Royal Dublin Fusiliers & North Russian Intervention

[Neville Ian Scarlett]

Hi Jervis. My grandfather is in the 1901 and 1911 census in Letterkenny. Keith has confirmed he was in the RDF and was sent to Russia as his service number was GS/131332 and was in the 46th Battalion which went to Russia. Thanks for your reply.

[Keith_history_buff]

The Royal Fusiliers and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers are two different regiments. Whilst there is no paper trail as to which regiment Robert Joseph Kerr that commenced his service with, I think it highly likely that he went to North Russia with The Royal Fusiliers, in the absence of any other documented details for a different Robert Joseph Kerr that served in North Russia having come to light.

[Neville Ian Scarlett]

Thank you Keith. How did you discover Robert Joseph Kerr GS/131332 was in the 46th Battalion? When I look up the Royal Fusiliers medal roll I see only his service number and medals. 

[lynedmonds]

Hi Neville

Apologies for not replying sooner, but I'm pleased to see that you now have more information about your grandfather and that he enlisted as a Royal Fusilier (City of London Regiment).

I have access to FindMyPast (as well as Ancestry) and FMP indicates that his 'Previous' unit was 45th. I understand that 45th and 46th were both part of the ELOPE force that went to North Russia. 

My grandfather was with the company of RDF volunteers who went and I think they were with the ELOPE force too, travelling to Archangel. They may have been connected to Harcourt's Force - see earlier posts on  this topic. I was just pleased  to confirm that he did go with a company from his regiment.

Good luck with your research!

Lyn

[wrightdw]

As has been stated RDF did not serve in Russia as a unit.

I don't know where Maj. Corrigan got his reference to a company of Dubs in Russia, they may have been part of the British Army of the Balkans and Black Sea in Transcaucasia although that was an army of occupation in areas formerly held by Ottomans and not a part of British military intervention in the Russian Civil War.

1 October 1918 is a rather early date to join NREF at Archangel. I would guess that the person concerned was a MG instructor attached to ELOPE Force training White Russian troops.

27 September was the day the last British troops were evacuated from Archangel. 1 October 1918 - 27 September 1919 would again suggest attachment to ELOPE Force training mission rather than a particular unit.

Harcourt, ex-1RDF commanded a mixed force of British, Australian, South African and other Empire volunteers in the North Russia Relief Force, summer 1919, he did not command RDF troops in Russia.

Robert Joseph Kerr's service number GS/131332 is within the range of volunteers for 2nd (Sadlier-Jackson's) Brigade, North Russia Relief Force. These men had to be trained in the branch of service for which they were volunteering and had to have been discharged in order to voluntarily re-enlist in the NRRF. Officers served on attachment from their parent units however OR's had to re-enlist.

[Keith_history_buff]

Other than Major Corrigan's lecture from December 2022, the only other place that I have seen an unsourced reference to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers is on wikipedia, along with a battalion of the Manchester Regiment that was actually in Germany, not Russia. It could be one of those self-referencing issues with "the internet says..." and would expect to see a reliable primary source to confirm this assertion.