With the "Die Hards" in Siberia (1920) By Lieutenant-Colonel John Ward
 
With the Middlesex Regiment against the Bolsheviks 1918-19

This unusual book from the First World War period. It tells of the attempts of the British-in company with European and American allies and the Japanese-to stem the red tide of Bolshevism in Russia by providing military aid to the White Russian forces. These are the experiences of the men of Middlesex Regiment-'B-oners'-already worn out in other theatres of war and hoping their days of campaigning were about to be over-as they rose to an extraordinary challenge in the harshest of environments in the Siberian winter. This is a fascinating book for those interested in the sideshows of the Great War in which the typically stolid 'Tommy' served-here portrayed in the most affectionate terms by the author-who was also their Colonel. It is also a vital work for those interested in the Russian Revolution, the Civil War and the policies and attitudes of the involved nations as they created the conditions for another World War and helped establish the international balance of power for three-quarters of a century.
 
Lieutenant-Colonel John Ward CB CMG (1866-1934) was an English politician, trade union leader and soldier. In 1885, he enlisted in the British Army and served in the Sudan campaign, where he worked on the uncompleted military railway from Suakin to Berber. He became increasingly interested in politics and in 1886 joined the new Social Democratic Federation. When the First World War broke out in 1914, he rejoined the Army. He recruited five labour battalions and raised and became commanding officer of a pioneer battalion, the 25th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (known as "The Navvies' Battalion" and later as the "Die-Hards"), with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He commanded the battalion in France for a short period, but was then ordered to the Far East and then to Siberia to support the White forces of Admiral Kolchak during the Russian Civil War. They were originally only intended for garrison duty, but soon found themselves in the field. He was instrumental in saving the lives of the Directorate of Five whom Kolchak replaced. His book about these events, With the "Die-Hards" in Siberia, was published in 1920, shortly after his return to England.
 
Hard Cover with partial dust Jacket
278 pages
In Good Condition