Encyclopedia

North Russia Relief Force

An Allied expeditionary force, including some Australian volunteers, was landed at Murmansk in March 1918 to support the weakening Russian front against Germany. The front was reinforced by further landings at Archangel in August 1918. In supporting the White Russians, the force became involved in operations against the Bolsheviks. To extract the force after the Armistice and after the Russian winter, the North Russia Relief Force was raised in UK, again including Australian Volunteers, arriving in North Russia in June 1919. All British forces were evacuated by September 1919.

Grave of Sergeant S.G. Pearce, VC, MM, of the North Russia Relief Force.
AWM H06760

Further information:

• Document: The North Russia Relief Force
  A brief account of the North Russia Relief Force activities from They Dared Mightily.
• Document: A pathetic sideshow: Australians and the Russian intervention, 1918-1919
  Article from Journal of the Australian War Memorial No. 7, Oct. 1985.
• The Hall of Valour
  The Memorial has the largest collection of Victoria Crosses in the world.