Salonika and Constantinople in 1919

[asdarley]

I am looking at a Sapper who was a wireless operator. He arrived in the Middle East, Alexandria on 12:9:1817 He appears to have served in the theatre until the end of the war. Then I find him listed as being in Constantinpole on 2:4:1919 and in Salonika on 6:4:1919

On his attestation form is also a note that says EEF 25:8:1917 - 27:7:1919

Why would someone who signed on as a "duration of the war" soldier be in these areas in 1919?

Also, does anyone have any idea what EEF might mean for the period noted?

All suggestions gratefully received!!

[centurion]

I am looking at a Sapper who was a wireless operator. He arrived in the Middle East, Alexandria on 12:9:1817

The war didn't officialy end on 11/11/18 - (although in practical terms it did) as no peace treaty had been signed and ratified. (Indeed as the Turkish government under Ataturk did not ratify the treaty signed in 1919 they remained technically at war for much longer). From the British legal side of things the army were entitled to hang on to your guy. Mind you by then he must have been long overdue to be pensioned off!

[Guest]

My Grandad, Richard Sollars, was in the Surrey Yeomanry and was in Salonika - as you can see from the extracts of his war diary he left Salonika on 26/5/1919 and was demobed on 23/6/1919. My Dad says he was a member of the BEF British Expeditionary Forces that were originally sent to France but as he was in the cavalry and the horses could not cope with the mud and conditions there they sent them off to Salonika. He did not come home in November 1918. I was surprised when I first found out. I'm not sure what EEF stands for. I'm not an expert at all, I just have an interest in family history and that has opened my eyes to what my Grandad went through. Hope this info helps explain why your guy was still in Salonika in 1919.

Regards

Claire

Extracts from Richard Sollars's WWI diary May 3 1919 to June 23 1919, copyright Ken Sollars.

"May 3 we leave Tiflis. Arrive Batour

5 in rest camp

12 still waiting for the boat

13/5/1919 Sergeant of army/camp? Guard. still waiting for boat

20 May still waiting

25 - - -

26 We embark on the SS Glengorns castle

29 May we arrives at Constantinople

waiting in harbour

June 1 still waiting in Constantinople Harbour

evening of the first we sail for Chanak

June 2 we embark at Chanak, and march to Concentration Camp, 7 miles.

June 5 messing about in rest camp very fed up, raining. The camp has a fine view of the narrows.

June 6 we march to Embarkation camp at Chanak. Details of demob taken

June 7 we embark on SS Ortaria. Had a most unlucky day .. Kit fatigue, ? Sgt. lost rifle

June 9 still en route for Taranta, having fairly rough seas but doing good times.

June 10 Taranta, in Camp on the edge of the harbour

June 13 we entrain

June 14 en route

June 15 Frainga

Bologna (fun in Canteen)

June16 Vogina, Torino

June 17 Lyons, St Germ.

June 18 en route

June 19 we arrive at Boulongne and march to camp

June 20 we march from concentration camp to embarkation Camp

Awaiting boat to blight

June 22 we embark on SS Biarity at 12 noon

Land at Dover 2 o clock. Entrain for Fovant 4 PM

Reach there 11.30

Demobilized at 12.30 morning 23 [23 June 1919]

Left Fovant 4.30

Salisbury 5

Trowbridge 6.30

Swindon 9.25

Stroud 10.30"

[asdarley]

Many thanks for the responses.

I now think EEF is probably Egyptian Expeditionary Force (unless someone knows differently!)

Thanks for the info regarding the late ratification by Turkey...that would explain a lot!

Again thanks to you both for responding

[centurion]

Thanks for the info regarding the late ratification by Turkey...that would explain a lot!

Turkey did not ratify late- she never ratified at all and an entirely new treaty was signed (and ratified) a year or so later. In it Turkey got far better terms than Germany, AH or Bugaria (which explains for example the existance of a Turkish air force in the inter war years). In the mean time there was actually some fighting between Turkey and Britain on the Iraq, Turkish, Iranian border area. The moral is I suppose, don't ratify every treaty - you might get a better one.

[asdarley]

Thanks Centurion

This is something very few accounts of the war mention!

Thanks

[Paul Treclyn]

My wife's grandfather was gassed on the Western Front and was at home convalescing when the hostilities ended. Being a country lad he thought he could just stay at home on the farm as they didn't need him any longer in the army, so didn't return when his leave period ended. He was arrested and his punishment was to be sent to Egypt, where he spent a few years guarding arms dumps etc. The "war" certainly didn't end on 11/11/1918 for many duration men.

[trsp62]

My GF William PRICE was a regular in the MMP and his record of overseas service shows him going from Egypt to Salonika at 17.02.1919 and remaining there until 05.07.1919. (Then he did a stint at Bovington Tank Training camp, and then Germany 1924 - 1928 and discharge. Somewhere in between family stories say he made the White Russian campaign though I haven't been able to substantiate that).

I had wondered why Salonika at that time and continued hostilities would of course explain it. However the Wikipedia article for the campaign: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_front_(World_War_I) suggests that it did end in 1918? Even so I guess you don't all pack the kit bag and head for home at 1105 on the 11th Nov!

Rgds,

TimP

[MartinWills]

Many thanks for the responses.

I now think EEF is probably Egyptian Expeditionary Force (unless someone knows differently!)

Thanks for the info regarding the late ratification by Turkey...that would explain a lot!

Again thanks to you both for responding

You are quite right about the EEF

The sign up may well have been "duration - or three years"

Hope this helps