100 Years ago this week in the Balkans

[Gardenerbill]

As a result of the failure of the Greeks hand over 10 Mountain Batteries, 3 Battalions of French soldiers, 3 companies of RMLI and an Italian detachment were put ashore near Athens. The Greeks surrounded and attacked the shore party then French naval guns opened fire. A Compromise was reached with the Greeks handing over 6 Batteries.

 

The provisional National Government under Venizelos plan to raise 4 infantry divisions to retake Eastern Macedonia from the Bulgarians.

The 83rd Brigade (28th Division) relieve the Italian Sicilian Brigadede in the Butkovo valley.

In Rumania General Mackensen had crossed the Danube and the Rumanians evacuated Bucharest and retreated to Moldovia.

[Gardenerbill]

The commanding officers of the 27th Division Major General Ravenshaw and 80th Brigade Brigadier General Roberts, were temporarily replaced by Brigadier General Wier and Lt Colonel Bailey respectively, the official history doesn’t say why but the logical conclusion is that they were held responsible for the failure at Tumbitza farm.

 

82nd Brigade were given the task of making a second attempt to capture Tumbitza and Virhanli Farms and moved to their starting positions on the 4th December, initial objectives were taken and the Virhanli stream was successfully bridged. There was no element of surprise, the Bulgarians had re-enforced their positions and the attack was checked by heavy fire.  The final attempt to attack Tumbitza and Virhanli farms ended in failure.

Edited 4 December , 2016 by Gardenerbill

[Gardenerbill]

General  Milne sends 179th Brigade of the newly arrived 60th Division to Katerina to counter the threat of attack from the Greek Royalists, while at the same time 3 Battalions of Nationalist Greek Infantry were brought under his command.

 

The 2nd Cameronian Highlanders demonstration in the Struma valley captured 2 Turkish prisoners of the 146th Regiment 46th Division confirming the presence of Turkish troops in the eastern sector of the front.

 

General Joffre Commander in Chief of French forces on the western front ordered all operations in the Balkans to be suspended.

With the occupation of Bucharest Roumania was finally defeated

[Gardenerbill]

Units of 60th Division continue to arrive at Salonika including the 2/20th London the Regiment of Bernard Livermore author of ‘Long Un: a Damn Bad Soldier’.

The Venizelos provisional government in Salonika is recognised.

 

A new line is established on the 27th Division front through Fitoki ford, Yeni Mahale, Osman Kamilla and Homondos. In a trench raid to the south east of Ernekoi the 2nd Buffs killed 38 Bulgars and captured 6.

[Gardenerbill]

The final units of 60^th Division arrive in Salonika, the 1^st Royal Irish Regiment (10^th Division) raided KYUPRI in the Struma valley and the regrouping of divisional artillery began.

[Gardenerbill]

The Christmas Dinner of the 708th MT Coy supplying the Serbian army in the CRNA bend area taken from the book ‘With the Serbs in Macedonia’:

 

Roast Beef with boiled potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and Gravy

Christmas pudding (supplied by the readers of The Daily Telegraph and The Daily News)

Mince pies

Accompanied by oranges, figs and nuts

 

After the Christmas day break the BEF were immediately back in action; in the Hodza valley to the East of Lake Doiran the 9th Kings Own(65th Brigade) successfully raided the village of Brest, the 9th East Lancs forced a small garrison of Bulgarians out of the Hodza redoubt to prevent it being used to attack the raiding party.

In the Struma valley the 2nd Gloucesters retook the village of Beglik abandoned after the Tumbitza farm failure.

[KGB]

Serb Xmas is 6th January. 

[Gardenerbill]

1 hour ago, KGB said:

Serb Xmas is 6th January. 

 

Do the serbians have an orthodox church similar to the Greeks and Russians?

[KGB]

23 hours ago, Gardenerbill said:

 

Do the serbians have an orthodox church similar to the Greeks and Russians?

Yes! In fact all pravoslavie (Orthodox) faith groups do. Off the top of my head - Bulgarian Orthodox, Romanian Orthodox, Greek, Russian, Serb. Services are almost identical except that the language changes - Russian is Church Slavonic (think Old English, Anglo Saxon for UK equivalent) and further east Armenian Orthodox, Egyptian (Copt) and Nestorian whose services have not changed in almost 2000 years, Aramaic bits included. 

