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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> References -> Lewis Guns in Russian Army
Post Info TOPIC: Lewis Guns in Russian Army
philthydirtyanimal


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Lewis Guns in Russian Army
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I'm currently reading The Czar's British Squadron by Perrett & Lord. I have just come across this passage, 'Locker Lampson... did provide the Wild Division with a dozen Lewis guns, 50,000 rounds of ammunition and some instructors.' This takes place at Gusiatyn (which I believe is present-day Husiatyn) on the border between the Austria-Hungary and Russian empires, after the February Revolution.

The Wild Division are described as, 'semi-savage, half-disciplined... recruited from Caucasian Moslem cossacks... They enjoyed killing for its own sake and were regarded slightly askance by other Cossacks.' The Wild Division were used to bring '40,000 armed deserters' under control, which they did with not a little brutality, 'witnessed, with mounting disgust, by British personnel.'

Not quite the Russian Army perhaps, and not quite the Russian Empire. But a reliable explanation for the appearance of a dozen Lewis guns (fired from the saddle) in a latterly Russian Army unit.

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Paul Bonnett


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An excellent book I found. It was the first WW1 book I read and gave me a lot to think about regarding the direction of my model making.
Enjoy
Paul

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Ivan


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The Wild native division was completed on a voluntary basis not with Cossacks, and representatives of the mountain people of Caucasus: Chechens, Daghestanis, Kabardians, Balkaris, Ingushs (Moslems) but also Ossetins (Christians) and other people. It was well prepared part of Russian Imperial army - true to the oath, disciplined, the truth a bit severe, brutal that for them is characteristic. On division arms there were also cars, including one armour car personally welcomed by it by the Czar in 1915. They were at war bravely, and bad relations with Cossacks is a tradition since conquest by Russian of Caucasus. It is also today.

Staff of Wild division, 1915. AC Russo-Balt Ischorski

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philthydirtyanimal


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I agree with you; it is a good book, Paul. Although, judging by what Ivan says, it seems as though some details are not quite right. Perhaps that is because they received no help from USSR officialdom when the book was written. I can see how the Czarist Empire would have been unpopular with the old USSR regime.

Ivan, thank you for the corrections and extra information. I have read only a few books about the Civil War. I find it extremely confusing!

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Ivan


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Here are many good pictures from Wild division in 1WW.
Look at: http://1914.borda.ru/?1-4-0-00000143-000-10001-0-1271551957

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