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Remembered Today:

Turkish POW's and POW's in AfyonKarahisar


Dogan Sahin

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Hi,

I have just joined and found the site an invaluable source for those interested in history.

I am an amateur researcher/writer and am interested in history of wars. Currently I am working on Turkish POW's kept in Sidibishir camp in ww1. I would much appreciate it if you could help me finding names, diaries, memoirs of those who were kept there and/or accounts of those who worked there.

I live in AfyonKarahisar city in Turkey. A media group has asked me to compile information on those British, Australian, French soldiers kept in Afyonkarahisar town. We know that there were 3 POW's who unfortunately died in the camps and were buried in the old cemetary here (which is now non-existent). We are thinking of erecting symbolic tombstones for those soldiers in an appropriate place in Afyon (this is just in the planning stage at the moment). So I would appreciate any info, pictures etc. on those who were kept in AfyonKarahisar camp. You may if you wish write to me private emails.

Thank you in advance for your help.

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Quote: "Currently I am working on Turkish POW's kept in Sidibishir camp in ww1. I would much appreciate it if you could help me finding names, diaries, memoirs of those who were kept there and/or accounts of those who worked there"

Dogan,

Welcome to the Great War Forum.

In case you do not know of it already, then go to

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10589/10589-h/10589-h.htm

and there see the text of the book

TURKISH PRISONERS IN EGYPT

A Report By The Delegates Of The International Committee Of The Red Cross

Extracted and translated from the Official Reports of the Red Cross Society

(Documents publiés à l'occasion de la Guerre Européenne, 1914-1917)

Published in 1917

In particular see

"chapter 7. Sidi Bishr Camp. (Visited on January 6, 1917.)"

Sorry I cannot be of more help. Best of luck with your research

Regards

Michael

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Dogan,

as Michael said, welcome to the forum. I am sorry I didn’t get in touch with you before this, I’ve been rather busy and haven't been on the forum much lately, so only just saw your posting. I should explain that I am an Australian writer and historian living in the town of Eceabat, on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

One of the topics I have researched happens to be Allied, and particularly Australian, POWs in Turkey. I have even been to your very nice home town.

I haven’t got all my papers with me but I do have some information on Afyonkarahisar and its times as a prison camp.

From early 1915, Afyon was used as a prison camp, both officers and men being kept in houses, rather than in a proper camp with barbed wire around it. The first prisoners there were Russians, mainly officers from merchant ships seized in Turkish harbours at the very beginning of the war. They were joined in early 1915 by officers and men from the French navy, survivors of the submarine Saphir.

From late April onwards, there was a small but steady flow of sailors and soldiers captured during the Gallipoli Campaign. These included the crews of the British submarines E-15 and E-7, the Australian sub AE2, the French subs Mariotte and Turquoise and officers and men From the British, French New Zealand and Australian armies. Later, there were some prisoner captured at Kut in Iraq sent to the camp and other officers captured in Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

From about mid 1916 onwards, the town was mainly used as a camp for officers, most of the other ranks being transferred to the south to work on the construction of the railway in the Toros Mountains, though some worked in Istanbul, Sivas, Ankara, Nusaybin, and other locations. However, some remained to act as batmen, or officers servants. Some of these men were considered too weak, due to wounds or illness, to work on the railway or elsewhere.

Some of the guards at the camp were from the Turkish navy, including some officers from the Mesudiye, sunk in December 1914 near Canakkale. Other guards were reservists, men considered too old to serve at the front.

Treatment of prisoners at Afyon varied. It has to be said that one camp commander, in the latter part of the war, was hated by the prisoners as he physically and sexually abused men, and was known to arrange to have their Red Cross parcels stolen, selling the contents in shops in the town. At the insistence of the British, this officer was court marshaled after the war by the Ottoman government.

There is a large amount of material available from the Australian War Memorial about the prison camp at Afyon, including photos, diaries, and letters. This can be found at the memorial’s web site www.awm.gov.au and searching the collections. Remember to search using the spelling Afion or Afionkarahisar, as that is how the prisoners spelt the town’s name.

There are also a number of books that deal with POWs at Afyon. At least one was translated into Turkish just a few years ago, Stoker’s Submarine, written by Fred and Elisabeth Brenchley.

