In December 1917, the Don Cossacks had risen in revolt against the Communist Government in Russia. With light skirmishes at first, in the areas of Odessa, Kiev, Orel, Voronezh, Tsaritsyn and even reaching to Astrakhan at the mouth of the Volga, the uprising grew in size and geographic distribution. In August 1918, a small British-French-American force under command of Major General Sir Edmund Ironside had arrived at Archangelsk, with the stated purpose of retrieving war material loaned to the previous Tsarist Regime. They were also tasked with to moving south to link up with the 42,000 strong Czech Legion enveloped in Russia, assisting them to return home. It was hoped that the presence of this Allied force, as well as the Czech force moving back towards Germany, would firstly invigorate the White Russian counter-revolution to oust the Communists and secondly, to encourage the Czechs to take up arms against Germany – with the aim of re-opening a second front against Germany. By this time, a number of South African officers were already fighting on the side of the White Russians against the Communists. With the signing of the Armistice marking the end of the war on 11 November 1918, thousands of South Africans were released from their duties in Western Europe, many of whom preferred to volunteer for services in support of the White Russians, rather than returning home. Many South Africans not only joined the White Russian forces, but were awarded honours for service in Russia, including Lt-Col H.H. Jenkins, the erstwhile commander of the 1st South African Infantry Regiment as well as the new commander of the 4th South African Infantry Regiment, Lt-Col D.M. McCloud, with the men either joining General Ironside's staff, or affiliating themselves directly with White Russian forces. Two Victoria Cross holders also joined this voluntary force.