Air War - photos of interest
North Russia 1919 – Air war: photos of interest
(Article © Charles Henry Davis; Source Imagery and Commentary Material (c) Gareth Morgan)
Norman Leslie Agnew is one of the very many listed in a website (1) commemorating First World War enlistees associated with City of Rockdale (NSW) – late 2015, nearly a century after his tragic demise at Pozieres, aged 21, a relative made contact:-
‘I thought that you may like a better photograph of my late mother’s cousin Norm Agnew for the web site. Norm is the one seated’
The sender, Gordon Lasslett, Librarian/Treasurer of the Australian Society of WWI Aero Historians Incorporated, also offered ‘help with Flying Corps people’ – one thing led to another, eventually to Gareth Morgan (President):-
‘I noticed you have an interest in the North Russia Relief Force. Hence, you might find the attached photographs interesting. They’re from the collection of Major A D Carey, who was the Adjutant at Beresnik aerodrome on the Dvina in 1919’
An extraordinary gesture shared, considering the depth of research undertaken by Gareth (For full view, left-click on image)
(Information on Major A D Carey) (Major A D Carey - Russian Medals )
(Gareth Morgan's research on James Ira Thomas (Taffy) Jones - part one and part two)
Click for more images>> Air War - photos of interest(2) Air War - photos of interest(3)
The men are officers in front of a de Havilland DH9A in North Russia, but just who they are is a puzzle. The centre figure in the middle row is Major Aleksandr Alexandrovich Kazakov, the leading Russian fighter pilot of the Great War, with some 20 credited victories. The man seated to his left is an RAF Major (the two thick and one thin gold cuff bands on a khaki uniform show his rank). The man at bottom right has a red-blue-white chevron on his arm, as worn by many White Russian units during the Civil War; his cap badge is similar to that of a man in the rear row. The remainder are officers, with pips on their shoulders or, in one case, a Second Lieutenant’s pip on his cuff, but unlike most British Army officers, they don’t have regimental badges on their lapels, though they do have officer’s Sam Browne belts. It’s possible that they’re members of the Slavo-British Aviation Corps – I wrote to the RAF Museum in London in the hope that they might be able to identify the men, but they could not do so. Alas, records of the S-BAC seem to be very scarce.
The arrival of Grogan’s Brigade in Arkhangel on 27 May 1919. This brigade, comprising the 2nd Bn, Hampshire Regiment and the 1st Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, plus artillery and other support units, was the first of the two North Russia Relief Force units to arrive at Arkhangel. The other brigade, Sadlier-Jackson’s Brigade, included the 45th and 46th Battalions Royal Fusiliers, plus support units. The 45th Royal Fusiliers included about 150 former AIF men.
In accordance with Russian tradition, Grogan’s Brigade marched through the city preceded by bread and salt carried on platters bedecked with streamers. The officer saluting wears the crossed baton and sword of a Brigadier General, so he’s probably the brigade commander, Brigadier General G W St George Grogan VC CB CMG DSO. The Captain in the middle has the white star on a blue background sleeve patch of the North Russia Relief Force. On the left edge of the photo is the distinctive figure of Major General Edmund ‘Tiny’ Ironside
Probably the King’s Birthday Parade in Arkhangel on 1 June 1919, with Grogan’s Brigade drawn up for review.
Two DH9As and a Sopwith Snipe at Bresenik. The figure in the middle, in front of the Snipe, is Capt J I T ‘Taffy’ Jones.
Two Sopwith 7F.1 Snipes, three DH9As and some Sopwith 1½ Strutters at Beresnik. The closest Strutter is Ships’ Strutter B7914, a machine rebuilt by No 1 (Southern) Aircraft Repair Depot at Farnborough.
Major General Edmund Ironside probably taking the salute at the King’s Birthday Parade in Arkhangel on 1 June 1919, with Grogan’s Brigade in the background.
Senior officers awaiting Grogan’s Brigade as it marched through Arkhangel after disembarking on 27 May 1919. The officers in the group are: unknown Russian; Major General Edmund Ironside; General Yevgeny Karlovich Miller; Colonel C J M Thornhill (former British Military Attaché to Russia); General Savitch (former commander of a Siberian Corps during the Great War); and Lieutenant Count Hamilton, a Russian Naval Officer and ADC to General Miller.
General Yevgeny Karlovich Miller inspecting Grogan’s Brigade at the King’s Birthday Parade in Arkhangel on 1 June 1919. Maj Gen Ironside is behind him, followed by staff officers.
Men in front of a DH9A in North Russia in 1919, showing the wide range of uniforms worn by the RAF at the time: RAF khaki, the unpopular RAF sky-blue, RNAS naval uniforms and Army/RFC uniforms.
A group photo in front of a DH9A at Beresnik, including Taffy Jones in white Rugby jersey and shorts under his tunic.
Two DH9As and the fuselage of Sopwith Ships’ Strutter B7914 at Beresnik.
RAF officers. The man sitting in the middle is a Lieutenant Colonel, and he might be any one of several RAF Lt Cols in North Russia in 1919. The RAF Museum was unable to identify him. The rather morose man on the right of centre (our left) is Major Geoffrey Hilton ‘Beery’ Bowman, formerly Royal Warwickshire Regiment (whose uniform he is wearing) the 32 victory ace who commanded No 3 Sqn, Slavo-British Air Corps at Beresnik. Behind Major Bowman is the New-Zealand-born Major Charles Roderick Carr, who commanded No 2 Sqn S-BAC
Major Aleksandr Alexandrovich Kazakov, after he was awarded the British DFC. He’s wearing an Imperial Russian double-headed eagle as a cap badge, and has a red-blue-white stripe on his chinstrap, another White Russian affectation. Kazakov deliberately crashed his Sopwith Snipe [E6350] at Bresenik on the Dvina River, the base of the S-BAC, in August 1919 when he learned that the British were to evacuate North Russia, leaving the White forces to their fate.
A DH4, probably in North Russia, judging from the hat worn by the man on the extreme right. It’s quite possibly A7919, with an RAF [Royal Aircraft Factory] 3a engine
RAF officers in North Russia. Front row, left to right: RAF doctor; Maj C R Carr; unknown; unknown officer in RFC uniform; unknown Lieutenant in Army? Slavo-British Aviation Corps? uniform. Rear row, left to right: unknown pilot in RFC uniform with MC; unknown pilot [ex Coldstream Guards?], unknown observer officer
French-built Sopwith 1½ Strutter crashed in snow, North Russia
Probably Arkhangel harbour in the snow
It looks like an Ascot-class Paddle Minesweeper, probably at Arkhangel
H M Hospital Ship Kalyan, a former P & O liner, probably in Arkhangel harbour
American-designed 40ft Greenport launch as used by the White Russians [who had four boats: Pitiless, Rash, Selfless and Stormy] and the RN, [who used one boat, named Jolly Roger] on Lake Onega in 1919
Tent hangars in the snow, probably at Beresnik on the Dvina
Probably Arkhangel harbour in the snow
Ship making its way through ice
Probably stores being prepared for destruction prior to the British evacuation of Arkhangel, September 1919
Probably stores being destroyed prior to the British evacuation of Arkhangel, September 1919
Probably stores being destroyed prior to the British evacuation of Arkhangel, September 1919
