F James

Faraway Campaign: Experiences of an Indian Army Cavalry Officer in Persia & Russia During the Great War F James

Indian Army lances in the high passes

The author of this book, an officer in an Indian Army cavalry regiment, went to war in Europe at the outbreak of hostilities. Soon he found himself returning to the Sub-Continent and a posting far beyond the North-West Frontier to neutral Persia-now modern day Iran-to serve with the 'East Persian Cordon'. Its purpose was to prevent the infiltration of German and Turkish agents-a threat all too real-intent on destabilising British interests in Afghanistan. It was a region also plagued by raiding Mohammedan tribesmen and the author had barely arrived at his command before he and his squadron of lancers were all but cut to pieces in an ambush. The Russian Revolution then erupted changing the balance of power in the region. Bolshevik forces were soon gathering on the frontier and James found his mission extended to include the new allies in the form of the White Russian forces and new enemies, as the British government joined the battle against Communism. This is a very unusual account of the First World War that is virtually never reported in most accounts.