Belgian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
Belgian Expeditionary Corps in Russia | |
---|---|
Active | 1915–1918 |
Disbanded | July 1918[1] |
Country | Belgium |
Allegiance | Russian Empire (1915–17) Russian Provisional Government (1917) |
Branch | Imperial Russian Army |
Type | Mechanised |
Role | Mobile reconnaissance |
Size | 444 men (total)[1] |
Garrison/HQ | Peterhof, Saint Petersburg (1915) |
Equipment | Mors, Minerva and Peugeot armoured cars |
Engagements | Eastern Front |
The Belgian Expeditionary Corps of Armoured Cars in Russia (French: Corps Expeditionnaire des Autos-Canons-Mitrailleuses Belges en Russie) was a Belgian military unit sent to Russia during World War I. It fought alongside the Imperial Russian army on the Eastern Front. Between 1915 and 1918, 444 Belgian soldiers served with the unit of whom 16 were killed in action.[1]
History
In August 1914, the German Empire
The first contingent of the Belgian Expeditionary Corps (333 volunteers equipped with Mors and Peugeot armoured cars) arrived in Archangel in October 1915.[1] The unit fought with distinction in Galicia and was mentioned in the Order of the Day five times.[3][4]
After the
A similar, slightly larger British unit, the RNAS Armoured Car Expeditionary Force (ACEF), also served in Russia during the same period.
Notable personnel
The unit was never particularly numerous, but included some notable personnel:
- Henri Herd, known as "Constant le Marin ", who was a prominent wrestler and 4-time World Champion.[5]
- Henry George, track cyclist who won a gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics
- Julien Lahaut, politician and later head of the Communist Party of Belgium who served from 1915 to 1918.[6]
- Marcel Thiry, Walloon poet, who served in the corps with his brother Oscar.[7]
- Théo Halleux, construction contractor who built the first high multi-story buildings in Liège.
Commemoration
From 1931, soldiers who had served with the unit were awarded the
In 2014–15, the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels raised 40,000 euros towards building a replica Mors-Minerva armoured car. The vehicle went on display in the markings of the Expeditionary Corps in 2015.[9]
In fiction and popular culture
The 2015 Belgian
The band
See also
- Russian Expeditionary Force in France
- Belgian Legion
- Belgian Volunteer Corps for Korea
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Belgian Armoured Cars in Russia". www.greatwardifferent.com. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ White, B. T. Tanks and Other Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1900-1918, Blandford Press, 1974. p129-130.
- ^ a b "WWI – Belgium Armoured Car Division in Russia". www.philatelicdatabase.com. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ August Thiry & Dirk Van Cleemput (2015), King Albert's Heroes - Hoe 400 jonge Belgen vochten in Rusland en de VS veroverden, Antwerpen, Houtekiet, 428 p & 100 p photo's
- ^ Portugaels, Lila (28 November 2004). "Constant-le-Marin et les autos-canons de 1914-1918". La Libre Belgique (in French). Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Pirlot, Jules (5 October 2010). "Lahaut, Julien Victor". Le Maitron (in French). Maitron/Editions de l'Atelier. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Pourquoi Marcel Thiry et 300 militaires belges ont-ils rejoint l'armée russe en 1915 ?". La Première (in French). RTBF. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "The Russia-bar "1916-R-1917"". Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ "2015, elle va renaître". Klm-mra.be. Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ^ ""Cafard", l'un des rendez-vous de la rentrée". Le Soir. 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
Further reading
- Thiry, August (2018). King Albert's Heroes: A Belgian Armored Corps in Russia and the USA. Antwerp: Benerus. ISBN 9789081673860.
- Thiry, August (1989). "Le Corps expéditionnaire belge en Russie (1915-1918)". In Stols, Eddy; Waegemans, Emmanuel (eds.). Montagnes russes: La Russie vécue par des belges. Brussels: Editions EPO. pp. 125–150. ISBN 2-87262-035-4.
External links
- King Albert's Heroes: How 400 young Belgians fought in Russia and conquered the United States, lecture by August Thiry (Thomas More College, Mechelen) to the Institute of European Studies, UC Berkeley. Uploaded to YouTube 1 Oct 2018.