Uniforms of the 1st Volga Army Corps:
1st Samara, 3rd Simbirsk and 13th Kazan Rifle Divisions

Material and reconstructions by A. Karevskiy

Uniforms in Memoirs and Historiography

Order to the 1st Volga Army Corps, 20 March 1919, Kurgan

§6. To this day, some officers of the corps continue to wear St. George ribbons on their caps and hats, which were temporarily introduced in the units of the People's Army. With the formation of a unified state authority and army, Order No. 7 of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief established a uniform distinction for military units for headgear: the previous model of cockade with a three-coloured enamel ribbon in the national colours. I order that the St. George ribbon be replaced with the established cockade and, in extreme cases, in the absence of such, with a tricolour ribbon in the national colours.

Signed: Acting Commander of the Corps, Major-General Pribylovich.

Document kindly provided by Moscow researcher V.V. Romanov.

Order to the 1st Volga Army Corps, No. 74 of 4 April 1919, Kurgan

From Monday, 7 April, I authorise the Corps Quartermaster to begin issuing English uniforms and equipment to the corps units. In order to ensure consistent wear of these uniforms, I order:

1) First and foremost, issue uniforms to all available officers, NCOs and soldiers of combat units, headquarters and administrations.

2) The distribution to rear units and institutions (divisional supply trains, divisional infirmaries and transports, artillery and engineering parks) should be temporarily delayed until the arrival of the next deliveries of uniforms.

3) Distribution to the units is permitted only after all officers and NCOs have been familiarised with the fit of the uniforms and equipment, and on condition that complete sets are issued to all units at the same time, to avoid some men dressed in Russian uniforms and others in English uniforms.

4) Officers who are required to be on horseback in formation shall be issued boots or low boots with puttees, and gaiters to go with them.

5) Small entrenching tools shall not be issued to cavalry and engineering units.

6) I authorise officers to alter (tailor) the issued uniforms, but without deviating from the style.

7) Field exercises should be conducted in Russian uniforms and English equipment in order to preserve the uniforms.

8) Under no circumstances should a mix of uniforms be worn, i.e. Russian trousers or caps with English uniforms, etc.

9) When sending komands on assignments, all komand members must be dressed in either Russian or English uniforms.

10) Wearing English uniforms is permitted only with Russian shoulder-boards.

11) The corps quartermaster shall take all measures to issue shoulder-boards as soon as possible. I draw the attention of all corps officers to the need to treat the new uniforms with care: they should be kept in good condition until the corps goes to the front.

Signed: Corps Commander, General Kappel'

This document was kindly provided by Moscow researcher V.V. Romanov.

Kurgan, January-April 1919

The troops were still sporting the same rags they had worn when they arrived from the Volga. No wonder the residents of Kurgan shook their heads in disbelief when they saw them: "Could these ragged creatures really have fought on the Volga?" Moreover, from a functional point of view, this made it impossible to demand all the external manifestations of military discipline. ... January passed, February arrived, and the Volga soldiers were still sporting the same sheepskin coats and greatcoats. They had been patched up as best they could and cleaned, but this did not improve their appearance.

Fedorovich, A. A. in "General Kappel", Melbourne, 1967, pp.60-61.

Kurgan, January-April 1919

The appearance of the Volga men in the unit was very diverse. They were often dressed in rags and wore felt boots with holes; instead of military papakhi they wore Tatar skullcaps at best.

Vorypaev, V. O. in "The Kappelevtsy // Admiral Kolchak's Eastern Front", Moscow, 2004, p.358.

The mere sight of the Kappelevtsy white shoulder-boards enraged the Red executioners.

Pavlovsky, B. A. in "Combat operations of Colonel Nechaev's Independent Volga Cavalry Brigade of General Kappel's 1st Volga Corps in the Siberian Army from the Urals to the Irtysh River in 1919 // Kappel and the Kappelevtsy", Moscow, 2003, p.469.

Volga Dragoon Regiment of the Volga Cavalry Brigade

During the retreat from the river near Volynsk, Corporal Muryinov was seriously wounded during a fierce skirmish. ... He asked to be left to die without removing his white Kappelevtsy shoulder-boards and well-deserved awards.

Balmassov, S. S. in "The Campaign of the Cavalry Units of the Independent Volga Cavalry Brigade and the Independent Volga Horse Jaeger Divizion of General V. O. Kappel's Corps // Kappel and the Kappelevtsy", Moscow, 2003, p.484.

Help from the Allies

Officers and soldiers of the 1st Volga Corps arrived in the city of Omsk on official business.

The officers and soldiers are dressed in British uniforms, which have just been received via the Far East. The entire corps will be dressed in the style of the British army.

The officers and soldiers are extremely satisfied with this uniform. It consists of 22 items combined and adapted in such a way that it not only meets all the needs of military life, but also makes it considerably more comfortable.

The greatcoat, made of soft, magnificent cloth, is designed to completely protect the face and head from the cold wind, and a whole system of hooks makes it possible to adjust it in muddy conditions, turning it into comfortable and rather attractive short outer wear.

The cap is waterproof and has side slits for ventilation.

The trousers and tunic, also made of magnificent cloth, are equipped with a whole system of pockets for various purposes. They are convenient for storing documents, small maps, matches and cigarettes.

