Russian Civil War

First Chapters of "White Armies"

Uniforms of the White Armies: 1917-1922

by A. Deryabin
translated by Tom Hillman

Marking system for uniforms of the White Armies was under the immediate dominance of symbolism of the White movement - state (nationalism), St. George and "units of death" (the elite assault units, T.H.).

In 1917 the colors white, blue and red referred to the state, white, black and yellow - "Romanov" (mistake!), relating to the monarchist ideals (for example the ribbon on the anniversary medal for 300 years of the House of Romanov). In the beginning of 1918 white-blue-red chevron was adopted by the Volunteer Army and later in the beginning of 1919 by the Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR or 1042;СЮР ). The emblem was adopted with variations by other armies; in the Northwestern army they wore it top up and on the left sleeve as well as on some military units in North and East Russia.

Near the end of 1918 all White Armies adopted the Old Russian cockade (silver-black-orange). However, on the North and East fronts there were attempts to develop a white-blue-red cockade for the most part in government armies. In order to turn the intermediate political stage away from the socialist revolutionary parties to supporters of military dictatorship.

In the Volunteer army some units had the individual wear the sleeve stripes, frequently with their emblems or with special signs, but with chevrons of national colors.

Some armed formations differed by their deeper monarchic orientation. Southern Armies and Astrakhsk units coming into it exchanged their national white-blue-red chevrons worn on sleeve for the white-black-yellow long service stripes.

Beginnings of the purely orthodox symbolism started in the Western Volunteer Army of P.R. Bermondt's Saint's Cross and in the brigades of Admiral A.B. Kolchak with the design of the "Legion of Holy Tikhona" Patriarch - were both connected with the basic ideas of White movement and by loyalty to the ideals of Russian Orthodox Church.

The circumstances of the Western Volunteer Bermondt Army are interesting. It was created in an uncommon political situation in the territory of the independent Baltic Republics with German funds and German uniforms. Bermondt was forced constantly to prove that his army was pro-Russian, and not pro-German in orientation...

Armies of some anti-Bolshevik governments: Members of the Committee for Constitutive Assembly (KOMCON), Provisional Siberian Government and the Northern Provinces were under the dominance of democratic ideals. The People's Army of the KOMCON and Siberian Army wore on their sleeve a patch or chevron in exchange for former shoulder-loop. White armies adopted these after beginning the armed struggle with Bolsheviks in 1918. The old cockade was replaced by the St.George (black-orange) or Siberian (white-green) ribbons worn on the headgear. (see Osprey's MAA #305, plate G for examples, T.H.)

Speaking of St. George symbolism. It was used in the People's Army KOMCON and in some units of other armed formations. It follows to remember, that the St.George colors traditionally were symbols for valor, bravery and fortitude and served to bond the soldiers and officers of Russian Imperial Army and their relation to it was very loyal.

With respect to symbol "of Adam's head or deaths head" it frequently accompanied their black uniforms. This was used by Bolshevik and then by the Soviets as propaganda that the "whites carried death" and were the "executioners of the working people". However, the black color in Russia always referred to mourning - white bore mourning for the Mother country, expressed on the black uniform of some units in South and East Russia. A Skull with crossed bones, officially named "Adam's" head was an old symbol used by the Russians to signify their readiness to sacrifice and willingness to take death above anything; in given cases the white symbolized their resolution to die for the Homeland.

Newly formed anti-Bolshevik armed formations due to their political, territorial and material possibilities at times were distant one from another, at first they developed their own marking system. Only in 1919, was their started a stabilization process of political power of white governments on the Russia outskirts that brought about establishment more or less to a single system uniforms. However, in 1918 the white armies were to an extent diverse politically, converging only as one - to fight against the Bolsheviks. Between them arose conflicts even on the subject of symbolism and uniforms (for example, between Provisional Siberian government and Colonel B.V. Annenkov).

Although in 1919 all of the White Armed Forces formally submitted to the Supreme Russian Rulers, Admiral A.B. Kolch 1072; k, single command. A new permanent uniform still did not exist. At this time in all of the white armies there happened an evolution in uniform unification. Everywhere there began a wearing of Old Russian cockades and emblems, shoulder boards with devices, ranks and markings based on the system of former Russian Imperial Army.

In war period 1917-1922 prospered the "hero units" with famed personalities of separate commanders creating regional armed formations, - such as Colonel Bermondt, Colonel Annenkov, Ataman G. M. Semenkov and I.M. Kalmykov and etc. They expressed monograms on the shoulder boards of some units of Bermondt, Annenkov and Semenov and also wore them on the sleeve shield patches in Semenov and Kalmykov. These commands brought these and another distinctions to the uniforms.

The whites continued the former Russian tradition of establishing patronage of military leaders over military units. Among such patrons counted the Generals L.G. Kornilov, S.L. Markov, M.B. Alekseev, M.G. Drozdovsky, B.O. Kappel, and Admiral A.B. Kolchak. This tradition found its reflections in the uniforms.

