the battalion of
Yorks. In the three day's battle at Verst 18 a York sergeant over and
over assured the American officer that he would at all times have a
responsible York standing beside the Russki machine gunner and prevent
the green soldiers from firing wildly without order in case the
Bolshevik should gain some slight advantage and a necessary shift of
American soldiers might be interpreted by the green Russian machine
gunners as a movement of the enemy. And those machine guns which were
stationed at a second line, in rear of the Americans, never went off.
The Yorks were on the job. And after the crisis was past an American
corporal asked his company commander to report favorably upon the
gallant conduct of a York corporal who had stood by him with six men all
through the fight.

Of the King's Liverpools and other Tommies mention has been made in
these pages. Sometimes we have to fight ourselves into favor with one
another. Really there is more in common between Yank and Tommie than
there is of divergence. Hardship and danger, tolerance and observation,
these brought the somewhat hostile and easily irritated Yank and Tommie
together. Down underneath the rough slams and cutting sarcasm there
exists after all a real feeling of respect for the other.

This volume would not be complete without some mention of that man who
acted as commanding general of the Allied expedition, William Edmund
Ironside. He was every inch a soldier and a man. American soldiers will
remember their first sight of him. They had heard that a big man up at
Archangel who had taken Gen. Poole's job was cleaning house among the
incompetents and the "John Walkerites" that had surrounded G. H. Q. in
Poole's time. He was putting pep into G. H. Q. and reorganizing the
various departments.

When he came, he more than came up to promises. Six foot-four and built
accordingly, with a bluff, open countenance and a blue eye that spoke
honesty and demanded truth. Hearty of voice and breathing cheer and
optimism, General Ironside inspired confidence in the American troops
who had become very much disgruntled. He was seen on every front at some
time and often seen at certain points. By boat or sledge or plane he
made his way through. He was the soldier's type of commanding officer.
Never dependent on an interpreter whether with Russian, Pole, or French,
or Serbian, or Italian, he travelled light and never was seen with a
pistol, even for protection. Master o