A Collection of Medals for the Russian Intervention 1918-20 229


A scarce 1919 ‘Archangel Command, Russian Intervention’ M.M. awarded to Sergeant W. Allington, 45th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, late Royal West Surrey Regiment, for his gallantry during the ‘Dvina Offensive’, 10 August 1919, in what was the largest battle fought by British troops during the Russian Intervention


Military Medal, G.V.R. (129142 Sjt. W. Allington. 45/R. Fus:) edge bruising and light contact marks, very fine £360-£400 M.M. London Gazette 22 January 1920: ‘For bravery in the Field with the British Forces in North Russia.’


William Allington attested for the Royal West Surrey Regiment at Rochester, Kent, on 1 September 1914, and served with the 2nd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 8 November 1914. Subsequently transferring to the Royal Fusiliers, he served with the 45th Battalion as part of Archangel Command with the British Forces in North Russia, and was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry during the ‘Dvina Offensive’ on 10 August 1919; in the same action Corporal Arthur Sullivan, an Australian volunteer also serving with the 45th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers was awarded the Victoria Cross.


230


A scarce 1919 ‘Archangel Command, Russian Intervention’ M.M. group of three awarded to Private C. E. Ferguson, 46th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, late Royal West Surrey Regiment, for his gallantry during the ‘Dvina Offensive’, 10 August 1919, in what was the largest battle fought by British troops during the Russian Intervention


Military Medal, G.V.R. (129776 Pte. C. E. Ferguson. 46/R. Fus:) number officially corrected; British War and Victory Medals (GS-129776 Pte. C. E. Ferguson. R. Fus.) extremely fine (3)


£400-£500 M.M. London Gazette 22 January 1920: ‘For bravery in the Field with the British Forces in North Russia.’


Charles E. Ferguson attested for the Royal Fusiliers at Newburn, Northumberland, and served with the 46th Battalion as part of Archangel Command with the British Forces in North Russia, and was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry during the ‘Dvina Offensive’ on 10 August 1919.


Note: Ferguson’s campaign medals are named to Royal Fusiliers with his North Russia Relief Force service number which indicates that his only Great War qualifying service was in North Russia 1919.


231


Three: Flying Officer L. J. Booth, Royal Air Force, late Royal Navy, who as a Short Seaplane Observer was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross, and ultimately received a Mentioned in Despatches, for his gallantry during the combined Coastal Motor Boat and Royal Air Force attack on the Soviet Navy Baltic Fleet base at Kronstadt Harbour, 17-18 August 1919


1914-15 Star (233485 L. J. Booth, Y.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lieut. L. J. Booth.) Star lightly gilded, good very fine (3)


£240-£280 M.I.D. London Gazette 22 December 1919: Pilot Officer (Observer) Lionel James Booth (Baltic).


The original recommendation, for an Air Force Cross, dated 21 August 1919, states: ‘Observer in a Seaplane in the combined attack on Kronstadt Harbour by Coastal Motor Boats and Aircraft on the morning of 18 August 1919, and took valuable notes during the operation. This machine drew the fire and distracted the attention of the Forts and Searchlights, thus enabling the Coastal Motor Boats to pass the Forts unobserved and covered their retreat afterwards until the Petrol was exhausted when he returned with his Pilot to the Base and went away in another machine.’


Note: The original recommendation, by Rear Admiral Walter Cowan, Senior Naval Officer Baltic, was for an Air Force Cross. Presumably being unfamiliar with the new Royal Air Force gallantry awards only introduced the previous year, Admiral Cowan recommended Booth for the A.F.C. which could only be awarded for ‘an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy’ instead of the Distinguished Flying Cross which was awarded for ‘an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy’.


Booth’s pilot, Flight Lieutenant Colin Boumphrey was recommended by Admiral Cowan for the Distinguished Service Cross, a naval award which since the introduction of the D.F.C. could not be awarded for bravery in the air. Both awards were later changed to recommendations for the D.F.C. although only Boumphrey received the decoration (London Gazette 12 July 1920), Booth having his recommendation downgraded to a Mention in Despatches.


Lionel James Booth was born in Tamar, Devon on 7 October 1889. He entered the Royal Navy as a Signaller Boy on 31 March 1905. He was advanced to Ordinary Signaller when on Suffolk in October 1907 and Signaller on Leviathan in October 1908. Based at Blake from December 1913, he was advanced to Yeoman of Signals in October 1915 when serving on the destroyer Alarm with the 2nd Destroyer Squadron at Scapa. He was posted to the light cruiser Castor in August 1916 and served for a short period on the aircraft carrier Campania, July-August 1917, before being posted to officers’ school. Booth was promoted to Acting Warrant Officer 2nd Grade on 18 August 1917, and then the following year was commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force.


The Kronstadt Raid, 17-18 August 1919


In November 1918 a Royal Navy Light Cruiser force was dispatched to the Eastern Baltic as part of the British intervention in the Russian Civil War on the side of the White Russian factions fighting to reinstall the deposed Tsar and his government. The British fleet was tasked with keeping the Soviet Navy’s Baltic Fleet embargoed in its naval base at Kronstadton Kotlin island, 20 miles west of St. Petersburg.


Kronstadt was effectively protected by a chain of man made forts dotting the ocean across the Gulf of Finland. Beyond the range of the forts guns lay minefields protecting the eastern approaches. A breakwater and shipping channel further restricted access to the military harbour on the south eastern tip of the island, the access routes being directly in the line of fire of the forts. The only type of vessel capable of crossing the submerged breakwater were tiny 40 foot wooden hulled Coastal Motor Boats which were able to skim across the surface the keel only a few inches below the surface.


In early July the offensive capability of the British Baltic Fleet was greatly increased with the arrival of the converted aircraft carrier H. M.S. Vindictive under Captain H. E. Grace, son of the champion cricketer W. G. Grace. The Hawkins class heavy cruiser had been converted into an aircraft carrier during construction and carried a complement of 12 aircraft, variously Griffins, Short Bombers (essentially the Short 184 Seaplane, floats removed replaced by wheels), Sopwith Camel’s and Strutter’s under Flight Lieutenant David Donald, Royal Air Force.


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