Others include Guest of the Unspeakable, by Thomas White (an Australian pilot captured in Iraq); The Story of Harold Earl – Australian, by L H Luscombe (an Australian infantry officer captured at Gallipoli); Turkish Days and Ways, by James Brown (an Australian doctor serving with the British in Egypt captured in 1916); and Straws in the Wind, by Dacres Stoker, the British officer who commanded the AE2). I know there was also a small book written in French by one of the survivors of the French sub Saphir and a number of other references in English books. A British officer, John Still, also wrote a book on his time as a prisoner in Turkey, but I can’t recall the name at the moment. Most of these were written in the 1920s and are hard to find.

Most of the prisoners who died at Afyon, and there were more than three, were buried in either the town’s Armenian cemetery. After the war, their bodies were recovered and transferred to Baghdad, mostly to the North Gate Cemetery.

I hope this has been of some help to you in your research. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail if I can be of further assistance.

Interestingly, I have recently been contacted by a local history group from Belemedik, near Pozanti, where many of the other rank POWs were sent from Afyon in 1916 to work on the railway. It is great to see local groups looking more deeply into their history.

All the best

Bill Sellars

PS, can I ask which production company or media group you are helping with your research?

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Hi Dogan,

as Michael said, welcome to the forum. I am sorry I didn't get in touch with you before this, I've been rather busy and haven't been on the forum much lately, so only just saw your posting. I should explain that I am an Australian writer and historian living in the town of Eceabat, on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

One of the topics I have researched happens to be Allied, and particularly Australian, POWs in Turkey. I have even been to your very nice home town.

I haven't got all my papers with me but I do have some information on Afyonkarahisar and its times as a prison camp.

From early 1915, Afyon was used as a prison camp, both officers and men being kept in houses, rather than in a proper camp with barbed wire around it. The first prisoners there were Russians, mainly officers from merchant ships seized in Turkish harbours at the very beginning of the war. They were joined in early 1915 by officers and men from the French navy, survivors of the submarine Saphir.

From late April onwards, there was a small but steady flow of sailors and soldiers captured during the Gallipoli Campaign. These included the crews of the British submarines E-15 and E-7, the Australian sub AE2, the French subs Mariotte and Turquoise and officers and men From the British, French New Zealand and Australian armies. Later, there were some prisoner captured at Kut in Iraq sent to the camp and other officers captured in Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

From about mid 1916 onwards, the town was mainly used as a camp for officers, most of the other ranks being transferred to the south to work on the construction of the railway in the Toros Mountains, though some worked in Istanbul, Sivas, Ankara, Nusaybin, and other locations. However, some remained to act as batmen, or officers servants. Some of these men were considered too weak, due to wounds or illness, to work on the railway or elsewhere.

Some of the guards at the camp were from the Turkish navy, including some officers from the Mesudiye, sunk in December 1914 near Canakkale. Other guards were reservists, men considered too old to serve at the front.

Treatment of prisoners at Afyon varied. It has to be said that one camp commander, in the latter part of the war, was hated by the prisoners as he physically and sexually abused men, and was known to arrange to have their Red Cross parcels stolen, selling the contents in shops in the town. At the insistence of the British, this officer was court marshaled after the war by the Ottoman government.

There is a large amount of material available from the Australian War Memorial about the prison camp at Afyon, including photos, diaries, and letters. This can be found at the memorial's web site www.awm.gov.au and searching the collections. Remember to search using the spelling Afion or Afionkarahisar, as that is how the prisoners spelt the town's name.

There are also a number of books that deal with POWs at Afyon. At least one was translated into Turkish just a few years ago, Stoker's Submarine, written by Fred and Elisabeth Brenchley.

Others include Guest of the Unspeakable, by Thomas White (an Australian pilot captured in Iraq); The Story of Harold Earl – Australian, by L H Luscombe (an Australian infantry officer captured at Gallipoli); Turkish Days and Ways, by James Brown (an Australian doctor serving with the British in Egypt captured in 1916); and Straws in the Wind, by Dacres Stoker, the British officer who commanded the AE2). I know there was also a small book written in French by one of the survivors of the French sub Saphir and a number of other references in English books. A British officer, John Still, also wrote a book on his time as a prisoner in Turkey, but I can't recall the name at the moment. Most of these were written in the 1920s and are hard to find.

Most of the prisoners who died at Afyon, and there were more than three, were buried in either the town's Armenian cemetery. After the war, their bodies were recovered and transferred to Baghdad, mostly to the North Gate Cemetery.

I hope this has been of some help to you in your research. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail if I can be of further assistance.

Interestingly, I have recently been contacted by a local history group from Belemedik, near Pozanti, where many of the other rank POWs were sent from Afyon in 1916 to work on the railway. It is great to see local groups looking more deeply into their history.

