1920 Royal Navy mission to Enzeli

From September 1918 to May 1919, Commodore David Norris RN had built up a flotilla of armed merchant cruisers (AMC) with which, by May 1919, he had wrested control of the Caspian Sea from the Soviet Navy. When Britain withdrew its forces from the area in August 1919, eight AMCs of the Caspian Flotilla were handed over to General Denikin's Volunteer Army. But in March 1920, advances by the Soviet Red Army threatened the flotilla's base of Petrovsk (now Makhachkala) and General Erdeli (whom Denikin had appointed Russian Governor of Dagestan) was compelled to evacuate his forces by sea. With no other safe port to go to, the flotilla sailed to Enzeli, on the North Persian coast, where a detachment of Norperforce was stationed under the command of General Bateman-Champain. The sudden arrival of fourteen ships (six AMCs and eight transports) on 22 March 1920, had caught both Champain and the Persian authorities unprepared. The Persians responded by interning all the ships and ordering that they be disarmed. Champain had no naval personnel in Norperforce, so he requested Royal Navy assistance. The request was granted by Admiral John de Robeck, the high commissioner at Constantinople, despite his misgivings. He had previously advised the Admiralty in January, about a proposed earlier mission, that it should not proceed unless Baku was re-occupied and the safety of the Batum-Baku railway assured. Nevertheless, a party of volunteers (five officers and twenty six ratings) was assembled from ships at Constantinople. == The naval mission ==

Led by Commander B.A. Fraser (later Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fraser of North Cape), the naval party assembled at HMS Julius, the harbour craft base at Constantinople. From its composition of a shipwright, blacksmith, ordnance artificers and engine room artificers, amongst others, it would appear that the party's purpose was the upkeep of the armed merchant cruisers, and possibly their disarmament; the small size of the party precluded any offensive intentions. The party sailed from Constantinople in HMS Gardenia, across the Black Sea, arriving at the British-occupied Georgian port of Batum on 21 April, where they awaited further orders. After the arrival of de Robeck next day, and on receiving the report of Commander Luke (the chief commissioner at Tiflis), they were allowed to depart by train on 23 April. Their planned route was by train from Batum to Baku, Azerbaijan by way of Tiflis, Georgia, then by ship to Enzeli. After a journey of four days, they arrived at Baku on 27 April at about 16.00, to be greeted with the news that the Bolshevik 11th Army had crossed the northern frontier of Azerbaijan at 01.00 that same morning. Owing to the general disorganisation at the station due to the need of many special trains, their train was stuck there for several hours waiting to proceed to the docks. Later that evening, a Red Army commissar appeared and said they were to consider themselves as prisoners. == Imprisonment ==

The naval party was kept in the train under guard at the station for four days, until 1 May when a commissar came and said they were to be moved into the town. They were marched a mile to the Cheresvichaika where they were searched and everything taken away. On St. George's Day, red, white and blue rosettes were made from a signalman's flag. They were questioned about it by the prison authorities, who said no more about it when told it was being done in celebration their national day. == Negotiations ==

In the meantime, the efforts of the British Government to have the prisoners released were directed mainly at the Soviet trade delegation in London. Despite British support for the White Russians against them, the Soviets were desperate to acquire much needed goods and, pragmatically, put their animosity towards Britain to one side for the duration, and negotiations began in early June. The Soviets wanted finished goods such as mining gear, machine tools, electric plant, medical appliances and drugs, agricultural machinery, locomotives and railway material, and in exchange, were offering mainly raw materials such as cereals, oil, timber, minerals, etc. On 6 July, it was stated in Parliament "that it has been made clear to the Soviet trade delegation that until the release of all British prisoners in Russia takes place, no trade will be permitted between Russia and the United Kingdom." From its North Russia intervention, Britain had retained about 100 Soviet prisoners, who were taken to Britain to be held as hostages, and were offered, with other prisoners held in Egypt and elsewhere, in exchange for all British prisoners held in Russia. The Soviet delegation accepted the principle of a prisoner exchange, but its leader, Krassin, said that the prisoners held in Baku were not their responsibility, but that of the Azerbaijan government (knowing full well the Soviet 11th Army occupied Azerbaijan, and its government would do whatever the Soviets told them). As a result of this pressure, the prisoner's conditions began to improve while negotiations continued. But diplomatic wheels turn slowly, and it wasn't until 13 October that a note was received from the Soviet Government stating that the evacuation of all British subjects is to be carried out without delay in exchange for the Russians in Great Britain, Egypt, and elsewhere, who wish to return to Soviet Russia. It was finally agreed that 300 Russian prisoners from Egypt and Constantinople would be exchanged for all the British prisoners held in Baku. On 31 October, a telegram was received from the President of the Government of Azerbaijan: == Release ==

