon after.

 

For his actions Pearse was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, one of two awards for North Russia 1919, the other also to an Australian 45th Royal Fusilier, Cpl. Arthur Sullivan.

 

Pearse was buried at the railway station at Obozerskaya shortly before the British evacuation from Archangel on 27th September 1919.

[mandy hall]

I received an email today from Naval and Military Press, with a special offer price of £7.99 for the book.

 

https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/sorry-out-of-print-churchills-secret-war-with-leninbritish-and-commonwealth-military-intervention-in-the-russian-civil-war-1918-20/

 

Mandy

[wrightdw]

9 hours ago, mandy hall said:

I received an email today from Naval and Military Press, with a special offer price of £7.99 for the book.

 

https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/sorry-out-of-print-churchills-secret-war-with-leninbritish-and-commonwealth-military-intervention-in-the-russian-civil-war-1918-20/

 

Mandy

 

Thanks Mandy,

 

Yes, there are only 100 copies at that price and they will sell out very quickly. Normal price is £16.50 through Amazon.

[wrightdw]

Here is the current Naval & Military Press listing for copies at GBP7.99 (the link listed above is broken):

 

https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/churchills-secret-war-with-leninbritish-and-commonwealth-military-intervention-in-the-russian-civil-war-1918-20/

[wrightdw]

Birdcage Walk, London, near the Wellington Barracks Guardhouse (opposite end to Guards Chapel). The location of the unfortunate death of Arthur Sullivan, the 'Shy VC', struck by a bicycle messenger he fell and hit his head on the curb and died of his injuries. Sullivan was in London as a member of the 1937 Coronation Contingent. During the Coronation procession a 'blank file' was left in the Australian ranks in commemoration of Sullivan. The Australian VC's of the Contingent had been enlisted into the Australian Artillery in the rank of 'Gunner' for the purpose of the Coronation so they would be eligible (as mounted soldiers) to wear Australian emu feathers in their slouch hats, bandoliers and breeches cutting a more distinguished figure than the infantry uniform of the time. As far as I know, Sullivan's is the only 'posthumous' 1937 Coronation Medal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Sullivan_(Australian_soldier)

Edited 18 April , 2020 by wrightdw

[wrightdw]

Archangel (Arkhangelsk), North Russia, February 1920: Rare photographs of British Medium Mark B and Mk V tanks in winter camouflage after their capture by the Red Army. The volunteer NREF Tank Corps detachment of 9 officers and 60 men with two Medium B's and four Mk V's under Major John Bryan arrived at Archangel on 29 August 1919 and during the following month trained White Russian crews in their use. When the British withdrew from Archangel on 27 September 1919 one of each were donated to the White Russian forces and went in to action in October 1919. Archangel was captured by the Red Army in February 1920 and both tanks fell into the hands of the Reds. The Mk V remains on display in Arkhangelsk today. The fate of the Medium B is unknown. First two Images courtesy of Alexey Suhanovsky (local historian and author in Arkhangelsk, Russia).

[alf mcm]

Excellent photographs Damien,

Thanks for sharing them.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[wrightdw]

3rd December 1921, General Edmund Ironside, formerly GOC North Russia Expeditionary Force (NREF) unveiled and dedicated the 'Dvina Force Memorial' at Crystal Palace, London.

The Memorial was a tryptich painting depicting the unveiling in late August 1919 of the original Dvina Force memorial at Troitsa, main British base on the Dvina River, 200 miles south east of Archangel, North Russia, commemorating British troops who had died during the campaign against the Bolshevik (later known as Soviet) Red Army as part of British military intervention in the Russian Civil War, 1919.

 

On the left panel the distinctive belfry of Troitsa church damaged by shellfire and known to all those who served on the Dvina is visible.

 

The painting depicts actual people who were at the original unveiling including Captain Edward Altham, commanding the Royal Navy Dvina River Flotilla, Brigadier Lionel Sadleir-Jackson, commanding 2nd Brigade, North Russia Relief Force (45th and 46th Royal Fusiliers, 201st MGC) and Colonel Lancelot Tomkinson, commanding Royal Air Force Dvina River Flight.