All the best

Bill Sellars

PS, can I ask which production company or media group you are helping with your research?

Hi

I Thank both of you who commented. Seems as if there is not much we can find. I have found some info but not enough. Eceabat I have lived in Australia for 20 years and am now in Afyon. I am doing the research fpr Bodrum İskele Meydani magazine. First part of the research is about to be published (25th January). If you contact me through email I should like to keep in touch with you and send you a copy. (dsahin@dekonpro.com)

Regards

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Dogan,

You might find some usefull information from these previous discussions on the Australian Light Horse Association.

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2979

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3167

Jeff

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Dogan,

You might find some usefull information from these previous discussions on the Australian Light Horse Association.

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2979

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3167

Jeff

Hi again,

I have completed the article on Turkish POWs and 1st part of it is about to be published (the publisher is still waiting for a couple of ads to be placed! I was told).

Still searching for British Submarine crew lists (except AE2) and what happened to them after repatriation. Though I have some names , its not enough. I have the rest of the material I need for a book (lots of translation!) and was asked by the Deputy Governor of afion and the Director for Cultural affairs to compile a book on POWs in afion. The governor has approved of placing plaques (I hope this is how its spelt) and the authorities approve of establishing a small"museum" in one of the remaining 3 of the places they were kept, in principle , upon my suggestions. So, I am getting the hang of it by now! I have the names, current state, adresses of places in afion where interestingly enough mostly navy personnell were kept. Another interesting finding was that all of the german and british graves were exhumed but the bodies of indian pows are still in belemedik, graveyard in ruins...And still no records whatsoever of Russians, except a sketch of the Medrese by one of them...

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Hello Dogan and Eceabat....hope you don't mind me joining in your POW discussions.

I have been researching a man (great uncle) taken prisoner on Gallipoli (H Rosevere, 8th Lancashire Fusiliers, captured 8th August 1915, died 11 march 1917......I believe at Belemedik (tunnel works) I thought buried at Baghdad North gate, But now believe only on memorial there, rather than buried. Would you know what happened to those who died at Belemedik but were not re-buried later at Baghdad? Presumably still there? Any info would be very gratefully received.

Many Thanks, Peter

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Hello again....Sorry Bill, just looked at my records and found you had already been very helpful....didn't recognise name at first.....sory to ask you again. If you do have any new info, still gratefully received, Regards Peter

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Hello again....Sorry Bill, just looked at my records and found you had already been very helpful....didn't recognise name at first.....sory to ask you again. If you do have any new info, still gratefully received, Regards Peter

Hi Mebu

You are right, not all bodies were exhumed. I wouldn't be surprised if the soldier you are seraching for is still buried in belemedik. certainly none of the many Indian dead were not exhumed and I have been informed that the graveyard is overrun buy bush..

regards

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Hello Dogan.....does that mean that there is still a cemetery at Belemedik for tunnel worker POWs?

Regards, Peter

Sure is..

regards..

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Thanks for the info Dogan......I had thought that all POW graves were geing looked after by CWGC.

Bill, as an obvious expert in this field.......do you know if CWGC are aware that some British and Australian soldiers may still be buried in what seems to be a neglected cemetery?

Regards, Peter

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I understand that those bodies that could be found were brought to Iraq c. 1928 and those that could not were commemorated on memorials in Iraq. I believe the CWGC does not maintain the original sites.

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Thanks for the info Dogan......I had thought that all POW graves were geing looked after by CWGC.

Bill, as an obvious expert in this field.......do you know if CWGC are aware that some British and Australian soldiers may still be buried in what seems to be a neglected cemetery?

Regards, Peter

Well no I am not aware of CWGC work. This was relayed purely coincidentally by a person who lives there. His father told him that there is a section of the valley that Indians were buried and thatb they used to see some being "burned". In the beginning I thought this might be somethin they made up but when I heard that the old man said "burned" I was sure he was tellling the truth for at that time in anatolia inthe middle of nowehere a villager could not know some indians "burned" their dead. In any case there are some remains apparently of graves but over the years rocks fell , bush grew etc. If necessary I would be obliged to go and personally investigate..

regards

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Hi all,

sorry for the slow reply, work has kept me from important things like the forum.

As it so happens, I have been to Belemedik, some 20 years ago. Yes, I found the remains of the cemetery where POWs were buried and it appeared that some graves remained, though I believe these were of Russians rather than French or Commonwealth POWs.

