Post by SteveCobden on Oct 1, 2007 21:48:46 GMT -5
I thought that someone here, especially those with some knowledge of the Russian Civil War, might be able to help.
In Alexandria, in one of the commonwealth war cemetaries, amongst the resting places of British servicemen who died during and immediately after WWI (most from disease, as opposed to the war, apparently) and in WWII there are also several headstones belonging to what I believe to be Russian soldiers (judging by the names - although the headstones are all carved in the Roman, as opposed to Cyrillic, alphabet), all of whom appeared to have died in about a two week period in 1921 (if memory serves). The headstones are of the British style, with a five pointed star in place of the regimental or service crest. None have the same surname, so not a family.
Does anyone have any idea what they might have been doing in Alexandria during this period, and how they might have met their end? The five pointed star, combined with the surnames, suggest to me Red Russian as opposed to white - although I accept that I may entirely wrong with that assumption. It is also unlikely that they were interred in Alexandria having died elsewhere, as it is only a small cemetary, and there are/were Russian and Greek Orthodox cemetaries in Alexandria at the time - this also makes me lean towards Red, if only due to the secular nature of both the cemetary in question and the Communist movement at the time. IIRC, the names also were preceded by military ranks, but my memory is a little hazy on that point.
If anyone can help, or knows someone who knows something, it would be much appreciated. It's been baffling myself and others for a considerable amount of time.
In Alexandria, in one of the commonwealth war cemetaries, amongst the resting places of British servicemen who died during and immediately after WWI (most from disease, as opposed to the war, apparently) and in WWII there are also several headstones belonging to what I believe to be Russian soldiers (judging by the names - although the headstones are all carved in the Roman, as opposed to Cyrillic, alphabet), all of whom appeared to have died in about a two week period in 1921 (if memory serves). The headstones are of the British style, with a five pointed star in place of the regimental or service crest. None have the same surname, so not a family.
Does anyone have any idea what they might have been doing in Alexandria during this period, and how they might have met their end? The five pointed star, combined with the surnames, suggest to me Red Russian as opposed to white - although I accept that I may entirely wrong with that assumption. It is also unlikely that they were interred in Alexandria having died elsewhere, as it is only a small cemetary, and there are/were Russian and Greek Orthodox cemetaries in Alexandria at the time - this also makes me lean towards Red, if only due to the secular nature of both the cemetary in question and the Communist movement at the time. IIRC, the names also were preceded by military ranks, but my memory is a little hazy on that point.
If anyone can help, or knows someone who knows something, it would be much appreciated. It's been baffling myself and others for a considerable amount of time.
Well if you find something out... post something for the rest of us.