Private, 5th Latvian Rifle Regiment

Armed with the .30 cal. Winchester M1895 rifle, this private is wearing the canvas equipment issued during the war when leather became scarce. The copy of the French Adrian steel helmet was manufactured in Finnish factories mainly in this version for Latvian and Czech troops, without holes at the front for the attachment of a badge.

Trooper, Turkmen Horse Half-Regiment

This was a two-squadron half-regiment voluntarily recruited among the Muslim Tekin tribe of Turkestan. Over the regulation shirt-tunic the men wore a yellow and orange striped kaftan based on their native dress, with yellow shoulder straps. They also wore a white bashlyk cowl piped in pale blue, and black breeches. Officers’ service caps were black with a yellow band and crown piping; their breeches were blue, striped yellow. The fleece cap worn by all non-commissioned ranks throughout the year was this more shaggy, Asiatic type. As Gen. Kornilov’s bodyguard during 1917, they accompanied him everywhere.

Trooper, ‘Savage Division’

The Caucasian Native Cavalry Division served on the Southern, South-Western and Romanian fronts. All regiments are supposed to have worn the cherkesska coat, the individual units being distinguished by the colour of the shoulder straps and cowls, the latter being piped with white: Daghestan Regt. - light blue straps, red cowls; Kabardian Regt. - light blue straps, white cowls; Tartar Regt. - red straps, burgundy red cowls; Chechen Regt. -light blue straps, yellow cowls; Circassian Regt. - red straps, white cowls; lngush Regt. - red straps, light blue cowls. One source states that all units wore black kaftans; others, that the lngush Regt. had shoulder straps piped in white, red and blue twist. As volunteers, all ranks probably enjoyed considerable latitude (e.g. this rider wears a privately made kaftan with fleece trim), and all descriptions may well be correct. The majority of the officers were Russians. as were the technical troops and gunners. The machine gun sections were sailors from the fleet, who wore Circassian dress with naval shoulder straps.

Lieutenant, Polish Lancers

The details on this officer’s uniform mark him as Polish: the white Polish eagle on the cap, the crimson breeches stripes and cuff lace, and the eagle badge on the breast pocket.