[bob lembke]

I once spent several days searching Serb Orthodox monastaries in Frushka Gora north of Beograd (Belgrade), for the corpse of Knez Lazar, the Serbian prince who got his head cut off by the Turks at Kosovo Polje on Vidovdan, 1389, so I can second the observation that there are Orthodox Serbs. I did not find his remains, but at one monastary a Serb nun offered me his sleeve to kiss. I later unexpectedly found his coffin in Beograd, where it had been moved from its traditional resting site..

[KGB]

On 12/29/2016 at 14:25, bob lembke said:

I once spent several days searching Serb Orthodox monastaries in Frushka Gora north of Beograd (Belgrade), for the corpse of Knez Lazar, the Serbian prince who got his head cut off by the Turks at Kosovo Polje on Vidovdan, 1389, so I can second the observation that there are Orthodox Serbs. I did not find his remains, but at one monastary a Serb nun offered me his sleeve to kiss. I later unexpectedly found his coffin in Beograd, where it had been moved from its traditional resting site..

It gets complicated, Serbs hold that Kosovo Metahija is their cradle, and site of the oldest monasteries, churches. 

[Gardenerbill]

An inter-allied conference on the Balkans was held at Rome to discuss the general situation in the Mediterranean and Greece.

The 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers and the 1st Suffolks raided the village of KYUPRI supported by a squadron of the Derbyshire Yeomanry.

The operation in the HODZA valley to take the village of AKINDJALI using all four Battalions of the 65th Brigade is a success with all objectives captured.

[bob lembke]

On 12/31/2016 at 05:46, KGB said:

It gets complicated, Serbs hold that Kosovo Metahija is their cradle, and site of the oldest monasteries, churches. 

 

After losing the battle of Kosovo Polje 1389, June 26th??) the Serb monks, etc fled the area, but came back maybe 50 years later, when they realized that the Turks weren't going to eat therm for breakfast. (The Turks gave Knez Lazar's widow his body, in two pieces, and at least some of their wealth, and she went to Serbija to bury him at a monastery.) The returning Serbs found the monasteries largely intact, as I found them in 1971. The Turks understood that they were holy places and preserved them. Generally, whenever the Serbs got control of a mosque they razed it; Serb friends of mine boast of it, and of doing it recently. When Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 reached Sarajevo, the capital of Turkish Jugoslavija, the Turkish governor built a synagouge (sp?) for them out of his own purse. Relations have still been very good recently between Muslims and Jews in the area.  

[KGB]

1 hour ago, bob lembke said:

 

After losing the battle of Kosovo Polje 1389, June 26th??) the Serb monks, etc fled the area, but came back maybe 50 years later, when they realized that the Turks weren't going to eat therm for breakfast. (The Turks gave Knez Lazar's widow his body, in two pieces, and at least some of their wealth, and she went to Serbija to bury him at a monastery.) The returning Serbs found the monasteries largely intact, as I found them in 1971. The Turks understood that they were holy places and preserved them. Generally, whenever the Serbs got control of a mosque they razed it; Serb friends of mine boast of it, and of doing it recently. When Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 reached Sarajevo, the capital of Turkish Jugoslavija, the Turkish governor built a synagouge (sp?) for them out of his own purse. Relations have still been very good recently between Muslims and Jews in the area.  

A lot of hatred, in Cyprus Turks (Muslim) v Greeks (orthodox) and Bosnia. The Sephardim found tolerance under the Vilayet system of the Ottomans. Synagogues were respected until 1941. 

[Gardenerbill]

According to the official history, two more French Divisions, 30th and 76th arrived in Salonika in January, but there would be no more British divisions sent to this theatre.

Also during January 1917 the Greek Seres Division moved into the field with the French west of the Vardar and a second Greek division was undergoing training.

[Gardenerbill]

In the Struma valley the Turkish raided Kakaraska on the 14th and 18th but were repulsed.

In the Krusha hills above the Hodza valley the 65th Brigade were relieved by 181st Brigade of 60th Division.

