Indian Army lances in the high passes
The author of this book, an officer in an Indian Army cavalry
regiment, went to war in Europe at the outbreak of hostilities.
Soon he found himself returning to the Sub-Continent and a posting
far beyond the North-West Frontier to neutral Persia-now modern day
Iran-to serve with the 'East Persian Cordon'. Its purpose was to
prevent the infiltration of German and Turkish agents-a threat all
too real-intent on destabilising British interests in Afghanistan.
It was a region also plagued by raiding Mohammedan tribesmen and
the author had barely arrived at his command before he and his
squadron of lancers were all but cut to pieces in an ambush. The
Russian Revolution then erupted changing the balance of power in
the region. Bolshevik forces were soon gathering on the frontier
and James found his mission extended to include the new allies in
the form of the White Russian forces and new enemies, as the
British government joined the battle against Communism. This is a
very unusual account of the First World War that is virtually never
reported in most accounts.