Uniforms of the Kazakh Units of the Alash Orda

All material by A. Karevskiy unless noted otherwise.

From the instructions for mobilising dzhigits [soldiers] in the Ural district of the Western division of the Alash Orda:

"12. The aul [village] from which the dzhigit is accepted is obliged to provide one pair of boots, one change of new underwear, a beshmet and khaki trousers, preferably made of camel wool, a brown hat (kyzylborok), and a short sheepskin coat or a short fur coat.

13) Horse equipment must consist of a saddle, three sweat pads, three girths, a pillow, a halter, a bridle, a hobble, a scabbard, a belt, and a whip.

Published by "Prefect" at siberia.forum24.ru/?1-4-0-00000024-000-160-0.

From October 12 to 22, Major-General Matkovskiy, commander of the 2nd Siberian Steppe Corps, travelled to the Semirechensk Front. Arriving in Semipalatinsk on October 14, together with the representative of the Allies, C. Eliot, he visited the city museum and inspected the Alash Orda cavalry regiment and garrison. Two squadrons from the regiment took part in the inspection. The report stated that the Kirghiz squadrons were brought out unarmed, in Russian uniforms, with shoulder-boards like Russian officers.

Amanzholova, D. A. in "Kazakh Autonomy and Russia": History of the Alash Movement", Moscow, 1994, p.59.

V. Sorokin's article "The Allashi" covered in detail the activities of the Alash detachments in 1918, highly praising their combat and moral qualities, and describing some battles. The author emphasized that the Alash units suppressed attempts by various Kazakh detachments to rob the civilian population. "Dressed correctly in our uniforms, with three-line rifles slung over their shoulders in neat rows, they move in orderly lines, as if on parade, and give the impression of dashing cavalry."

Amanzholova, D. A. in "Kazakh Autonomy and Russia: History of the Alash Movement", Moscow, 1994, pp.172-173, citing "Russian Army [newspaper], No. 138", 2 July 1919.

The remnants of the 2nd Siberian Steppe Corps, reinforced by retreating units of Belov and Dutov's armies, numbered around 9,000 fighters in total. Annenkov's units, which included Tatar, Taranchi, and Alash sotnias, were also located in the Dzharkent-Przhevalsky area. They numbered 48 men. There were also combined units of Cossack regiments. Red Army intelligence reported that the sotnias had no guns or machine guns, "20 to 60 rounds of ammunition per person. The standard-bearer has a green flag with a white skull and crossbones and the inscription "God is with us", and on the other side a white crescent with a star and the Muslim inscription "Alash". The chevrons on the papakhi of the Cossacks are red, those of the Taranchis are green, and those of the Alash are white. The Muslim population is friendly towards the Whites.

Amanzholova, D. A. in "Kazakh Autonomy and Russia: History of the Alash Movement", Moscow, 1994, p.179.