Koltchak

1920 — 8vo., First Edition, with a portrait and 10 plates on 7, fore-edge browning slightly; original regimental grey cloth, upper board blocked with crest in black, upper board and backstrip lettered in black, covers mildly age-stained else a very good, clean copy. The astonishing, if gruelling, account of the 25th (Navvies) Battalion of The Middlesex Regiment in WWI, and THE ONLY BRITISH UNIT HISTORY IN THE RUSSIAN INTERVENTION. 'Ward's story really belongs in the main to the 'after-the-war' period in Russia. He gives an interesting account of Admiral Koltchak, whom he admired, and shows how insuperable were the difficulties which that unfortunate patriot had to face. It is now beginning to be recognised that Koltchak was, with the possible exception of Wrangel, far and away the ablest of the White [Russian] commanders. For the rest, his [Ward's] story is one of gallantry and endurance in frightful conditions displayed by troops for the most part of a low physical category' (Falls). 'In 1915 [Ward] raised the 25th Navvies Battalion, which was then ordered to the Far East and ultimately to Siberia to support Admiral Koltchak.' (Sutcliffe). Very scarce. Enser, p.68; Falls, p.236; Sutcliffe, p.328; not recorded by White.