1. FROM HONG-KONG TO SIBERIA 2. BOLSHEVIK SUCCESSES 3. JAPAN INTERVENES 4. THE BATTLE OF DUKOVESKOIE AND KRAEVESK 5. JAPANESE METHODS AND ALLIED FAR-EASTERN POLICY 6. ADMINISTRATION 7. FURTHER INCIDENTS OF OUR JOURNEY 8. BEYOND THE BAIKAL 9. OMSK 10. ALONG THE URALS 11. WHAT HAPPENED AT OMSK 12. THE CAPTURE OF PERM: THE CZECHS RETIRE FROM THE FIGHTING 13. THE DECEMBER ROYALIST AND BOLSHEVIST CONSPIRACY 14. A BOMBSHELL FROM PARIS AND THE EFFECT 15. MORE INTRIGUES 16. RUSSIAN LABOUR 17. MY CAMPAIGN 18. OMSK RE-VISITED 19. IN EUROPEAN RUSSIA 20. MAKING AN ATAMAN 21. HOMEWARD BOUND 22. AMERICAN POLICY AND ITS RESULTS 23. JAPANESE POLICY AND ITS RESULTS 24. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS COL. JOHN WARD, C.B., C.M.G., M.P. _Frontispiece_ LANDING OF THE 25TH MIDDLESEX AT VLADIVOSTOK ALLIED COMMANDERS IN FRONT OF HEADQUARTERS AT VLADIVOSTOK GEN. DETRIKS (CZECH) AND COL. WARD AFTER THE ALLIED COUNCIL at VLADIVOSTOK A CONFERENCE OUTSIDE HEADQUARTERS WAGON. COL. WARD AND THE CZECH LEADER (COL. STEPHAN) EXAMINING THE USSURIE FRONT BRITISH PARADE AT OMSK RUSSIAN HEADQUARTERS "STAFFKA," OMSK BRITISH STAFF AND C.O.'s WAGON ARRIVAL OF THE BRITISH AT IRKUTSK ADMIRAL KOLTCHAK WITH THE "DIE-HARDS" IN SIBERIA CHAPTER I FROM HONG-KONG TO SIBERIA The 25th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment had already such a record of travel and remarkable experiences to its credit that it was in quite a matter-of-fact way I answered a summons from Headquarters at Hong-Kong, one morning in November, 1917, and received the instruction to hold myself and my battalion in readiness to proceed to a destination unknown. Further conferences between the heads of departments under the presidency of the G.O.C., Major-General F. Ventris, revealed that the operations of the battalion were to be conducted in a very cold climate, and a private resident at tiffin that day at the Hong-Kong Club simply asked me "at what date I expected to leave for Vladivostok?" The preparations were practically completed when orders to cease them were received from the War Office at home, followed by a cable (some time in January, 1918) to cancel all orders relating to the proposed expedition. So we again settled down in Far Eastern home quietly to await the end of the war, when we hoped to return to the Great Old Country and resume the normal life of its citizens. Things remained in this condition until June, 1918, when we were suddenly startled by an order to call upon the half of my battalion stationed at Singapore to embark on the first ship available and join me at Hong-Kong. This seemed to suggest that the truly wonderful thing called "Allied Diplomacy" had at last made up its mind to do something. After a great deal of bustle and quite unnecessary fuss the whole battalion embarked on the _Ping Suie_ on a Saturday in July, 1918.