British Unit in Russia.

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 13564, 1 December 1916, Page 8

British Unit in Russia.

WORK OF ARMOURED CARS.

ARCTIC TO CASPIAN. Further particulars of the work of the British armoured car squadrons now operating with the Grand Duke's army have now been received. The history of the work of this complete and fully-armed British unit, when permitted to be told, will show a record of endurance and cheerfulness in adversity worthy of any section of British arms. Organised and commanded by Commander Oliver LockerLampson, M.P., the unit consists of a large number of powerful armoured cars and complete equipment. Its hundreds of officers and men include •individuals not only from the United Kingdom, but from practically all the Dominions.

From the very outset the unit encountered even greater hardship than their leader led them to expect. Their journey to the White Sea was through some of the heaviest gales experienced even in that region, and they reached it only to find that, owing to the ice, they were forced to spend a winter in the Arctic. Nothing daunt- , ed, with splendid courage they set to work to prepare for the. activities of spring. Then they were able to land

their guns, cars, and equipment; and thoy have since crossed L.iropean Russia, being welcomed on all sides by th|j Russian people with thi greatest enthusiasm. Several of the officers and men have been decorated by the Tsar for their work in the Arctic; and at last, having crossed the Ci ucasian Mountains in their cars, they are now operating against the Turks, whom thoy have routed on more than one occasion during the past few weeks, in a country presenting appalling difficulties.

Letters just received from Vladikavkaz contain some further details of the experiences of the unit. While in the Arotic the British did not content themselves with merely keeping fit and undergoing ceaseless training; they performed work of a most varied character, including the manufacture of sledges, and also rendered great assistance to the Russians on the Kola peninsula. 'They did valuable salvage work,, and the credit of saving one » ship with a cargo worth £250,000 was in no small measure due to their efforts. It is interesting to note that during the whole of their stay in "he Arctic officers and men alike abstain-' cd from every kind of alcoholic drink, and in spite of the hardships endured the only illness was one unimportant attack of influenza. While on the Kola peninsula the unit also carried out many important works in guarding German prisoners and in transporting material for the Russians overland by sleighs. Another party was occupied for a couple of months in assisting the Russians to complete a section of the new railway connecting Kola with Petrograd. Towards the end of their sojourn in the Arctic firewood ran out, and all had to subsist on black bread and biscuits. Marooned in the Arctic.

At the end ,of May preparations were made for the departure of the unit from the Kola peninsula, and eventually, after experiencing heavy gales and intense cold, the force reached Archangel. The weather during the embarkation operations at Alcxandrovsk was the 'worst known even in that region for forty years. A boat containing one party broke up, and had to be abandoned, its occupants having to camp amid the snow cliffs of the Kola Golf. Some of the party were exposed for twenty-four hours until rescued by a British trawler.

Fsom Archangel the squadrons proceeded in a train of forty-seven carriages on their long journey to Vladikavkaz, meeting everywhere with an unprecedented welcome. On' the arrival of the force at Vladikavkaz, the Grand Duke sent a telegram of welcome, which said: "With my whole heart I welcome the arrival of the armoured car detachment from England, the great ally of our glorious armies. As the Hetman in command of the Cossack armies of the Caucasus I greet them." When the- last letters left Vladikavkaz arrangements were being made for the cars on their arival from the Arctic to proceed by road over the mountains, while the meh were getting themselves accustomed to the change from the Arctic cold to considerable heat.