All the graves of Commonwealth and French POWs that could be found were relocated after the war, with the remains of Commonwealth soldiers moved to Baghdad. However, not all graves could be found, especially those of men who had died in Turkish hospitals or away from the camp. This was the case for at least one of the crewmen of the Australian submarine AE2. Those whose graves could not be found are commemorated in one of the CWGC cemeteries in Baghdad, North Gate I think it is. There is no question of these men lying in a neglected cemetery.

It is also possible that some of those buried at Belemedik or elsewhere were removed to Baghdad but their bodies could not be identified. While extensive work was done by graves registration units after the war, records were often sketchy, though surviving POWs tried to keep track of all burials. It is possible that the remains of some men located in cemeteries were missed but in the case of Belemedik less likely as a proper burial ground had been set aside and better records kept.

It should also be remembered that Belemedik was just one of about a dozen camps strung out along the railway, with most having their share of fatalities and burials. I do know from my research on the subject of POWs in Turkey that a lot of work was done post war to find all those who died while in captivity, but in some cases men still lie in unmarked graves. Often, where they existed, these men were buried by the Turks or their mates in nearby Christian cemeteries if the men died in or near a town or settlement.

Another matter to take into consideration is the sharp jump in POW deaths that came with the arrival of the survivors of the Kut march. Those who survived the march from Kut were mainly sent to southern Turkey, but their general state of health meant they were unfit for work on the railway. Many died having arrived in Turkey from Iraq, with far more having died on the march itself. For example, of the nine Australians captured at Kut, all members of the Australian Half Flight, six died in the first three months of captivity and another before the end of the war.

As to Indian troops, those of the fallen who were Hindu were cremated wherever possible. I have a photo taken in 1919 of the bodies of Ghurka's being cremated near Hill Q on the Gallipoli Peninsula after the Allies returned following the Armistice. It was often impossible for an Indian soldier's comrades to perform the proper rituals while prisoners, especially during the march from Kut, where so many men fell out and died at the side of the road.

Indian soldiers whose bodies were located after the war were cremated if Hindu, buried if Muslim. In the 1960s (if my failing memory serves) the CWGC relocated a cemetery from the Aegean city of Izmir (formerly Smyrna) to Istanbul's Haidarpasha Cemetery as it was becoming too difficult to maintain the small cemetery. The cemetery mainly served as the resting place of Indian soldiers who died during the Allied occupation of Turkey after the war. The remains of the Muslim soldiers were carefully moved to Haidarpasha and reburied. As the Hindu soldiers had been cremated, soil from the area where their ashes had been scattered was collected and brought to Istanbul to be placed in the Haidarpasha cemetery. I recommend a visit to Haidarpasha for any Pals who come to Turkey. There are a number of POW burials there as well, not all the graves being identified, and many from the time of the occupation. Those POWs buried here mainly died of wounds or disease in Istanbul, many at the nearby hospital, the same one Florence Nightingale served at during the Crimean War. There are some 6000 Crimean War burials in the cemetery, though few have marked graves.

As an aside, I was recently contacted by a member of a local culture and heritage group in Belemedik seeking more information of the POWs as part of a wider project to record the history of the region. The group was also involved in restoring a German monument to the men of that country who died during the war in the region.

I hope this is of some use.

Cheers

Bill

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Thanks for that, Bill, you have obviously researched the matter. Looks as if all that could be done, has been done by CWGC. I am presuming my great uncle died in Belemedik as a note mentioning that appeared in local paper saying a card had been received from Belemidik Pozanti. Maybe he,s still nearby, maybe in Baghdad.

Thanks for your help, and thanks to Dogan. Peter

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Hi Peter,

something I should have said in my previous posting was that Belemedik was the administrative centre for work on that section of the railway. It is possible that while a card may have come from Belemedik itself, it could also have referred to a number of points up and down the line.

If a card was sent at the time, it is probably it came from one of your great uncle's colleagues in one of the camps. I can' recall his name coming up in the diaries or letters of the Australian and NZ POWs I have researched, but when I can (am snowed under at the moment I am afraid), I'll have another look.

Cheers

Bill

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi all,

...

All the graves of Commonwealth and French POWs that could be found were relocated after the war, ...

Indian soldiers whose bodies were located after the war were cremated if Hindu, buried if Muslim.

As an aside, I was recently contacted by a member of a local culture and heritage group in Belemedik seeking more information of the POWs as part of a wider project to record the history of the region. The group was also involved in restoring a German monument to the men of that country who died during the war in the region.

I hope this is of some use.

