RAF in S Russia

[MikeW]

By coincidence, I just stumbled across this at the Public Records Office:

AIR1/408/15/232/1 *South Russia: War Diary `A' Detachment, 47 Squadron, R.A.F. and Instructional Mission

therre were several more documents in the same series covering 1919 and 1920.

[EARTHLING]

Kay

Sorry to be so long in replying.

Book you require is called "Last Train Over Rostov Bridge" by Captain Marion Aten, D.F.C. and Arthur Orrmont (Ghost Writer)
Foreword by Quentin Reynolds!!!!! Published by Cassell London
1962.
How 'Actual Factual' Quien Sabe.
Regards
Peter S.

[Frank_Olynyk]

I have very very strong doubts about the "Actual Factual" aspects of this book. It was used by Robert Jackson in his book on operations in South Russia, and picked up from there by Norman Franks in Above the Trenches. Aten is listed, based on Last Bridge, as having five victories, in the April-May 1919 period. However, the War Diary noted above by MikeW states that Aten joined 47 Squadron on August 19, 1919, from London. And the War Diary has no reference to any victories by Aten. He did receive a DFC, but the citation was not published in the London Gazette, and I could not find it among the recommendations for awards in South Russia. I suspect it was for the combat in Oct/Nov in which a bunch of the Camel pilots from 47 Squadron drove off a large Communist cavalry unit, which is the basis for the awards to several other pilots.

There are only a handful of victories credited to pilots in the War Diary, along with a few combat reports.

Frank.

[Ira_Silverman]

Kay:

One book that I can recommend is:

Jones,H.A. Over the Balkans and South Russia: 47 Squadron, R.A.F. . London, Arnold, 1923. 169 pp., illus.

In its original hardcover version, it’s a “rare” book, and rarely offered for under $200. But in 1987, the Vintage Aviation Library came out with a $20 paperback edition, which you can find on addall.com in the $20-$25 range.

HTH,

Ira