Swedes fighting alongside Royal Tank Corps

[Nick Balmer]

Hello Stellan,

The book I referred to above by Dobsob & Miller says that Britain agreed in May 1919 to send an initial consignment of arms & equipment sufficient to equip 7,500 men.

This included 8 no. 6 inch howitzers and 16 no. 18 pounders.

20 lorries were also supplied.

There were further shipments until September, although they do not specify what these were.

I know that the White Russians were supplied with old British uniforms so it is quite possible that the Estonians were too.

I expect the 18 pounder in your photo is one of the 16 supplied to Estonia.

Very few troops were sent to Russia after early 1919, partly because the troops awaiting demobilsation in France and the UK threatened to mutiny when Winston Churchill suggested that British troops be sent in large numbers to Russia.

Regards

Nick Balmer