West of the Vardar General Sarrail concentrated 76th Div at KORITZA and a link with the Italians was established at HERSEG creating one front line from the Aegean to the Adriatic.

[Gardenerbill]

65th Brigade completed their move back to the Doiran sector of the line.

In the Struma valley the Surrey Yeomanry were patrolling the line Ada - Kispeki - Salmah – Kakaraska.

Both the Surrey and Derbyshire Yeomanry were issued with Hotchkiss guns and training on their use began.

[Gardenerbill]

Due to severe weather conditions January and February 1917 were quiet months in the Balkans. Here are some entries from the 801st MT Coy ASC war diary:

 

27th Dump under snow. No stores received. A.Q.M.G. called at dump and gave instructions that dump was not to be moved to 68 1/2 on account of the state of the roads and transport difficulties – only transport for very urgent stores was to be asked for & he would make the necessary arrangements.

28th Thawing – Roads & dump in a very bad state mud & water

31st Weather gradually improving no stores have been received since the 24th inst.

 

However the British army in the field is always active, infantry patrols went out nightly all along the front, Yeomanry squadrons patrolled the villages in the struma valley and battalions were rotated in and out of the line.

 

Most of Greek royalist army had completed the move to Morea  south of Gulf of Corinth.

[Gardenerbill]

This week three raids, two small one big; the two small raids were both carried out by recently arrived battalions of 60th Division’s 181st (2/6th London) Brigade. The 2/21st Battalion London Regiment raided the village of PALMIS in the Hodza valley and the 2/24th Battalion London Regiment raided the village of BREST also in the Hodza valley east of lake Doiran.

 

The large scale raid took place in the Doiran sector to the west of lake Doiran; on the night of the 10th/11th February the 10th Devons raided the enemy trenches on the Petite Couronne incurring heavy losses in this heavily defended part of the line.

[Gardenerbill]

On the western sector of the line the Germans attack and take Hill 1050 from the Italians.

 

General Sarrail requests General Milne move 179th Bde from Katerina further south to PETRA. General Milne concerned about extended supply lines and the time it would take to move the Brigade north if required, under protest moves a Battalion.

 

William Mather author of ‘Muckydonia’ arrives in Salonika.

[Gardenerbill]

The 11^th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers (67^th Brigade) raided PITON DES MITRAILLEUSE and established that the German 59^th Regiment were still present.

A newly arrived German bomber squadron raid destroyed 12 French planes on the ground at GORGOP.

On the 26^th February at the Calais Conference it was agree that offensive action in the Balkans should take place only if the opportunity arises. General Sarrail took this as tacit approval and started plans for a spring offensive.

[Gardenerbill]

The Second bombing raid by the newly arrived German Bomber Squadron targeted Summer Hill Camp just outside Salonika. The bombers were engaged by 17th and 47th Squadrons R.F.C.

 

General Sarrail’s plans for a Spring offensive were well advanced by the end of February 1917. The British part of the plan was to capture Seres and to engage the enemy all along their front in order to hold enemy troops in the Eastern sector.

 

General Milne preferred to attack at Doiran and asked for the return of 179th Brigade from Katerina; Sarrail agreed to both of these requests.   

[royan155]

Hi there,  Do you know if or what was the involvement of The Cameronians ( Scottish Rifles ) in the Balkans? My great Uncle was killed at Gallipoli in November 1915 and I've done some research on him and on his medal card (?) it says, "Balkans Campaign"  This is the first hint I have that he may have fought in the Balkans prior to Gallipoli. Hope someone can help or point me in the right direction.

                                                      Many thanks,

                                                                          James.

[Gardenerbill]

Hi James,

If yout great Uncle was definitely killed at Gallipoli then he won't have served in the Salonika campaign as British forces arrived at Salonika at the end of 1915 from Gallipoli as the campaign there was being wound down or they came from France. It could be argued that the Gallipoli peninsular is in the Balkans which would explain the Medal Index card. 

[kenf48]

The code on the mic is (I imagine) 2 b i.e. 2 The Balkans b Gallipoli

 

Scroll down for code interpretation at TNA

 

Ken