Cheers

Bill

Further to Mr. Sellars's comment,

I have done some further research and I can say that mostly English and Anzac grave (remains) were exhumed in belemedik and I insist that there are remains of Indian (sixh or otherwise) fallen in belemedik region. I guesss work to be done had proven great and only superficial works had been carried out by UK.gov.

I can assure you there are indian (commonwealth) graves of POWS fallen for one reason or another in belemedik. Mr. Sellars should first tell us as to what his sources of info are as to none remains there and how can he be so certain!

Regards

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  • 3 months later...
Hi,

I have just joined and found the site an invaluable source for those interested in history.

I am an amateur researcher/writer and am interested in history of wars. Currently I am working on Turkish POW's kept in Sidibishir camp in ww1. I would much appreciate it if you could help me finding names, diaries, memoirs of those who were kept there and/or accounts of those who worked there.

I live in AfyonKarahisar city in Turkey. A media group has asked me to compile information on those British, Australian, French soldiers kept in Afyonkarahisar town. We know that there were 3 POW's who unfortunately died in the camps and were buried in the old cemetary here (which is now non-existent). We are thinking of erecting symbolic tombstones for those soldiers in an appropriate place in Afyon (this is just in the planning stage at the moment). So I would appreciate any info, pictures etc. on those who were kept in AfyonKarahisar camp. You may if you wish write to me private emails.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Hi Dogan,

My

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Hi Dogan,

My wife's father, Robert McColl, was a prisoner at Afion for seven months in 1916.

He was captured with nine other men of the 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment

at Romani on 4 August, and arrived at Afion on 28 August after walking, riding on pack

camels,and travelling in cattle trucks, then a 30 km walk over the Taurus Mountains

between railways.

Along the way they were joined by 19 crewmen from the armed yacht "Zaida", formerly

Lord Roseberry's yacht, which was sunk on 17 August.

The other 2ALHR men captured at Romani were Sgt G.R. Drysdale, Cpls J. Somerville

and F.E. Easton, Dvr A. Day, and Troopers J.E. Ward, E. Hobson, W.F. Littler, V.I.N.

Kennett and G.W. Handsley.

Of the 80 men in their prison area, foemerly an Armenian church, only 24 were passed

as fit to work by the Turkish Medical Officer.

Hope this is of interest.

Tom.

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My wife's father, Robert McColl, was a prisoner at Afion for seven months in 1916.

Hope this is of interest.

Tom.

Hi Tom

Of course this is important information. I note that you have given info on other prisoners too. Everything will help. Would you perhaps have any photos, diaries, diagrams, memories of (or even a photo of your father inlaw?), when he was released, what he did here, perhaps he did tell a few stories to your wife, info on the children of other prisosoners etc.? The info on the yacht Zaida is interesting too. Your help will be much appreciated. I have gone a long ways since I began this research and have compiled a lot.

regards.

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  • 2 weeks later...
My wife's father, Robert McColl, was a prisoner at Afion for seven months in 1916.

Hope this is of interest.

Tom.

Hi Tom

Of course this is important information. I note that you have given info on other prisoners too. Everything will help. Would you perhaps have any photos, diaries, diagrams, memories of (or even a photo of your father inlaw?), when he was released, what he did here, perhaps he did tell a few stories to your wife, info on the children of other prisosoners etc.? The info on the yacht Zaida is interesting too. Your help will be much appreciated. I have gone a long ways since I began this research and have compiled a lot.

regards.

Hi Dogan,

Here is a list of some more Australian servicemen known to have passed through Afion Kara Hissar during the Great War.

The names are taken mostly from records at the National Archives Australia and Red Cross files. I feel that most of the men from the campaigns in the Palestine area would have gone through Afion initially. Some from the Peninsular appear to have gone straight to Constantinople.