On 4 November, the naval party was told to prepare to travel to Tiflis. At 16.00 the next day, sixty one British prisoners boarded the train to Tiflis. They reached Akstafa, a small town five miles from the frontier at 14.00 on the 6th, and waited for a day amidst snow and bad weather, during which time the remainder of their gear was searched again. From Tiflis they travelled on to Batum, then sailed first to Constantinople then, on 12 November, departed Constantinople in HMS Heliotrope calling in at Malta where one man was detained in hospital while the others continued on board. The naval party arrived at Portsmouth on 1 December where they were greeted on the quayside by Commander Fraser who had arrived five days earlier, having travelled on ahead to report to the Admiralty. Twenty four years later, Admiral Fraser, as commander-in-chief of the Home Fleet, was awarded the Order of Suvorov 1st Class by the Soviet Union for his part in the sinking of the Scharnhorst in the Battle of the North Cape. == The naval party ==

Officers • Commander B.A. Fraser, • Lieutenant W.A.A. Bolitho, • Sub-Lieutenant J.G.Henderson, • Sub-Lieutenant H.S.Keighley, • Commissioned Gunner Richard Norman Ratings • Aspell, Robert Clyde, Leading Seaman, J.10797 (Devonport). • Banks, Joseph William, Blacksmith (4th Class), M.21903 (Dev.). • Collins, Henry Charles Dunk, Acting Shipwright (4th Class), M.6432 (Chatham). • Dart, William Henry, Able Seaman, J.30784 (Ch.). • Greenway, John Alexander, Signalman, J.41326 (Dev.). • Grocott, James, Able Seaman, J.37815 (Portsmouth). • Grundy, Walter Herbert, Engine Room Artificer (3rd Class), M.6702 (Dev.). • Hine, Mark, Leading Telegraphist,. J.30143 (Dev.). • Horgan, John, Petty Officer, 194216 (Po.). • Hutchings, William Alfred, Leading Signalman, J.22516 (Po.). • Marsh, Joseph Thomas Colville, Engine Room Artificer (4th Class), M.28655 (Ch.). • Murray, Cecil Lionel, Telegraphist, J.59108 (Po.). • Newland, Henry Herbert, Petty Officer, 193438 (Ch.) (R.F.R., B.8441). • Pettit, Frederick Edwin, Ordnance Artificer (3rd Class), M.10410 (Ch.). • Phillips, William George, Ordnance Artificer (3rd Class), M.14781 (Ch.). • Piggott, Stanley Freeman, Leading Seaman, J.15784 (Po.). • Prout, Frederick Colling, 2nd Sick Berth Steward, M.3176 (Dev.). • Roche, Allen, Armourer, 345902 (Dev.). • Smith, William Stanley, Able Seaman, J.38025 (Ch.). • Snow, Frank Ernest, Private, R.M.L.I., Ply./15808. • Spurway, William Henry James, Leading Seaman, J.19585 (Ch.). • Vidler, Thomas, Leading Seaman, J.18419 (Po.). • Wainwright, Wilfred, Able Seaman, J.38861 (Po.). • Ware, William Thomas, Leading Seaman, J.16472 (Dev,). • Waterfield, James William, Gunner, R.M.A., R.M.A./11983. • Wright, Albert Edward, Officers' Steward (3rd Class), L.12292. == References ==