 

The oil on canvas painting was made by Mr. Albert Chevallier Tayler whose son was named on the Memorial: Lieutenant William Ulric Chevallier Tayler was Killed in Action with 46th Royal Fusiliers during the 'Dvina Offensive' attack on the right bank of the river on 10 August 1919.

 

[wrightdw]

As well as the five Victoria Crosses awarded to two soldiers (one posthumous) and three sailors as part of the British campaign against the Soviets during the Russian Civil War, 1919, a surprising number of VC recipients who received their awards prior to 1919 also served in Russia.

 

In total I have determined 17 recipients of the Victoria Cross (who received their awards between 1901-18) served in Russia as part of British military intervention in the Russian Civil War, a surprising number given the relatively small number of British troops which took part. One of their number was taken prisoner by the Reds and held as a POW in Moscow until 1920 and another ended his military career after he publicly criticised conduct of the campaign in the British press :

 

Five awards for service in Russia, 1919:

 

AGAR, Lieut. Augustus, VC, DSO, RN (Gulf of Finland, 18 June 1919)
SULLIVAN, Cpl. Arthur, VC, 45th Royal Fusiliers (Dvina River, 10 August 1919 - Australian volunteer)
DOBSON, Cdr. Claude, VC, DSO, RN (Kronstadt Harbour, 18 August 1919)
STEELE, Lieut. Gordon, VC, RN (Kronstadt Harbour, 18 August 1919)
PEARSE, Sgt. Samuel, VC, MM, 45th Royal Fusiliers (Emtsa, 29 August 1919, posthumous - Australian volunteer)

 

17 awards for service prior to Russia:

BATTEN-POOLL, Capt. Arthur Hugh, VC, MC, 2nd Bn., R. Muns. Fus.

London Gazette 05.08.16 (France)

Served at Archangel, North Russia as Liaison to 6th Northern Rifle Regiment (White Russian)

BORTON, Lieut.-Col. Arthur Drummond, VC, CMG, DSO, 22^nd Bn., Lond. Regt.

            London Gazette 18.12.17 (Palestine)

            Chief of Staff, Vologda Force, Archangel, North Russia 1918-19

DOUGLAS, Col. Henry Edward Manning, VC, CB, CMG, DSO, RAMC

            London Gazette 29.03.01 (South Africa)

            Served at Archangel, North Russia as ADMS, 1919

DUNBAR, Lieut.-Cdr. Martin Eric, VC, RN.

London Gazette 25.05.15 (Sea of Marmara)

            Commanded 7th Submarine Flotilla in the Eastern Baltic Sea 1919

GROGAN,  T./Brig.-Gen. George William St. George, VC, Worc. Regt.

London Gazette 25.07.18 (France)

            Commanded 1st Brigade, North Russia Relief Force, Archangel, 1919

GUY, Cdr. Basil John Douglas, VC, DSO, RN.

London Gazette 01.01.1901 (China, 1900)

                Served at Enzeli, Caspian Sea 1918-19

HUDSON, A./Lieut.-Col. Charles Edward, VC, MC, 11^th Bn. Notts & Derby Regt.

            London Gazette 11.07.18 (Italy)

Served Archangel, North Russia 1919 as Adjutant to Brig.-Gen. Turner

JERRARD, Lieut. Alan, VC, No. 66 Sqn., RFC.

London Gazette 01.05.18 (Italy)

            Served with 'Pigeon Flight', RAF, Murmansk, North Russia 1919

KONOWAL, 144039, A./Cpl. Filip, VC, Canadian Inf.

London Gazette 26.11.17 (France)

            Served with Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force, 1918-19

MOORE, Capt. Montague Shadworth Seymour, VC, 15th Bn., Hampshire Regiment

            London Gazette 08.11.1918 (Belgium)

            Served Archangel, North Russia 1919 attd. 2nd Bn., Hampshire Regiment

REID, Capt. Oswald Austin, VC, 1st Bn., Liverpool Regt. attd. 6th Bn., Loyal North Lancashire Regt.

            London Gazette 08.06.17 (Mesopotamia)

            Served with ELOPE Force, North Russia 1918-19

ROBINSON, Cdr. Eric Gascoigne, VC, RN.

