29 June 1917. Alfred Knox

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

Alfred Knox

The history of the Vllth Siberian Corps may serve as a typical instance of the vacillation of the Command. This corps was formed near Riga in the autumn of 1915 from the 12th and 13th Siberian Divisions. It was badly commanded, and seems to have been already corrupted by German propaganda before its transfer to the 7th Army in the autumn of 1916. Towards the end of May, 1917, the corps was resting with its newly-formed division—the 19th Siberian—at Kolomea, when it received the order to return to the trenches. Ten thousand men obeyed and the remainder refused. The Commissary reported to the Minister of War, and orders were issued for the disbandment of four of the regiments. The men were, however, fully armed, and as they refused to give up their rifles the Commissary, in order to avoid bloodshed, decided to “ give them another chance." Five thousand more men now agreed to obey orders. Meanwhile, the first ten thousand men had been formed into a Composite Siberian Division, and steadily refused to receive back their former comrades. The five thousand men remained in the second line transport.

There remained some 3,000 men, who complained that they were ill. When, however, a medical board was appointed, only 800 men appeared before it. These were all granted from two to four months’ leave to depot regiments to recuperate.

On the night of June 28th, the Ilnd Cavalry Corps was despatched south to bring the remainder to reason. The mutineers were surrounded and given till 6 p.n. on the 29th to surrender. They actually began to entrench, but a few rounds of shrapnel fired high up in the air made them change their minds, and they gave up their rifles. When Savinkov reported to General Gutor on the evening of the 29th, and asked what should be done with the 1,500 men disarmed, the General said, " They will attack." Apparently he had decided that they should not be punished.

Some days after the 800 men had obtained sick leave, General Byelkovich, the Commander of the 7th Army, drove to the Composite Siberian Division to talk about the coming offensive. The men were holding a meeting and he was invited to attend. He was asked why he had given leave to 800 mutineers and had compelled them, the loyal 10,000, to go to the trenches. The question was a difficult one, and Byelkovich said that he really did not know about it as he had not seen the telegram. A one- year volunteer then asked him how he called himself the Commander of the Army if he did not even know what telegrams were sent. This so affected the General that he fell back in a dead faint.

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