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Does anyone know what rifles were used by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces when the Allies intervened in North Russia and Siberia during the Bolshevik Revolution circa 1917 -1919ish?
Can anyone recommend web sites and books specifically on the Canadian intervention? I know there is a documentary on the U.S. Polar Bears from Michigan. I believe its airing nation wide on PBS in 2010 and had recently aired on Michigan PBS stations.
Thanks,
dastier
armed with local weapons to ease supply?
Have seen still photo's of the "Polar Bears" armed with MN.
Try contacting the Michigan Historical library/ museum in Lansing, MI.
Hope this helps.
This probably belongs in the Lee Enfield forum, where it will get a definitive answer very quickly I'm sure. My guess would be SMLE, certainly not Rosses by that point, except possibly scout/snipers if that was their personal preference.
The British and Canadians were armed with the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) No.1 Mk.III and No.1 Mk.III*
The French were armed with either the Fusil d'Infanterie Modèle 1886 Modifié 1893 "Lebel" or the different various types of Berthiers in service at the time.
The Japanese were armed with the Type 38 Infantry Rifle/Carbine or Type 44's.
What is interesting is the French actually sent some men from both the 7ème and 21ème Bataillon Indochinois, who had fought in France in 1917/18 in the Vosges to Northern Russia, these men did not return back to Indochina until 1920.
BTW these two units were 'combat' units not part of the (15) Bataillons d' Etapes Indochinois who only did construction work during the war in France.
There were also two 'combat' Bataillon Indochinois who fought at the Salonika Front in Greece in 1917/18.
Patrick
Interesting, thanks. Were these battalions made up of French settlers and Eurasians, or Thai/Siamese troops?
These battalions were made of native Vietnamese from both Tonkin (Northern part) and Annam (Southern part) with French 'White' Officers.
Siam/Thailand was an independent country surrounded by both the French and British Empires.
Thailand and France would go to war with one another in late 1940 and early 1941 over disputed territory in Cambodia which was held by the French.
Franco-Thai War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Patrick
Here are a few pictures of them in France during 'The Great War' in the snow and cold weather of the Vosges
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/1P_nM0-1.png
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/106b9A-1.png
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/106iE0-1.png
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/1P_UbS-1.jpg
A bit off topic, but I believe one of the Curtiss Hawk model 75N fighters mentioned in the article still exists in the Thai air museum. Its a fixed landing gear version w/ wheel pants. Odd, because France was one of the most effective users (against Bf109s!) of this radial engined fighter- later to be refitted w/ an Allison engine and called the P40B/C. (of Flying Tigers fame)
Canada took the Ross Rifle to Siberia. Jack Skuce of Ottawa Ontario Canada has done an excellent book on the subject. Now if Jack would only surface and sell some of the privately printed books.
...Not sure what I was thinking there, yes, Uncle Ho and Dien Bien Phu and all that! :dunno:Quote:
Originally Posted by 1886lebel
Very few people seem to know about the Curtis 'Hawk' -
There were several of them at Pearl Harbor and one managed to get in the air that made a 'kill'.
Reminds me of Churchill's remark when he saw Claire Chennault at an Allied conference: "I'm so glad he's on our side." (In other words, not the other side!)
The Unv. of Michigan has a site dedicated to the 1918-1919 Intervention in Russia.
Lots of unusual pics.
You can see that many of the U.S. soldiers were issued Mosin Nagants.
Welcome to the Polar Bear Expedition Digital Collections
I have two copies of photos that came from an Eastern Townships, Quebec Officer photo album that served with the CEF in Siberia and you can see that the soldiers are armed with Mosin-Nagant Model 1891 rifles.
Check out FleaBay auction 260540441767 from last week- it's a great photo 7" X 48" (Canadians to do their own Trudeau-mandated metric conversion, please) of B Company, 259th Batt'n in Siberia. All are armed with Canadian-contract MkIII Ross rifles (not the MkIIIB's). A sniper hiding in the long grass nailed me in the last few seconds,,,,damn!
I think the photo was taken in Canada, before they ever got to Siberia. Photographers note at bottom of photo say Niagara-on-the-lake. Compared to my photos, these fellows are to neat and proper, they men in mine are grungy and battle-weary.