Lt. Cmmdr A H Ruston RNAS WWI

[Tony Walker]

I have a postcard sent by Lt Cmmdr A H Ruston from Russia, cancelled at Vladikavkas on 17 June 1916 (Gregorian) to his son in St Ives.  Ruston was serving in the RNAS Armoured Car squadrons in the Caucasus. See scan

I can find almost nothing about him on the internet, he was awarded the DSO for devotion to duty near Baku on 26.8.18 when he had returned from Russia and transferred to the army. I believe he might have authored an article 'Further adventures of the Armoured Cars : Persia and Baku.', but that's outside my study period.

However my interest is in the Russian period, and if anyone can point me to some personal background info. on Ruston, a photo etc., I would be most grateful.  He was a senior officer with the force in Russia, from which mail is not plentiful, so it is an item worth a good write up.  I have the book 'The Czar's British Squadron'.

Tony

[Alan Baker]

On Ancestry, I find his full name was Allpress Harold Ruston, born 5th November 1890 in St Ives. In the 1911 census his occupation is given as Ironmonger's Assistant (his father was an ironmonger).

When the RNAS armoured cars were pulled out of Russia, following the collapse of the Russian army in the Revolution, he transferred to the army (1918) and was given the rank of major.

He died in March 1970 in Huntingdon

The name Allpress seems to have been quite common in the Ruston family