british army involvement in russian civil war 1919

[ingram789]

My grandfather also fought in the British Army and was in Russia for the civil war but the details I have are VERY sparse . I dont think he was an officer and his name was Ingram not even sure of his real christian name either as he was always known as Frank but that wasnt what was on his birth certificate. All I know is that he flabergasted my then teenage mother ( well she wasnt my mother at the time but,, ) by speaking to a new neighbour Russian emigre in the 1930s in fluent Russian. When mum asked how he knew Russian he just said he had been fighting the commies in 1920 and ended up in the salt mines?? If anyone can find out anymore about "Frank " Ingram I would be very grateful.

[dfss]

Hello Ingram.....
This really does sound like a story that needs to be told !
If Forester is still following this thread I am sure that he could point you in the right direction to find out more.....
Best of luck with it....my own research project has stalled at present.......

[mmm45]

http://www.jstor.org/pss/4207972

There were British POWs but there were over 40.000 troops deployed in the campaign so its going to be hard to ID him

Ady

[Matt R]

I have just found that one of my relatives died in this campaign. I was shocked to see so little this is reported.

This is him:

Name: BRITTON, GILBERT
Initials: G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. "Suffolk."
Date of Death: 14/07/1918
Service No: K/40777(DEV)
Additional information: (Buried in Pokrovskaya Cemetery, Vladivostok).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: VLADIVOSTOK MEMORIAL

Taken from Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Gilbert died five days after his twentieth birthday, he was born in Bristol.

I am so glad there is a thread about this subject. Thanks all for giving me some fascinating information to read and the helpful links too.

Matt

[mmm45]

Matt the RN Museum at Portsmouth has the following in its collection if you ever visit?

•Herbert Simpkins (d 1921), master-at-arms RN: papers, incl diary kept on board HMS Suffolk at Vladivostock during the Russian Civil War 1917-19 (2000/81)

Heres Gilberts Record link if you havent got it?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7217697&queryType=1&resultcount=1

Ady

[Matt R]

HI Ady,

Thank you for the two pieces of information provided. I have got the service record from National Archives, another rootschatter very kindly downloaded it for me. It states Gilbert died of pneumonia...being in Siberia..I am not really surprised! He was buried in Churkin Naval Cemetery and I have found a link to a photo of his grave that I shall purchase in due time, on the war memorial index project website.

As for the diary by Master-at-Arms Simpkins...I think I am going to have to get my hands on that! Sounds like a wealth of information!

Thanks again...it's good that this forgotten piece of history exists on this website and we can talk about it, research it, etc. I'm a bit of a First World War enthusiast and I had never heard of this. I took History A Level too studying the Russian Revolution...again, nothing. Little did I know I'd come to have a distant ancestor who was right there in it all.

Matt

[Maryan]

My Great Grandfather Frank Webb served with the Royal Scots during WW1 and once again rumour had it he died during that war, but my Grandfather told my father, it was after and that he never returned, nothing was ever said etc etc... i notice the 2/10 RS on the list is there anyway of checking to see if he was present and KIA.
Thanks in advance.
Gary

[mmm45]

Gary
He would still be covered by CWGC up to Aug 1921 cant see him listed.
Are there no obituaries/death notices in local press of the time?

Maybe he went to Ireland as an Auxilliary as there was violence there til partition?

Ady

[Matt R]

I cannot find him either, nor any "F. Webb"'s in the regiment you state.

Do you have anything else on him?