The belts are made of jute, extremely comfortable, durable, lightweight and elastic, equipped with buckles, thanks to which it is convenient to attach entrenching tools, ammunition pouches and mess tins with flasks.

The flasks are covered with blue enamel and canvas, and the mess tins have lids with folding handles. The backpacks are like chests with lots of compartments, portable to the highest degree of perfection. They can easily hold two sets of soldiers' underwear, stationery and accessories, shaving kit, etc., without any risk. There is also a compartment for cologne.

The thick woollen jacket is made in the form of a sleeveless vest. The woollen scarf can serve as both a scarf and a nightcap for sleeping.

Elegant black gloves (woollen) allow for easy shooting with rifles and machine guns.

The footwear consists of a pair of sturdy, completely waterproof, soft leather boots.

The boots come in six different sizes, making it easy to find the right fit. Then there are warm, soft socks and woollen puttees.

Men dressed in such clothing feel comfortable and free, and at the same time they look beautiful, both individually and as a group.

The rifles are Russian-style, but manufactured by the English Remington factory.

'Our Region" [newspaper], 8 May 1919. Document kindly provided by Ufa researcher S. G. Shushpanov.

15 May 1919

In the morning, an urgent order was given to board and send all the units of General Kappel's group to the front: this was considered of decisive importance. ... Unfortunately, when someone inspected Kappel's men, they appeared to be very smartly dressed thanks to their brand new English uniforms and equipment, and they marched excellently in ceremonial formation.

Budberg, A. P. in "Diary of a White Guard // Archive of the Russian Revolution, Vol. 12", Berlin, 1923, p.248.

May 1919

The first stop was in Kurgan, where the last units of the Volga Corps were loaded onto trains. The units made a good impression, greatly aided by their appearance: brand new English uniforms with white Russian shoulder-boards. The men were well shod and had enough underwear, and everyone had greatcoats.

Sakharov, K. V. in "White Siberia (The Civil War 1918-1920)", Munich, 1923, p.97.

May 1919

By this time, Kappel' had arrived at the front and taken command of the Samara sector. ... The Simbirsk Division gave us a terrible surprise. ... It arrived splendidly dressed, the men looked good, and they carried out orders promptly.

Petrov, P. P. in "From the Volga to the Pacific Ocean in the ranks of the Whites, 1918-1922 // Admiral Kolchak's Eastern Front", Moscow, 2004, p.33.

Colonel Kappel's newly formed corps is stationed in the villages and towns adjacent to the railway line between Chelyabinsk and Omsk. ... The corps numbers up to 50,000 men, consisting of volunteers and conscripts from various cities, most of whom are educated. This number includes 15,000 prisoners of war, former Red Army soldiers. They are armed mainly with Japanese rifles. They are dressed in dark grey cloth greatcoats, khaki-coloured blouses and trousers, and boots. The uniforms were obtained from England at a cost of 2,000 rubles per set: greatcoat, blouse, trousers, boots, bag, mess tin and canteen.

"Siberian Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), 1918-1920: collection of documents. Part 1", Novosibirsk, 1978. p.170.

Shchepikhin's testimony is interesting, in which he describes the supply of Kappel's troops and the role of the English representative, Knox, in this.

Knox's energy is tireless. ... He has now taken charge of Kappel's corps and dressed it in all new English uniforms. ... Knox also has complete control over Kappel's corps, conducting inspections, sending his English instructors there, and so on. Omsk had to turn a blind eye to this interference until the hand that gave grew weary.

"Kappel and the Kappelevtsy", Frankfurt am Main, 2007 at militera.lib.ru/memo/0/pdf/russian/sb_kappel.pdf

Reconstructions

Insignia of the 1st Volga Army Corps
1 and 2 – second-lieutenant and lieutenant-colonel (based on a photograph);
3 – private of the 1st Volga General Kappel' Rifle Regiment; 4 – greatcoat collar tab

The monogram of the 1st Volga General Kappel' Rifle Regiment is reconstructed from the cipher on the banner presented to the corps by the residents of Kurgan, based on B. B. Filimonov's information. That monogram consisted of the intertwined letters "ВГКп".

Shoulder-boards of the 1st Volga Army Corps (Volga Army Group)

Note: The question of the metal remains open as to whether it was silver or gold. As infantry units, the Kappelevtsy would normally have had gold, but the available photographs of the corps leans in favor of silver – it stands out much more brightly against a dark background.

Uniforms of the 1st Volga Army Corps:
1 – general; 2 – staff officer; 3 – lieutenant; 4 – staff lieutenant

Figure 1 is based on photographs of the commanders of the 13th Kazan and 1st Samara Rifle Divisions, Generals Yastrebtsov and General Sakharov. Figure 2 is based on photographs of the 1st Volga Army Corps headquarters. Figures 3 and 4 are based on photographs of the Volga Army Group.

Uniforms of the 1st Volga Army Corps:
1 – field officer; 2 – staff officer; 3 – private; 4 – corporal; 5 – lieutenant-colonel

Figure 1 has sewn-on shoulder-boards without buttons. Figure 2 is based on a photograph of the 1st Volga Army Corps headquarters. It shows shoulder-boards sewn onto a British tunic, but it is unclear if they are Russian shoulder-boards or the original straps of the tunic, piped and sewn. Figures 4 and 5 show British uniform with Russian shoulder-boards.