Adams. Frank Mechanic 47 Flying Corps Allan. William Pte 522 9 Bn

Boyle. David Cpl 296 14 Bn Chalcraft. Tom Pte 2252 14 Bn

Clarke. W. John Pte 251 11 LH Cliffe. William L/c 482 4 Bn

Curran. David Mechanic 45 AFC Day. Andrew Dvr 142 2 LH

Dowell. Tom Pte 572 14 Bn Drysdale. George Pte 461 2 LH

Dunne. Bernard Pte 2204 16 Bn Easton. Frank Cpl 317 2 LH

Elston. William Lieut 16 Bn Foster. Edwin Pte 892 15 Bn

Foxcroft. M. Harry Pte 1720 14 Bn Handsley. George Pte 1590 2 LH

Heathcote. Len Lieut AFC Hobson. Edgar Pte 953 2 LH

Hudson. Keith Pte 12 AFC Kelly. James Pte 2051 7 LH

Kennett, Victor Pte 2146 2 LH Kerr. George L/c 888 14 Bn

Killmartin. Hugh Sgt 886 14 Bn King. George Pte 1379 9 Bn

Lightfoot. L Pte 2378 14 Bn Littler. Wilson Pte 1444 2 LH

Lord Mechanic 23 AFC Luscombe. Lesley Lieut 14 Bn

Lushington. Reg Pte 507 16 Bn McColl. Robert Pte 2197 2 LH

McDonald Capt 16 Bn Matthews. Charles Pte 537 9 Bn

Munro. James Mechanic 47 AFC Pasmore. J Pte 486 14 Bn

Patten. Charles Pte 2311 9 LH Rayment. W

Richardson. Duncan Pte 1351 1 LH Roberts. George Pte 938 1 LH

Scroop. Percy L/c 1601 9 LH Sloss. James Mechanic 11 AFC

Soley. Tom Cpl 10 AFC Sommervile. James Pte 1266 2 LH

Sullivan. Harold Sgt 72 9 LH Troy. Martin Pte 688 16 Bn

Ward. John Pte 937 2 LH White. Tom Capt AFC

Williams. Leo Mechanic 16 AFC

I will keep searching and send notes on some later.

Tom

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Adams. Frank 47 Mechanic Flying Corps Boyle. David Cpl 296 14 Bn

Chalcraft. Tom 2252 Pte 14 Bn

List? 3 names..I thought you were going to give a huge list. Thanks anyway. Apart from the last one, I had the other ones..:)))..

I wonder if your wife has some phtos or whether she would like to have her photo printed in a book I am preparing for Afion Governorship..perhaps a few words she would like to say :)

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  • 4 months later...

Hi all,

For those interested in this thread;

ı have succeeded in getting some of my research/evaluation published in :

http://www.smpublication.com/meet_pdf/september2008.pdf

September issue and previous issue in English.

In Turkish :

www.kocatepegazetesi.com

www.afyonhaber.com

www.kenttv.net has received article, next month perhaps ! Both english/turkish

IHA, one of few largest agencies in Turkey interviewed me yesterday. NTV people I communicated, but no results. Dogan medya I persistently talked to but no results either...

Just waiting the result.

regards

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  • 4 weeks later...

Pte. Arthur Lee Porter, Wellington Infantry Battalion, New Zealand (but enlisted as Lee Arthur Porter).

I'm trying to find more information about my Grandfather who served for the New Zealand Armed Forces and was taken as POW in Afyonkarahisar. I'd like to know more about the camp and if there were some additional records about him. The information below (in blue) was sent to me by the NZ Returned Services Association. Thanks Jen Porter, NZ

Hi Jen - I have some information that your grandfather was one of 22 (one of 17 from Wellington Infantry Batttalion) captured on Chunuk Bair in August 1915 and one of only 25 New Zealand POWs in total of the Turks. After being in hospital in Constantinople your grandfather at some stage was a POW in the town/city of Afyonkarahisar

Generally known as Lee by friends. Born 04-09-1891. Died Feilding 21-02-1963 (Palmerston North Hospital)

Joined N.Z.E.F Wellington Infantry Battalion. Regimental No 10/1320. As Lee Arthur Porter. Enlisted 26-10-1914.

Service Training N.Z 77 Days. Service Overseas 4 Yrs-137 Days. Total Service 4 Yrs-214 Days.

Discharged 27-05-1919. Decorations. 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Theatres of Operations. Egypt 1915 .Gallipoli.

Captured and Wounded Gallipoli 08-08-1915. Reported missing Dardanells 15-08-1915.

Prisoner of War confirmed 24-08-1915. Maltipe Hospital (maybe Maltepe) Constantinople. Wounded Head and Hands.

Prisoner of War in Turkey 1915-16-17-18. (We don't know where) Transfered to San Stefano Turkey 05-05-1918.

Released from captivity and arrived Italy 24-11-1918. To several Hospitals in Italy (Dec 1918,Taranto?) then to 81st Gen Hospital. Marseilles 08-12-1918. King George Hospital London 16-12-1918. Discharged 07-01-1919.

Leave to 07-03-1919. Disability Discharge 27-05-1919 ???.

Some doubt as to actual return to N.Z.

SS Raranga X Portsmouth,11-03-1919 to Newport 25-03-1919 (Nova Scotia)

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