BoB: The Transcaspian Episode

Over at the Lead Adventure Fourm, my attention was drawn to another useful source book on the Malleson Mission to Transcaspia (Turmenistan these days), and a fairly comprehensive account of it by one of the British Officers that was there.

One copy was for sale for £18, so I bought it, and it was delivered and read yesterday.

A thoroughly useful and easy read with only occasional repetition of a few points. It tallies well with Teague Jones’ accounts and the sundry other snippets of info.

I found out that Denikin had sent reinforcements from across the Caspian to help the Ashkabad Committee which was news to me. Unfortunately some of the reinforcements were not welcomed by the locals. Unlike the British Indian Army units that gave col steel to the Bolsheviks. Vague orders from London, long supply lines and meagre resources meant any military success could not be followed up, and with most of the Allied intervention efforts it was too little, too late with no clear vision. This hardly elped a somewhat apathetc local population seize opportunities to kick the Bolsheviks out of power.

If you can get a copy do so. Not least for the photos of the outrageously large Turcoman fur hats.