Royal Marines in Russia, 1919

At the height of the Russian Civil War in 1919 Britain poured in thousands of troops and vast amounts of munitions to assist the White Russian opponents of Lenin's Communist forces. This was despite exhaustion following the Great War and the Spanish flu epidemic. One man involved was 23-year-old Royal Marines officer, Thomas Henry Jameson. His mission took him and his men on a journey of 5,000 miles from Vladivostok to the battlegrounds not far from Moscow. As part of a White Russian Flotilla they steamed down the huge Kama River and fought a series of successful battles against superior Bolshevik gunboats. Later they were forced to retreat and, becoming cut off behind enemy lines, had to fight their way out knowing that, if captured, they faced summary execution. Eventually after a long and hazardous journey they made it back to their parent ship. Jameson and his Marines faced a multitude of hazards in this cruel civil war including disease which he described as 'the biggest challenge of all.? In some other British units there were reports of mutiny due to terrible conditions. Yet, as this fascinating book describes, remarkably he succeeded not only to keep his men alive but inflict significant damage on a ruthless enemy. AUTHOR: Alastair Grant, whose father and both grandfathers served in The Royal Marines, was succeeded by his son as a fourth generation. Alastair joined in 1961 aged 17 1/2 and served for 26 years. His first operational tour was in Tanganyika stabilising the government after army mutinies, followed by a posting to The Aden Protectorate, now Yemen, where he was wounded and evacuated to the UK. Other overseas tours included Singapore and the USA and six winters in Norway. He served in Northern Ireland during the troubles. His civilian career was as a consultant helping firms win new business, presentation skills and other communication challenges. He is a keen sailor with one twin-handed Trans-Atlantic under his belt. 70 b/w illustrations