Any clues from these photos

[Guest KevinEndon]

Posted on behalf of Daggers aka Richard

Can you see anything in the photos to help with i.d. please

[tootrock]

Some of the chaps in the group photo seem to have the large lapels that typify "Hospital Blue" uniforms.

Regards,

Martin

[Heid the Ba]

The single seated figure, is that a back drop behind him? Sorry I can't tell if it is real. Whichever it is, it looks a bit like Haghia Sofia in Constantinople. I can't make out the writing though.

[daggers]

Kevin kindly helped me out with posting the photos which proved beyond me. The originals are not studio quality, but much improved by his efforts.

The single figure has a rough painted backdrop with domes and spires. Top left there is Greek writing. Top right it says ‘Eglise Sainte ??? Constantinople’. The snap of the child is superimposed, perhaps by the photographer who took the main image. The subject is John Hooley, private, Army Ordnance Corps, his number: 045230. His MIC shows BWM without theatre or date of entry. He was, from other evidence, serving in Salonika in December 1916. His documents have not survived.

The group photo has '43 General Hospital Salonika 1919', which fits in with the 'hospital blue' idea in the previous post.

Any more theories or ideas welcome.

Daggers

[Heid the Ba]

That explains why it looks like Haghia Sophia, or Eglise Sainte Sophia in French. It was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople so it might easily crop up as a backdrop in a Greek photographers.

Any idea what the greek says, or can you transcribe it?

[Heid the Ba]

Any joy with the greek?

[apwright]

Kev/Daggers,

Can't read the Greek at that resolution, but the second line could easily be ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΙΣ for Constantinople.

My Great Uncle Percy (see sig.) was also in the AOC in Salonika, and his postcards and photos show that he too went (by train) to Constantinople in 1919, but apparently only for a few days because he only managed to take two photos there before boarding a ship back to Blighty for demob.

I'd also be interested to see a higher res scan of the 43 General Hospital photo, because it was situated about 200 yds from where I'm sitting now! Are there any inscriptions or numbers on the door or walls of the hut?

When the Entente forces finally departed, the huts remained and were used to house refugees from Asia Minor until "proper" housing could be built for them - and in some areas that was not until well into the 1930s.

Adrian

[Heid the Ba]

Thanks Adrian, my greek is pretty shaky but my guess was that it would say the same in both languages.