In years of the Civil war grew some new uniform designs such as, for example, the caps of "Kolchak" that appeared to fend off the natural conditions of east Russia's long and severe winter.

Speaking about uniforms follows to mention, that all of white armies aspired to bear a Russian military form. However, already by October 1917 the notional Russian uniforms began to change because of changes in cut and colorings that the even commands did not establish, and only aspired to regulate what already existed.

The relative uniform variety of the White Army was related to disposition of enormous quartermaster's warehouses in the country's textile centers, which were mostly in territories controlled by the Bolsheviks. There were very limited uniform supplies for replenishment possibilities on account of the few overworked factories in White areas. In other remote regions they were lucky to get even the very basics. The Manufacturing base catastrophically fell short... Therefore in north, south and east Russia they widely made the use of the Allied countries' uniforms - in the main regions these were British or American, and in the northwest and west they were German. However the Whites frequently aspired to modify the foreign uniforms with some element of Russian uniform markings. For example shoulderboards and buttons on German uniform in detachments of the High Duke Livena. Nevertheless on British uniform not all wanted to bear the Russian distinctions.

An Example is the order, from the Commandant of the Sevastopol fortifications and city garrison commander Lieutenant-General H.H. Stogov, No. 441 on 26 September (9 October) 1920:

"In spite of commands calling for the bearing of ranks by officers of established units, up to now the commands are not followed, peculiarly at present, when with cold season of the year. The officers garbed in English greatcoats, on the shoulder-loops the majority do not abide by the necessary proper image to mark their rank. Most leave clear the shoulderboards, not caring about stars.

On remarks of the necessity to mark there rank the officer's answer: "Really, on the greatcoat also one must? At the front the greatcoat's shoulder-loops they do not bear"

Requirements that all officers adopt to at once and immediately garb distinctions conforming to rank were issued by the Commander-in-Chief 's (commands by Russian Army General P.N. Wrangel. - A.D.) orders No. 3046 and 3462.

The ranks are to be worn on the English greatcoats on the shoulder-loops, this is to be considered as part of the proper uniform that was frequently followed with misunderstanding, i.e. no one thought to mention that the foreign uniform was to be incorporated into the Russian uniform.

Soon all ranks and mark of all grades and regulations, once clear of the misunderstanding, are placed on the uniform by applying the shoulderboards and cockades, etc. All fronts commanders give very serious heed to this regulations".

Typical for many white units was the so-called guard's lace, i.e. collar edging, on flaps of breast pockets and cuffs that was worn as edgings and piping on standard uniforms of Russian Imperial Guards. They made appearances still in the period of the Great War in Russian units serving in France and the Salonika Fronts in 1916-1918. Afterwards it was accorded continuation in the volunteer subdivisions of 1917 and widely spread into 1918-1922. Piping on uniforms could be found on some units in armies of the Northwest and Volunteers, sometimes in newly formed units of the Armed Forces of Russia ( 1042;СЮР ) South and also in Admiral Kolchak's armies.

Side by side these new units created in the period of Civil war, on anti-Bolshevik fronts, went to battle with formations that wore the markings of regiments from the old army and some that actually preserved the same name of the regiment. Frequently the named units contained only the loyal officers of former unit. These units were fitted out practically in uniforms of 1914, combining the various elements of uniforms with colored service caps, shoulderboards and other distinctions.

One of the colors that were most widespread in White Armies was raspberry, the distinction of rifle units. But keep in mind that in conditions of battle permanently formed new units found it very difficult to acquire this color. The department ordered the hue of raspberry color that existed in the Russian Imperial Army, and this brought (as, for example, in Officer of General Drozdovsky Rifle Division) about a variety of color hues on devices on cloth service caps and shoulderboards from bright-raspberry to all of shades of red. The same thing can be said of departmental orders for colors in other units and compositions of white armies.

Other peculiarities of the White anti-Bolshevik armed formations were the numerous memorable decorations and medal created during the Civil war. Examples: Cross of the "Steppe March", medals to Drozdovskys, Cross for the Salvation of the Kuban and medal "for the Liberation the Kuban", Blessed order of Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, Crosses of General F. A. Keller for all of the participants of the offensive for Petrograd on 13 May 1919, medal "for Liberation memory of North Province from the Bolsheviks", Order (cross) and medal of St. Mikhail Arkangel for the Orel Cossack Army, Liberation Order of Siberia, cross and medal of the Special Manchuria Detachment (OMO) and others. (Some drawings of these medals can be seen at www.magweb.com at "The Gauntlet" site by C. Martelle, T.H.)

Established to be placed on the breast of units of the Markov artillery was a medal approved by the Russian Army Commander, Lieutenant-General P.N. Wrangel, on 17(30) August 1920. A Gilded Maltese Cross, covered with black enamel, on edges of was red trim in the center was situated a gold letter "M" and a cross interlaced by silver blackthorn wreath.

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