New Book About British Soldiers In Siberia 1918-1920

[Dever Mayfly]

My new book, Churchill's Abandoned Prisoners: The British Soldiers Deceived in the Russian Civil War was launched at Waterstones on Friday.  It is published by Casemate UK and tells the suppressed story of the last British prisoners of war in World War One. It was featured in a two-page article in the Daily Express on Saturday as well as Sky News All Out Politics and BBC Radio.  The Foreword is written by Nikolai Tolstoy, whose father escaped from Moscow in the company of several British soldiers who had been imprisoned by the Secret Police in Moscow.  Among the prisoners was a young Captain Brian Horrocks of the Middlesex Regiment whose life was saved by Captain Eric Hayes of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and Major Leonard Vining of the Royal Engineers.  The eight officers and seven soldiers captured by the Red Army in Krasnoyarsk were in Siberia as part of Churchill's volunteers to assist the anti-Bolshevik White Government of Admiral Kolchak.  They were ordered to remain behind in Omsk to organise the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from the Red Terror.  Churchill did not approve requests for publicity about the British deeds in Siberia as can be seen from his response to the Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir Charles Harrington, which was discovered in the National Archives.  The memo, which is attached to this post, was discovered on the back of a file cover.  With reference to a recommendation about the commanding officer of the Middlesex Battalion, John Ward, Churchill writes: "Colonel Ward is doing admirably; but I do not think the publication necessary at this moment.  Our policy in Siberia is too nebulous and our prospects too gloomy for special attention to be invited. WSL 29 January 1919. In the end, Churchill worked hard to secure the release of the soldiers as can be seen from his memo to the Prime Minister about negotiations with the Russian government, which is at Appendix 4 in the book. 

[PRC]

1 hour ago, Dever Mayfly said:

  Among the prisoners was a young Captain Brian Horrocks of the Middlesex Regiment whose life was saved by Captain Eric Hayes of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and Major Leonard Vining of the Royal Engineers.

 

 

Sorry, but it wasn't until 1935 that the Norfolk Regiment was granted the right to use the title "Royal". Eric Charles Hayes first saw service in Mesopotamia, almost certainly with the 2nd Battalion, arriving there on the 1st January 1917. That may explain his route into Russia.

 

When he applied for his Great War Medals in May 1923 he was still in the Army, giving his address as 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, Hydrabad Barracks, Colchester.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[Waggoner]

Rupert,

 

Do you mention William James Osborne-Dempster in your book? 

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[Dever Mayfly]

52 minutes ago, PRC said:

Sorry, but it wasn't until 1935 that the Norfolk Regiment was granted the right to use the title "Royal".

Although Hayes was commissioned into the Norfolk Regiment, initially as a temporary in October 1915 and then after attending Sandhurst with a Regular in 1916, he did command the Second Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment in France in 1939-40 when some of his soldiers were massacred at Le Paradis by the 2nd SS Regiment.  He was also appointed Colonel of the Regiment in 1951 shortly before he died, so he has every entitlement to be called "of the Royal Norfolk Regiment". 

[Dever Mayfly]

1 minute ago, Waggoner said:

Do you mention William James Osborne-Dempster in your book? 

Very much so.  He is a fascinating character due to his subsequent involvement in a famous political scandal in Canada.  There were few insights about his character from the letters and diaries I have read, but plenty about his service record from the London Gazette and and Canadian War Memorial Website.  Clearly, he was very capable to be commissioned from the ranks in 1916 and courageous to be awarded a Military Cross as an ASC officer in 1918.  In Omsk, he was the RTO, which is why he was delegated to remain to the last with eight others under the command of Leonard Vining.

[Waggoner]

Rupert,

 

Thank you for this information. Have you seen his service record from the National Archives? His medal group includes both the French and Belgian Crois de Guerre. These awards did not appear in the London Gazette and I have been trying to confirm them. Have you come across any references to them. O-D did state under oath that he had received them. Then again, he self-awarded the 1914/15 Star! He intrigues me both as a Canadian and as a member of the A.S.C.

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[Waggoner]

Rupert,

 

You have sold me! I have ordered a copy from Amazon.ca. Looking forward to reading it.

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[PRC]

56 minutes ago, Dever Mayfly said:

Although Hayes was commissioned into the Norfolk Regiment, initially as a temporary in October 1915 and then after attending Sandhurst with a Regular in 1916, he did command the Second Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment in France in 1939-40 when some of his soldiers were massacred at Le Paradis by the 2nd SS Regiment.  He was also appointed Colonel of the Regiment in 1951 shortly before he died, so he has every entitlement to be called "of the Royal Norfolk Regiment". 

 

But at the time when he carried out the rescue he was not so entitled. In my personal opinion - and that's all it is - put a fundamental error in the blurb and will normally undermind the integrity of the rest of the information no matter how accurate and well researched.

 

BTW, while Eric Hayes was with the 2nd Battalion during the "Phoney War" period, by the time of the 'last stand' at Le Paradis and the subsequent massacre of the surrendered men, the acting Commanding Officer was Major Lisle Ryder who would die in the massacre..

 

Good luck with the book,

 

Peter

[Dever Mayfly]

12 hours ago, Waggoner said:

Have you come across any references to them.

I haven't found any documentary evidence to support the Belgian and French awards.  However, looking at the way the Britishcommand handed out awards in Siberia to Russians who helped the Mission with scant permission from London and no subsequent publication, it is not impossible for him to have received these awards for saving the train at Velu.  Some of the confusion might be because he changed his name from Dempster to Osbourne-Dempster.  For example the LG publishes his MC under the name T/Lt James Dempster, even though he had in theory changed his name after he married Eleanor Osbourne in 1911. In one newspaper article, I found his name to be Lt Osborn Demster.  In my index, you will find him under Dempster, Lieutenant William...

[Dever Mayfly]

12 hours ago, PRC said:

But at the time when he carried out the rescue he was not so entitled. In my personal opinion

You will be pleased to know then that when I introduce Hayes in the book on page 70, I do so as "Captain Eric Hayes of the Norfolk Regiment".  I also cover his background in the endn notes, taken from Kemp's History of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and his personal papers donated by Jeremy Fairbank.  For the blurb, I took advice from an experienced royal correspondent who said that there are no hard and fast rules, but to reduce the chances of people being confused, it would be sensible to use the term (or rank) that most people know. 

[Waggoner]

Rupert,

 

Yes, the name did cause him problems! The wrong Dempster was initially gazetted. Osborne-Dempster was only allowed to claim it because the other officer had not. The King’s policy was that medals awarded in error were final. No backsy! 

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[Waggoner]

Just received my copy of the book. Busy reading through it! I am sure there will be questions to follow :-)

 

All the best,

 

Gary