marina Posted 9 February , 2005 Share Posted 9 February , 2005 Help! Chris pointed me to a place on the site which told what happened to Russian soldiers on the Front after the Revolution. I want to check the story and can't find it agian. Any one know where it is? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatterySergeantMajor Posted 9 February , 2005 Share Posted 9 February , 2005 Help! Chris pointed me to a place on the site which told what happened to Russian soldiers on the Front after the Revolution. I want to check the story and can't find it agian. Any one know where it is? Marina I don't know the link, but there is a very good book about this subject: "With snow on their boots". Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 9 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2005 Thanks, Erwin, for that information. I must look that book up - the story of the Russians stuck in my mind after Chris told me some things. be good to know more. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 9 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2005 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031...0266509-9244746 Found a link on Amazon about his book in case anyone else is interested. It does look good! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Their cemetery in Champagne near St Hilarie le Grand is interesting, looks like standard French but there is an Orthodox Chapel beside it and there adjoining cemetery are buried officers , many with French wives, who stayed after revolution. It's a great book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 10 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Don't suppose you or anyone else has a photo of that cemetery, Paul? But you've persuaded me to read the book' Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Marina - Some shots at the Russian cemetery which myself & the other Pals stopped at on the Forum tour to Verdun last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 & this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 & finally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 10 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Will, Thanks a million for letting me see these - they are beautiful photos. Odd to think that until they were mentioned on this Forum (and I still can't find where!), I had had no idea that there had been any Russians on the Western Front. never mind an Othodox Russian looking memorial. It is beautiful, isn't it? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 It is beautiful, isn't it? It was a very soothing and tranquil place (it helped that it was a nice warm sunny day). We spent a pleasant half hour or so wandering amongst them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 Marina You might try searching for snow on their boots in All Forums more than 30 days ago. However, although I was instantly directed to the old threads on the first attempt, nothing could be found when I tried the same method again a few minutes later. The wonders of technology! Regards Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 10 February , 2005 Share Posted 10 February , 2005 I had had no idea that there had been any Russians on the Western Front. never mind an Othodox Russian looking memorial. Marina, don't forget "my" Russians in the CEF, at least 4,000 of them, men who should have gone home to fight in the Tsar's army but instead enlisted for the King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatterySergeantMajor Posted 11 February , 2005 Share Posted 11 February , 2005 Will, Thanks a million for letting me see these - they are beautiful photos. Odd to think that until they were mentioned on this Forum (and I still can't find where!), I had had no idea that there had been any Russians on the Western Front. never mind an Othodox Russian looking memorial. It is beautiful, isn't it? Marina No wonder, there were only two Brigades. The idea was to deploy much more, but a lot of reasons prevented this. It is all in the book. I was astonished that this French/ Russian cemetery and chapel on the pictures seemed so well maintained! When I was in the Somme last summer I was really angry and ashamed to see how neglected and even ruïnous the French cemetery and chapel near Serre nr2 cemetery were. What would be the reason for this difference in maintenance? Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 11 February , 2005 Share Posted 11 February , 2005 There are a couple of photographs on P. 141 of "Before Endeavours Fade". I have seen a mention of Russian soldiers and a very violent end in another book. I think this might have been at the time of the revolution.I am off to track it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 11 February , 2005 Share Posted 11 February , 2005 Still can't find the book but here is a web page which refers to the same incidents. (sorry I cant add it as a link ) http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/katyn/courtine.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 11 February , 2005 Share Posted 11 February , 2005 Erwin strange those are not well maintained since the chapel and cemetery at Rancourt also on the Somme battlefield are lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 11 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2005 Broznitsky - do you mean Russians who signed up for he British Army? Excuse my ignorance - this is an entirely new area to me. Tom - great site and good links to photos and accounts of what hppened - thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 11 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2005 Marina You might try searching for snow on their boots in All Forums more than 30 days ago. However, although I was instantly directed to the old threads on the first attempt, nothing could be found when I tried the same method again a few minutes later. The wonders of technology! Regards Gareth Gareth - the search worked - got loads of stuff, including the post from Chris Baker which I had been searching for. Thanks for that, Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 11 February , 2005 Share Posted 11 February , 2005 What would be the reason for this difference in maintenance? Erwin. A one word answer... rotation. The French wargraves lot tend to spend money/work on one area at a time in rotation. It was the turn of the Champagne 5 or 6 years ago. I've got some photos of this same Russian cemetery taken in 1995/6(ish) and, believe me, it doesn't look quite as "well kept" in these! At the same time, the Les Eparges cemeteries also seemed to be suffering a little (though the Verdun ones were mint) Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Do you mean Russians who signed up for the British Army? Excuse my ignorance - this is an entirely new area to me. Marina, I have not studied or researched Russian men who enlisted into the British army - I would like to hear much more about that topic! I have researched the thousands of Russian /Ukrainian /Polish born men, living in Canada before the war, who enlisted into the Canadian Expeditionary Force. I believe at least 4,000, perhaps up to 6,000 did so. Of these, one won a VC, one was executed for cowardice, hundreds died, and many others like my grandfather survived and came back to Canada. Some stayed in Europe, a few going back to their homeland to participate in the various conflicts, especially the Ukrainian War of Independence. Some Russians, living in the United States, came up to Canada to enlist prior to the American entry into the war. One fine day my book will tell all . . . Peter in Vancouver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 12 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2005 And a very fine book it will be! had no idea there were so many Russians and Ukrainians in Canada - who was the VC? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 No. 144039 A/Corporal, Filip Konowal, 47th Battalion, August 21 1917 For most conspicuous bravery and leadership in charge of a section in attack. His section had the difficult task of mopping up cellars, craters and machine-gun emplacements. Under his able direction all resistance was overcome successfully, and heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy. In one cellar he himself bayonetted three enemy and attacked single-handed seven others in a crater, killing them all. On reaching the objective, a machine gun was holding up the right flank, causing many casualties. Cpl Konowal rushed forward and entered the emplacement, killed the crew, and brought the gun back to our lines. The next day he again attacked single-handed another machine-gun emplacement, killed three of the crew, and destroyed the gun and emplacement with explosives. This non-Commisioned Officer alone killed at least sixteen of the enemy, and during the two days' actual fighting carried on continuously his good work until severely wounded. London Gazette No. 30400 November 23rd, 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 12 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2005 That's an amzing story. Did Corporal Konowal survive the entire war and get home safely? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadawwi Posted 12 February , 2005 Share Posted 12 February , 2005 Hi! Here's an excellent account of Konowal's life - Konowal The author of the above website went back to Ukraine a couple of years ago to locate the village he was born in. He found the family of his first wife (he remarried in Canada), and they still had a paper bill that they had kept in hiding since he sent it home from his pay to support his family. In those days the population was not allowed to possess foreign currency. One interesting tidbit - he was working as a janitor after the war, and the Canadian Prime Minister spotted him and offered him a slightly better position. Also, his medals disappeared from the Canadian War Museum, but were recently located at an auction and returned to the War Museum. My brother attended the ceremony in Ottawa late last year. Also, I found an article from 1918 in the Toronto Star. He told the reporter that he was just fed up of standing in the mud up to his waist all day. One moving part of that story was when he returned from his turn in the trenches after that exploit to go to the back of the line, a long row of Canadians cheered and called out his name. Marika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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