by Peter H on 16 Jun 2004 11:54
The Inter-Allied Military Control Commission in Silesia was under French command and consisted of:
France: ten battalions
United Kingdom: four battalions(at any one time)
Italy: two battalions.
The crisis of May/June 1921 lead to a further 4 British battalions being moved from the Rhineland to Silesia to deter hosilities.
The British Upper Silesia Force saw the following battalions serving with it in 1920-21:
1 Bn Royal Irish Regiment
2 Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
1 Bn Gloucestershire Regiment
4 Bn Worcestershire Regiment
1 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment
2 Bn Black Watch
2 Bn Royal West Kent
1 Bn Kings Own Yorkshire LI
1 Bn Middlesex Regiment
3 Bn Middlesex Regiment
1 Bn Durham LI
2 Bn Connaught Rangers
2 Bn Leinster Regiment
1 Bn Munster Fusiliers
The use of Irish troops(5 battalions)seems of interest--with the 'Troubles' in Ireland,many were deployed elsewhere.Units like the Connaughts and Munsters were disbanded in 1922.
French troops,under the League of Nations, also occupied Memel,until it was annexed by Lithuania in 1923.
Little known is that British battalions also deployed to Saar,Germany in 1935,as part of the League of Nations plebiscite held there that year:
16/5 Lancers
1 Bn East Lancashire Regiment
1 Bn Essex Regiment
The Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr in 1923 OOB would be interesting to know!No British units participated.
