BRITISH IN RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 11, 8 October 1919, Page 5

BRITISH IN RUSSIA

HISTORY OF THE ARCHANGEL EXPEDITION LIGHT ON MUCH-DEBATED VENTURE Tho British forco was sent to Archangel and Murmansk in 1918 (states tho "Daily. Jlnil"). Our men were mainly of C 3 class, as it was impossible in the summer, of 1918 to snore better troops in view of tiie terrible demands to bo met in France. The approach to Archangel is sealed by ice' during tho winter, and after the armistico.it was not possible to withdraw the Allied force, then numbering 22,000, of which the British was 13,000. On most of tho Russians little dependence could bo placed, and they allowed tho British to do the fighting. The Americans were mainly engineers and not lighting troops. The British were dispirited and expected to be demobilised and sent home, as they wero mainly of tho class which had a right to demobilisation, till compulsory servico was extended by Parliament in April for a' year. As it was necessary to extricate this force and prevent the loyal Russians from being slaughtered, Mr. Churchill- in March appealed for volunteers to form a Russian Belief Expedition. A "Picnic" Expected. Tho general belief was that tho expedition would be » military picnic, but the quality of the men who engaged was excellent. Among the troops sent out, as the volunteers were not sufficient, were some compulsory service men, but according to Mr. Churchill's statement in. tho Hous3 of Commons, there were very few of these. Tho advance guard left in April, and tho bulk of the force in May, and they arrived a few weeks later in Archangel and Murmansk. Meanwhile the tired and worn British troops on the spot, knowing that help was coming and that they were not forgotten, behaved with the greatest spirit and gave a good account of themselves. On the arrival of the expedition the British took stops to clear the front so as to permit of a withdrawal and also, to join hands with General Kolchak, who was advancing with a loyal Russian army from Siberia, , '

On the Murmansk railway they reached a point only 100 miles from Petrograd, and joinod hands with the Finnish volunteer forces; and in tho direction of Viatka they reached a point only about 100 miles from Kolchak's outposts. A small detachment of Kolchak's force actually joined them, moving by a northerly route.

As the result of Allied hesitation and failure to support the operations in tho direction of Petrograd, the Allies on tho Murmansk.railway encountered increasing resistance, and were finally obliged to retire. The Bolsheviks greatly increased their forces on the northern front, and with the help of German officers showed growing efficiency; and the British Relief Force was gradually everywhere brought to a standstill or compelled to retreat. Kolchak was heavily defeated and forced to retire, and the whole campaign failed. At this juncture Mr. Churchill announced on July 3 that all the British troops in North Russia would be -withdrawn by the early part of November. This news instantly reached the Bolsheviks, and was spread, by them, and had immediate effect on ■ the Russian troops with tho Allies. British Murdered. Among them was a battalion of exBolshevist prisoners recruited by General Ironside, who commanded the Allies. He put -su-eli faith in it that he said: "I have placed some of my best officers in that battalion." On July 7 they suddenly attacked these officers and murdered five of them with eight or nine Russian officers. They urged other Russian troops to join them, and it was only by the merest chance that thc3o did not follow their example then: many of them have since mutinied. The "British were therefore left in a position of extreme danger—all the mora serious because the American troops were withdrawn; and what added to their danger was thnt the Bolsheviks seized Onega, m .the White Sea, between Archangel and thereby rendering communications difficult between Murmansk and Archangel. On tho River Dvina the,water" has fallen, and the river is so low thnt communication bv it with the troops who have advanced up it is precarious, so that they also are in danger.