United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces, North Russia.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, signed March 15, 1918, between Russia and Germany, removed Russia from the side of the Allies, added to the political chaos within Russia, and caused additional political and military problems for the Allies. On June 2, 1918, the Allied Supreme War Council voted for military intervention at Murmansk and Archangel in North Russia by a force of mixed nationalities under British command. The original objectives of the expedition were limited: to establish a rallying point for those Czech troops inside Russia who were still loyal to the Allies, to guard the supplies sent to the northern ports for the Imperial Russian Army, and to prevent the establishment of German naval bases at the northern ports. On July 17, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson agreed to furnish American troops for the intervention.

On August 9, 1918, the 339th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion of the 310th Engineers, 337th Field Hospital, and 337th Ambulance Company, all elements of the 85th Infantry Division, were officially designated the "Murmansk Expedition." On August 27 the expedition, consisting of 143 officers and 4,344 enlisted men under the command of Lt. Col. George E. Stewart, sailed from Newcastle-on-Tyne in England and arrived at Archangel on September 4 where, with other Allied forces, it became part of the command of Maj. Gen. F. C. Poole, British Army. American troops soon began to deploy along a front 450 miles long, extending from Onega in the west to Pinega in the east, and at some points 200 miles distant from Archangel, the site of Headquarters, AEF, North Russia, and also Allied Headquarters. Between September 1918 and May 1919 troops of AEF, North Russia, suffered over 500 casualties in combat against the Bolshevik 6th and 7th Armies.

In addition to the troops composing AEF, North Russia, there were two other American contingents in the area. The American Military Mission to Russia, headed by Col. James A. Ruggles and including several assistant military attaches, reported on significant political and military events to the War Department and to David R. Francis, U.S. Ambassador to the Provisional Government of the Northern Provinces. The North Russia Transportation Corps Expeditionary Forces, consisting of the 167th (Operations) and 168th (Maintenance) Companies, Transportation Corps, were sent to Murmansk in March and April 1919 to operate and maintain the Murmansk Railway so that a line of withdrawal for the icebound Allied force at Archangel might be kept open. Maj. Edward E. MacMorland commanded this contingent, which operated and maintained the Murmansk Railway from its headquarters at Soroka .

Early in 1919 President Wilson and his chief advisers decided to withdraw all American forces from North Russia. During May 1919 Brig. Gen. Wilds P. Richardson, who had assumed command of all U.S. forces in North Russia on April 9, began to concentrate AEF, North Russia, around Archangel preparatory to return to the United States via Brest, France . By June 27 the last of AEF, North Russia, had left for Brest . On July 28 the North Russia Transportation Corps Expeditionary Forces left Murmansk for Brest, and on August 5, 1919, Headquarters, AEF, North Russia, was discontinued.

From the guide to the Historical files of the American Expeditionary Force, North Russia, 1918-1919, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)