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FORGOTTEN FLOTILLA Forgotten Flotilla - British submarines in Russia 1914-1919
The description 'forgotten' has been applied on other occasions (the XIV Army in Burma instantly comes to mind) and there have been many forgotten wars in Britain's imperial past. But the term is particularly applicable to the story of the Royal Navy submarine flotilla operating in the Baltic during the Great War. Until now, no first-hand account has been published by a submariner who actually took part in the events climaxing with the Russian Revolution. The author, Lieutenant Commander, (later Vice Admiral) Leslie Ashmore, then found himself in the Black Sea and southern Russia dealing with the final disintegration of the old order in Russia that was to change the course of history - off both Russia and the world. He also found a deep and lasting romance that helped to change the course of his own life. Led by the charismatic Captain Francis Cromie, the British submarine flotilla became a vital element in the struggle taking place in Russia in 1917. In contrast to the headlines made by British submarines in the Gallipoli campaign, few people are aware that British submarines operated in the Baltic for three years under the most extreme conditions. However, the submariners sent to the Baltic to help the Russian Navy were amongst the Navy's most experienced men - both officers and ratings. Of the fourteen officers who commanded the nine submarines serving there, three became Admirals and five died either in Russia or in submarine accidents after returning home. Two of the Admirals, Sir Noel Laurence and Sir Max Horton rose to command the Submarine Service. Horton also became C-in-C Western Approaches as the U-boat war in the Atlantic reached crisis point in 1943. The British submariners of the Great War were volunteers. This certainly helped to create a feeling that they considered themselves an elite. Officers and men worked closely as a team, each man depending on his shipmates for the safety and efficiency of the boat. The lack of formality and strict routine did not denote slackness in discipline - self-discipline was a keynote feature expected of everyone. To be returned to General Service was the ultimate punishment. Service in submarines was hazardous and devoid of creature comforts but the sharing of conditions by both officers and men fostered comradeship and pride. Leslie Ashmore was a man of his time. His reactions to the events he witnessed reflect his place in society, education and training. His memoir is a valuable eyewitness account of one of the most turbulent episodes of the twentieth century. It also makes one reflect on the thinking of politicians and the insensitivity of senior officers out of touch with the situation as seen by their subordinates. Comparatively few western Europeans witnessed the Russian Revolution, much less played a part in the turmoil of those troubled times. Leslie Ashmore has an absorbing and unique personal story to tell. It is long overdue in reaching a wider public.
Brian Head writes: I first read the Ashmore papers twenty-five years ago. It caught my imagination and started me on a journey which brought me into contact with submariners families and two of the submariners who were in the Baltic Flotilla. It has also been a privilege to meet families of the British expatriates who played such an important part in providing recreational facilities for the submariners. Baroness Doreen Taube has been a wonderful link with the Baltic days of 1914-17 having known the participants, both during and after the war. Similarly, Lilian Nield's (née Wallwork) childhood memories remain crystal clear. Leading Telegraphist 'Ben' Benson is inseparable from any story of the Baltic Flotilla, having served in HMS E19 from the day she was commissioned. I spent many hours with Ben absorbing the ambience of those days, before he 'slipped his cable'. Captain Ronald W Blacklock CBE DSC also shared his first-hand knowledge, particularly of the Horton-Laurence controversy. I am in debt to Mrs Joan Shenton, Admiral Sir Noel Laurence's daughter, who put me in touch with Baroness Taube and who gave me access to her father's papers. Keith Laurence was also very helpful in confirming the facts concerning his father's career. Michael Wilson's Baltic Assignment is indispensable for anyone studying this period. His advice and assistance has always been freely given. Gus Britton, doyen of submarine historians, and Fred Birchenough, my partner in Baltic research, must receive posthumous acknowledgement for their contributions and advice. Their contributions will continue to bear fruit in future volumes dealing with the Baltic submarine campaign. David Hill provided both technical advice and illustrations. Roy Bainton added information and insights from his research in St Petersburg. Roy's biography of Francis Cromie Honoured by Strangers is due to be published later this year. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum staff have been unfailingly supportive and encouraging. Commander Jeff Tall OBE, Director, the indefatigable Debbie Corner, Keeper of Photographs, and Margaret Bidmead, Keeper of Archives, deserve special mention for helping the project proceed smoothly. Likewise, the staff at the PRO were always on hand to point me in the right direction. Finally, nothing would have been achieved without the approval of the author's sons, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Ashmore, late First Sea Lord and Chief of the Defence Staff, and Admiral Sir Peter Ashmore. Their helpful comments and generous donation of their father's papers and photographs were indispensable. David London and Dr Ann Coats of Manuscript Press have guided my efforts as well as my grammar in bringing their own historical knowledge to bear on the events described. To all those mentioned, my grateful thanks. I only hope my editing has not detracted from this fascinating story. Brian D Head
The Ashmore brothers write: Father always knew he had been present at one of the twentieth century's most climactic events and fortunately he was moved to commit to paper his thoughts and recollections. He was well aware of the historical significance of what he had witnessed, and, with his shipmates in the Baltic, endured. The fact that he met our mother as a direct consequence of his service in Russia added a page of romance to what might have been just another war memoir. Their whirlwind courtship was an episode quite out of character with our father's normal approach to life's more serious matters. Edward and Peter are most grateful for their life-long devotion. Father's important role in the Allied intervention in the Crimea and the negotiations leading up to its tragic collapse, is well depicted. Our father refused to expand his scrapbook, written with the help of Captain Donald Macintyre to widen its popular appeal. He was immensely proud of the exploits and sacrifices of the Baltic Submarine Flotilla and a devoted admirer of Captain Francis Cromie. He would therefore be pleased and happy to see it published now, illustrated with his photographs, in commemoration of the indomitable British submariners' decisive contribution to control of the Baltic Sea in the Great War.
Edward Ashmore, GCB DSC
The Publishers write: Publisher's Note Appropriately Leslie Ashmore's memoir is being published in this centenary year of the Royal Navy Submarine Service. His compelling story of hardship, isolation and danger chronicles unique episodes in WWI, where British submariners proved their mettle and played a crucial role in the Russian revolution. Admiral Ashmore's original manuscript has been edited minimally to clarify the text. Capitalization has been reserved for proper nouns and titled individuals. All ship names are in italics. Discrepancies between dates arose because the Russian Julian calendar was thirteen days behind the more accurate western Gregorian calendar during WWI - the February 1917 revolution to Ashmore became the 'March revolution'. National and human dramas witnessed by Ashmore signified the death and birth pangs of a state where Bolsheviks came to power opposing a war costing two and a half million Russian lives. This had far-reaching consequences for the submariners as their depot ship, Dvina, was taken over by the ship's committee and renamed Pamiat Azova in 1917, potently recalling the political struggles of 1905. Photographs, all from Ashmore's collection unless otherwise indicated, add depth and texture by illustrating interactions between two very different cultures. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum photographic collection is remarkable. Brian Head and his volunteer researchers have dedicated years to creating a comprehensive archive of submarines and submariners. This is the first of several books to draw upon it. We thank Edward and Peter Ashmore for encouraging the publication of
their father's memoirs and Commander Jeffrey Tall for giving us access
to the museum's archive and sponsoring the series.
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