London Gazette 16.08.15 (Dardanelles)

            Commanded Coastal Motor Boats, Caspian Sea 1919

ROUPELL, Capt. George Rowland Patrick, VC, 1st Bn., E. Surrey Regt.

London Gazette 23.06.15 (France)

Served Archangel, North Russia as Staff Captain to Maj. C. Hudson, VC, DSO

POW 20.07.19, Onega Mutiny, held in Moscow until March 1920

SINTON, Captain John Alexander, RAMC

            London Gazette 21.06.16 (Mesopotamia)

            Served Turkestan 1918-19 with Indian Field Ambulance

SHERWOOD-KELLY, Lieut. Col. John, VC, CMG, DSO, Norf. Regt. attd. 1st Bn., R. Innis. Fus.

            London Gazette 15.08.16 (France)

            CO 2nd Bn. Hampshire Regiment, 1st Brigade, North Russia Relief Force, 1919

TOYE, Lieut. (A./Maj.) Albert Maurice, VC, MC, 2nd Bn., Midd’x Regt.

            London Gazette 08.05.1918 (France)

            Served Archangel, North Russia, 1919

WHITE, Capt. Archie Cecil Thomas, VC, MC, 6th Bn., Yorkshire Regt.

            London Gazette 26.10.1916 (France)

            Served Archangel, North Russia, 1919

Edited 24 November , 2020 by wrightdw

[wrightdw]

'The capturing of a Tank near Kakhovka' (painting by Soviet artist Ivan Vladimirov, 1927) depicts the capture of a British Mk V tank by Red Army troops. These tanks have a curious history in Russia.

 

No British crewed tanks were captured by the Reds during the Russian Civil War 1917-22 although the British did deploy a number of Mk V tanks to Russia, several in Estonia and Archangel and dozens to South Russia (modern day Ukraine). In fact two British crewed Mark V tanks took part in the capture of Tsaritsyn in June 1919 against orders. Tsaritsyn was later renamed 'Stalingrad' made famous during the Second World War. The first tanks to capture Stalingrad were British!

 

When the British withdrew from South Russia in 1920 they donated dozens of Mk V tanks to the anti-Bolshevik White Russian forces which were all eventually captured by the Red Army.

A strange legacy of the Russian Civil War is that the largest number of very rare and valuable British Mk V tanks still in existence is in Russia and Ukraine. Nearly all of the Mk V's which remained in UK were scrapped whereas the Red Army captured tanks were placed on display as war trophies.

 

When the Whermacht invaded the USSR in summer 1941 the Germans were surprised to find WW1 British tanks on display in the Soviet Union and many photos exist of German soldiers posing with the British tanks, particularly the two which were placed on display in front of Smolensk cathedral. Some of the tanks were taken back to Germany as war trophies from the Soviet Union, one of which was put on display in the Lustgarten in central Berlin in front of Berlin Cathedral and was re-captured by the Red Army when it took central Berlin on 30 April 1945.

[wrightdw]

My recent interview with The Great War Channel about Allied military intervention in the Russian Civil War 1918-20.

 

https://anchor.fm/realtimehistory?fbclid=IwAR3q09uLbXjSwYJWjku6v7wSza03Am4Ty_oCOn-Ol5T7m668J7HqKrhcg30

[josquin]

Damien,

 

Adding to your June 2nd post, listing the V.C. recipients who served in the Russia expedition, I am listing General Grogan's forenames:

Lt. Col. (T/Brig. Gen.) George William St.George Grogan (Worcestershire Regiment), as stated in his V.C. award citation.

 

Josquin

[James A Pratt III]

If you go to the forum.axishistory.com and landships.com you can find more info on the Mk V tanks pictured

from my notes and the Osprey books on Armored units of the Russian Civil war

 

no 9146 was knocked out in France in October 1918. Repaired and sent to Russia and captured in Georgia in 1920. was on display in Smolensk then sent to Berlin

 

no 9168 "Audacious" there is a picture of this tank on wiki Russian Civil War and in the one of the Osprey books. It took part in the 1919 advance and retreat to Moscow by the White Army. It then took part in the final battles of the White Army in south Russia and was captured in Sevastopol in November 1920 in a badly damaged state.