Ottoman 26th Regt at Helles.

[stevenbecker]

I am sure we all know that this Regt held the Helles front against the landings, but I am trouble finding what officers commanded the Regt Bn's and Companies that morning?

 

Now the commander of the 10th Company 3rd Bn is often shown, as is the commander of the 3rd Bn, but the other officers of the 3rd Bn's companies and the other Bn's and Companies gets missed in Turkish documents?

 

Clearly the 27th and 57th Regt are well known and all there officers recorded, but not the 26th Regt at this vital area?

 

Have you blokes found any names during your readings?

 

Known commander

 

Maj Hafiz Kadri Bey    CO 26th Regt - RHQ 1915

 

Maj Mahmut Sabri Bey    26th Regt - OC 3Bn -  4-15 

 

Lt Abdürrahim Efendi     26th Regt - 3Bn - 10Co -    KIA 25-4-15
Sgt Yahya     26th Regt - 3Bn - 10Co - 1 plat 4-15      WIA 25-4-15 DoW date? took over when plat officer killed and held Ertugrul Bay at Helles

 

I did find another name but no details on what sub unit?

 

Lt Abdul Rahman Efendi    26th Regt - 3Bn - ?Co - ?Plat 1915   at Seddülbahir Fort 
 

And possibly

 

Maj Halim Bey    26th Regt - OC 1Bn

 

Can you fill any gaps here?

 

Cheers

S.B
 

[emrezmen]

We don't have anything regarding the regiment's service at Gallipoli published yet except for a disappointingly weak PhD thesis, Mahmut Sabri's account and the diary of an officer from 3/26th which was published in 2014. The officer lists the company commanders of his battalion as follows:

 

9th Company:

Captain Bahri

 

10th Coy:

Captain Hüseyin (WIA or KIA?)
1st Lieutenant Izzet  

 

11th Coy:

Captain Idris (probably KIA)

1st-Lt. Mustafa (WIA or KIA?)

Lt. Hacı Ahmet

 

(12th Coy is not listed)

 

Others:

Doctor: Captain Nuri

Quartermaster: 1st-Lt. Mahmut

Battalion Chaplain (Imam): Hafız Saadettin 

 

Source: Sayılır, B. (2014). Selanikli Yüzbaşı Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendi’nin Çanakkale Muharebeleri Günlüğü, Grafiker Yayınları, Ankara, p.64-65.

 

On 24/06/2020 at 07:27, stevebecker said:

Lt Abdürrahim Efendi     26th Regt - 3Bn - 10Co -    KIA 25-4-15

He was probably not killed on 25 April. Mahmut Sabri mentions that he withdrawn along with his platoon from the castle.

 

On 24/06/2020 at 07:27, stevebecker said:

Sgt Yahya     26th Regt - 3Bn - 10Co - 1 plat 4-15      WIA 25-4-15 DoW date? took over when plat officer killed and held Ertugrul Bay at Helles

 

Sgt. Yahya (b.1887) DOW on 5 June after being WIA on the first day of the 3rd Krithia.

 

 

Edited 26 June , 2020 by emrezmen

[Guest]

Emrezmen,

 

Thank you for filling these gaps.

 

Sorry to see the 2Bn, who reinforced the 3Bn, that morning didn't get any mentions, as I was after the commander of the 7th Company who led the bayonet attack on W Beach and was killed in that action?

 

I did notice something that you may be able to help with Sgt Yahya, the Offical History shows him with 3Bn 10th Company, with his platoons of 63 men at Ertugrul Bay (or Gözcübaba) at Helles.

 

Erickson mentions him with 3Bn 12th Company?

 

Now from what I understand the 10th Company held Seddülbahir area and the 12th Company around Teke Koyu

 

The 9th and 11th companies were in reserve that morning and the 11th was sent to Seddülbahir after the landings

 

Cheers

 

Stay safe

 

S.B

 

 

[emrezmen]

12 hours ago, stevebecker said:

Sorry to see the 2Bn, who reinforced the 3Bn, that morning didn't get any mentions, as I was after the commander of the 7th Company who led the bayonet attack on W Beach and was killed in that action?

 

OC/7th Company Captain Yusuf Kenan was killed during the attack on X Beach. He was supposed to reinforce either V or W Beach (this would be decided by CO/3rd Bn. Mahmut Sabri) but upon seeing the British landing at X Beach, he decided to attack on the Royal Fusiliers there on his own initiative. Attack was initially promising and caused some panic amongst the British but eventually repulsed. (BTW - Yusuf Kenan's letters from the front was published a couple years ago).

 

 

12 hours ago, stevebecker said:

I did notice something that you may be able to help with Sgt Yahya, the Offical History shows him with 3Bn 10th Company, with his platoons of 63 men at Ertugrul Bay (or Gözcübaba) at Helles.

 

12 hours ago, stevebecker said:

Erickson mentions him with 3Bn 12th Company?

 

He was definitely at V Beach during the landings which makes him a part of the 10th Coy. Mahmut Sabri especially mentioned him in his account. Exact strength of his unit is unknown but Mahmut Sabri says that Yahya assumed command of a total force of "five squads" - roughly 50-60 men. (The force defending V Beach was no more than 300 men in total initially)

 

12 hours ago, stevebecker said:

The 9th and 11th companies were in reserve that morning and the 11th was sent to Seddülbahir after the landings

 

Mahmut Sabri deployed 11th Coy to V Beach (10th Coy) and 9th to W (12th Coy). Throwing all his available reserve into battle, he requested another coy from 2nd Battalion, and Yusuf Kenan's 7th Coy, which was diverted to X Beach as I tried to explain above, was sent.

 

 

[Guest]

Mate,

 

Thank you for these details, fills a number of holes.

 

I sorry to see many of these mens names have been lost to us.

 

Cheers

 

S.B