Petty Officers Robert Starke and Harry Sell
Tuesday 20th June 1916: Two Luton men are now in Russia as part of
the “complete and fully-armed British unit” of the naval air service which has
been despatched to serve with our Russian allies. On their arrival in the port
of Archangel the men marched through the town and were given a great reception
by the authorities of the town. Each man was presented with an ikon of Michael
the Archangel, they were entertained in the Summer Garden, and the whole city was
decorated with flags. At every town they passed through on their journey across
Russia the British detachment was met at stations bedecked with flags by crowds
of cheering locals throwing flowers, cigarettes and other gifts to the men.
On its arrival in Moscow the
British detachment of sixty armoured cars destined for service with the Russian
Army was greeted with great enthusiasm. As they marched through the city behind
a Russian band to the English church for a short service the men were cheered
by large crowds and pelted with flowers. Lunch followed at the British Club,
and Commander Locker-Lampson and several others were received by the Grand
Duchess Elizabeth. A number of officers attended a performance in the Moscow
Art Theatre at which they were cheered for over five minutes. During a march
through the town escorted by a Cossack squadron a Cossack officer dismounted
and offered his horse to the British Major. The detachment has now left for the
Russian front.
Before arriving in Russia Petty
Officers Robert Starke and Harry Sell had spent five months in the Arctic ,
where their experiences must have been similar to those described in March by Petty Officer Albert Hartwell of Bedford. Petty Officer Starke joined up in November 1915 and must be finding life as a
driver of an armoured car in Russia very different to his previous life as assistant
to the Secretary of the Education Authority. Petty Officer Sell is the son of
the Luton schools attendance officer, and also worked at the Town Hall before
the war, where he was in the Town Clerk’s office.
No comments:
Post a Comment