Need help with school project,

[canihavehelpplease]

Does anyone have a copy of a letter from an Ottoman soldier? If anyone could reply with a legible and translated letter that describes their experiences in the war as well as some of their opinions fighting against the Australians on the Galipoli front.

 

Thanks in advance, 

Edited 6 November by canihavehelpplease
clarified

[kenf48]

Welcome to the GWF

Your post has been approved but I think you need to be more explicit as to what you ate seeking and give us a little context

[canihavehelpplease]

thanks, hgo

[knittinganddeath]

This topic has some good links:

 

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

While I can not claim to have read these books or accounts, these I have on record other then those already mentioned;

Pte / Nefer    Bayraktir Memish    27th Regt (1915)        wrote accounts see book "The boys who came Home" by Broadbent

Onbasi    NCO    Emin (Çöl)    unknown unit?    WIA     he was blinded by a bomb wrote book "Çanakkale-Sina Savaslari" (Battles at Gallipoli and Sinai) printed in 1977

Topçu Binbasi    Maj    Eyüp Bey (Durukan)    Artillery officer Dardanelles Fortified Area Command        Top.1319-2 graduated class 1903 to Maj Gen 1935 Retired 21-4-1941 wrote book "From Gallipoli to Mudros (1915-1918): A Life in Diaries III (Çanakkale’den Mondros’a (1915-1918) Günlüklerde Bir Ömür – III)"

Yüzbasi     Capt    Faik Efendi     27th Regt - 2Bn - OC 8Co 4-15    WIA 25-4-15    wrote account in book of his war shown took command 3 Plat from Sgt Sulyman WIA

Mülazim-i / Tegmen / Üstegmen    Lt    Hasan Remzi Fertan    1st Div    1915-    wrote book "Hasan Remzi Fertan'in Harp Hatiralari. L. Erdemir"

Tegmen/Üstegmen    Lt deR    Ibradili Ibrahim or Ibrahim Hayreddin (Agildere) Efendi    27th Regt - 2Bn - 4Co - 2 plat    WIA 25-4-15    died 1959 commander at Fishermans Hut Gallipoli 25-4-15 Law student at the Uni. of Istanbul from Ibrada wrote unpublished account later published account in book of his war

Çavus    Sgt / Çavus    Ibrahim Arikan     61st Regt - 3Bn - 9Co        Wrote book "A Soldier in the Ottoman Army: Gallipoli-Galicia-Palestine Memories of a Mehmetcik" or "(Osmanli Ordusunda Bir Nefer Bir Mehmetçigin Çanakkale-Galiçya-Filistin Cephesi Anilari)"

Mülazim-i sani / Üstegmen    2/Lt    Ibrahim Naci Efendi    unit unknown        wrote "Farewell - A Turkish Officer's Diary of the Gallipoli Campaign"

Nefer    Pte / Nefer    Ihsan Salih Turjman    Ottoman Army clerk Jerusalem HQ    1914-18    23 years old (wrote diary) shot by Ottoman officer during withdrawal killed 20-11-17

Nefer    Pte / Nefer    Koja Mustafa    57th Regt (1915)     WIA 1915 blow off L/hand and wounded L/leg by bomb at Gallipoli    wrote accounts see book "The boys who came Home" by Broadbent

Mülazim-i / Tegmen / Üstegmen    Lt    Mehmed Fasih Efendi    47th Regiment - 2Bn - 5Co        served at Gallipoli 1915 wrote book "Bloody ridge" to Brigadier:1945 to Maj Gen 1947 to Lt Gen 1953 retired August 18 1960

Subay    unknown    Mehmet Akif Ersoy    civilian agent of Teskilat-i Mahsusa        born 1873 died 1936 WWI with Teskilat-i Mahsusa & War of Independence wrote poems and articles presenting the Gallipoli campaign as a kind of ‘resistance of Islam against the Infidel

Mülazim-i / Tegmen / Üstegmen    Lt    Muharrem Efendi     27th Regt - 2Bn - 8Co - 2plat    WIA 25-4-15 both arms shot    wrote account in book of his war

