Help Identifying Event in Photo - 1919

[Kevin Tobin]

I have recently acquired this photo in a lot of medals and photos of an Ox & Bucks soldier.

Can anyone identify from the writing on the banners etc where this might be or what the event is? I was wondering if this was part of the Ox & Bucks deployment to Russia in 1919?

Thank you for looking and thanks in advance for any information.

[seaJane]

The sign in the top left hand corner is recognisably in Cyrillic script and could be Russian. I think the second hyphenated element, transcribed, is SIUNI or SIUNA (IU or YU being one letter).

But I don't recognise the script on the banners; it doesn't even look like old-style (imperial/pre-revolution) Cyrillic. It might be Georgian. If it's of any relevance, Stalin was Georgian - there seems to be a crossed sickle on one of the upper banners.

I'll ask around, if I may.

[Edit: or Bulgarian. Still thinking]

Edited 31 July , 2021 by seaJane

[ajsmith]

I think the language on the banner is Armenian the word beginning with the letter that looks like a three I think is Յունուար the Armenian for January. (Hoonvar) so it could be some event associated with the 1st Armenian Republic (1918-1920) possibly in Yerevan or Tbilisi. But I could be wrong other opinions would be welcome.

[Kevin Tobin]

Thank you both for the help so far.

 

[AOK4]

The coat of arms visible in the background seems Armenian as well (the tetramorph).

[seaJane]

I have two other votes for Armenian from friends and colleagues.

So all you need to do now is find someone who reads it! .

For an event, I note this in Wikipedia's article on the First Republic of Armenia (which is worth a read to understand some of the political manoeuvring that went on) - 

"In January 1919 another important milestone was completed by the Armenian Parliament, which was the opening of the country's first state university, Yerevan State University."

[Kevin Tobin]

Thank you all.  Just need to find a link for the Ox & Bucks to Armenia.

Great help as always, thanks

[Gardenerbill]

The 7th and 8th Battalions of the Ox and Bucks serve in Salonika with 26th Division, After the armistice 26th Division became part of the Allied Armies of the Orient responsible for occupation, however 26th Division were sent to the Danube as part of the occupation of Bulgaria and I can't find any reference to them being part of the occupation of Turkey or Armenia. Similarly the 1st Battalion Ox and Bucks served with the 6th (Poona) Division in Mesopotamia could it be that they formed part of the army of occupation in Turkey and Armenia?

[Kevin Tobin]

Thanks for that.

 

The 1st Battalion history book has no mention of Armenia or Turkey. 

[ajsmith]

It might be worth looking at the British/Armenian occupation of the city of Kars in the spring of 1919. They were there to replace the Turkish government with an Armenian one the Turkish officials were arrested and sent to Malta. 

[RogerWill]

It is Armenian script (according to Armenians I know). Some of it seems to refer to  the 'Bulgarian committee of Dashnaktsutun' and we have a date of '23 January 1919' and some further reference to 'Devoted to massacre victims'  and a place 'Zangezur' or 'Sanaser' (its rather unclear).

So, long story short, yes its Armenian and seems to be in Bulgaria probably at the start of 1919...

 

Its a great photo by the way

[Kevin Tobin]

Thank you to you and your friends.