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Formed November 11th
With HQ at Southampton Commanded by Major R.A.
Johnson of the 4th Bn. Was
mobilized on 4 Aug. 1914 at Hamilton House,
Commercial Road, Southampton.
It was not assigned to a formation until 8 Aug.
1914 when it was despatched to Louth, Lincolnshire.
In Oct. 1914 it found itself at Chichester,
Sussex; in April. 1915 at St Leonards. But in
Nov. 1915 it was moved to Chiseldon, Wiltshire,
joining three other cyclist battalions (the
2/6th Royal Sussex, 1/25th London and 1/1st
Kent) for conversion to dismounted infantry.
The three battalions formed a brigade originally
intended for service in East Africa. On 4 Feb.
1916 the battalion sailed from Devonport for
India.
In
Oct. 1918 it was moved to Siberia as part of
a little known British intervention in the post
revolutionary Russian Civil War. It arrived
at Vladivostock on 28 Nov. 1918. The battalion
was in Russia and Siberia until Nov. 1919 and
then returned to England via Canada, arriving
at Southampton on 5 Dec. 1919.
Here we are talking about the 1/9th Battalion after Armistice
and its final adventures. The Battalion was
at Ambala in October 1918 with 2 companies at
Kasauli the 9th was again ordered to molbilize
and join a largely Canadian force which was
to assist the anti-Bolshevik elements in Siberia.
The 1/9th Bn. had been attacked by the influenza
epidemic and on October 29th 33 officers, 990
men embarked at Bombay for Vladivostock the
ravages of the epidemic made the journey a very
trying experience the ships hospital was swamped
with the sick. Several men died, others had
to be left in hospital in Colombo, Singapore,
and Hong Kong the latter was reached on November
16th.
In Hong Kong Colonel
Johnson tried to have his Battalion landed to
give his sick a chance to recover and get the
men fit by some marching and physical drill
but his representations were over ruled and
the battalion was sent on at once to Vladivostock
already in the grip of winter.The battalion
reached Vladivostock on the 25th of November
the 1/9th landing the next day quaetered in
a cavalry barracks and issued arctic clothing
which had been supplied by the Canadians. The
battalion moved by trucks to the train station
leaving there on December 18th for the 4,000
mile journey across Siberia to Omsk which was
the head quarters of Admiral Koltchak.
Omsk
was reached on the 7th of January. The Commanding
officer of the 25th Middlesex already in Omsk
was glad to see his reinforcements the 1/9th
Hampshire arrive. The 9th remained in Omsk until
May when they were sent to Ekaterinburg at the
foot of the Urals. Then in August the 9th retraced
its steps across Serbia to Vladivostock which
they left for Vancouver on November 1st 1919.
After completing the circuit around the world
they reached Southampton on December 5th to
be warmly received.
| Pictures
courtesy: Major Terry Honour RCEME |
| Vladivostock,
Dec 3rd 1918 during a march past before
the British High Commissioner, Mr W Elliot.
Click images to see larger pictures |
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| 1/9th Hampshire |
Company of
1/9th |
| LCpl Alex
Dove believed to be 1/9th picture from David
Kinna |
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