Topçu Mülazim-i / Tegmen/Üstegmen    Lt to Capt    Sarkis Bey (Torossian)    Artillery Gallipoli forts (he states 6th Heavy Artillery Regt (Fort Ertogrul)         (born 1891 died 17-10-54) graduated 1914 of Armenian descent who fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and according to his memoirs deserted when most of his family was massacred shown in Sept 1918 switched sides to Armenian legion French Army in Cilicia 1919 wrote book "From Dardanelles to Palestine" 

Süvari Tegmen/Üstegmen    Lt Cav    Serif Efendi (Güralp)    8th Cavalry Regt 3rd Sqn (3rd Cav Div) to ADC to LtCol Refet Bey CO 3rd Div     PoW 30-9-18    (born 1887 in Edirne ) (I326-SV.18) graduated 1910 as 2/Lt Balkan War 1912-13 in 1914 Lt 3rd Cav Regt to 8th Cav Regt PoW to Capt War of Independence of 1919-1922 to Maj 10th Cav Regt (1 Cav Div) 1924 to LtCol 1932 and Col 1937 retired 1945 wrote book ""Bir Askerin Günlügünden, Çanakkale Cephesinden Filistin'e" ( From Diary of a soldier: From Çanakkale/Gallipoli to Palastine)"

Nefer    Pte / Nefer    Shahin Adil    27th Regt - 2Bn - ?Co (1915)        wrote accounts see book "The boys who came Home" by Broadbent

Topçu    Gnr (Arty)    Trudal Recep    27th Regt  (1915)        wrote accounts see book "The boys who came Home" by Broadbent
 

Edited 6 November by stevenbecker

[canihavehelpplease]

Thanks, ill look at these 

really apprciate this 

[seaJane]

There are extracts from one Turkish officer's diary in a book called A war in words: the First World War in diaries and letters, compiled by Sarah Wallis and Svetlana Palmer 

[Jeff Pickerd]

Hope this is still in time for your project.

A letter from Captain Mehmet Tevfik, possibly the 27th Regiment, dated 31st May, 1915, to his parents two weeks before he was killed.

 

“Monday, May 31, 1915

Ariburnu

To my beloved father and mother.

Dear Father, beloved Mother.

During the first terrible battle I fought at Ariburnu (Anzac) a bullet grazed my right side and passed through my trousers. God be praised, I was spared. But, I do not hope to survive future battles in which I will fight. I am writing these lines so you will have something to remember me by.

I thank God that he enabled me to become a soldier and reach this rank. You, as my parents, did all you could to raise me and make it possible for me to serve my country and my people. You are my heart, you are my soul, and you are the inspiration of my life. I am eternally grateful to God and to you.

Beloved Father, dearest Mother, I entrust my beloved wife, Munevver, and my dear son Nezih first to God and then to your protection. Please for them whatever is possible. Please help my wife in raising my son and providing him with the necessary education. I know we are not wealthy or people of means. So, I knew I cannot ask for anything more than what is possible. To ask would be quite in vain. Please give the enclosed letter addressed  (sic) to my wife into her own hands. She will be devastated, so please do what you canto to consol her grief. She will weep and mouurn. Please comfort her.

Dear relatives, beloved friends and comrades, farewell to you all. All of you please bid me farewell and pray for my soul. I will pray for yours.

Belved father and mother. Internally trust you to God.

Farewell.

Your son Mehmet Tavfik.”

 

Jeff

Edited 11 November by Jeff Pickerd

[Jeff Pickerd]

Got called away,

The accreditation for Mehmet Tevfik was from the “Companion to the Feature Length Documentary, Gallipoli, page 117, by Tolga Ornek & Feza Toker published in Istanbul, 2005.

Jeff

[stevenbecker]

Thanks Jeff,

While I could find no record of a Yüzbasi   /  Capt    Mehmet Tevfik of the 27th Regt either being killed around the date 14 June 1915 or in the 27th Regt, I added him just to make sure.

I did have a Binbasi  /  Maj    Mehmet Tevfik    29th Regt, but no record of his death, at lest not at Çanakkale

But you never know in this game.

I did have this man

Nefer    Pte / Nefer (734)    Mehmet Tevfik    27th Regt - 3Bn - 2Co (10Co)     DoW 8-8-15