Draft Book on Ottoman Uniforms 1800 till 1918

[ukturkcollector]

This is the first Chapter draft of my new book, surveying the development of Ottoman Army Uniforms, from 1800 till 1918:
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[Abadu]

Looks amazing! Will it cover Ottoman Tributary states too?

[ukturkcollector]

Thanks for the feedback. I am still looking at how to include the Egypt and Tunisian troops, and from what period.

Chapter 2 - covers the new army uniforms 1826-39. Here is an illustration of the Band:


Here is the draft Chapter 3: Cavalry 1828-50
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[ukturkcollector]

This is Chapter 4: The infantry between 1839, and 1850:
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[ukturkcollector]

Draft Title page:


CHAP 2: The Infantry 1808 till 1839:
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[ukturkcollector]

Chapter 2:PAGE 5:

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[ukturkcollector]

New plate on the WW1 Turks

[jwsleser]

Chris

I am looking foward to this book. My interest is 1GM and the Russo-Turkish War. Thanks for posting these 'samples'.

Jeff

[button_guru]

Dr Flaherty. What excellent research and work.
Kindly remember to spare half a page to lay out the various buttons worn during the deferent time frames.

[ukturkcollector]

updated WW1 illustrations of Turks:

[Chris Dale]

Great work Chris, really looking forward to the book!

Cheers
Chris

[jwsleser]

Chris Flaherty

I am looking forward to your book. However I am a bit confused on some of the details on Plate 20.

The Onbasi is of the 27th Infantry. Your drawing has the uniform with a grey collar instead of the dark green shown in several Turkish sources. Grey is the color identified for cavalry. I will comment that Türk Askerî Kiyafetleri states that infantry worn ordinary collars in tunic color (page 40). I am not sure whether that was the plan or a wartime modification. Officers certainly wore colored collars. The photographic history tends to support enlisted with plain collars and officers with colored. The grey stripe of color down the front of the tunic is also new to me.

I assume the rifles bascavus is also 1915. The rifle units (Nişanci taburlari) were disbanded in 1913 after the Balkan Wars, so I am uncertain want type of unit this figure represents?

The use of rank stripes on the cuffs. I asked this question on the Askeri Tarih Grubu FB group. The consensus was that the use of cuff rank insignia was Jandarma, while the Ordusu used shoulder strap insignia.

Just some questions based on my limited knowledge. Are their other sources I should look at?

Thanks!

Jeff

[ukturkcollector]

Chris Flaherty

I am looking forward to your book. However I am a bit confused on some of the details on Plate 20.

The Onbasi is of the 27th Infantry. Your drawing has the uniform with a grey collar instead of the dark green shown in several Turkish sources. Grey is the color identified for cavalry. I will comment that Türk Askerî Kiyafetleri states that infantry worn ordinary collars in tunic color (page 40). I am not sure whether that was the plan or a wartime modification. Officers certainly wore colored collars. The photographic history tends to support enlisted with plain collars and officers with colored. The grey stripe of color down the front of the tunic is also new to me.

I assume the rifles bascavus is also 1915. The rifle units (Nişanci taburlari) were disbanded in 1913 after the Balkan Wars, so I am uncertain want type of unit this figure represents?

The use of rank stripes on the cuffs. I asked this question on the Askeri Tarih Grubu FB group. The consensus was that the use of cuff rank insignia was Jandarma, while the Ordusu used shoulder strap insignia.

Just some questions based on my limited knowledge. Are their other sources I should look at?

Thanks!

Jeff

Jeff, thanks so much for these questions.

The use of 'Green', originally (since the Crimean war), was the branch color for Dragoons and the rifle BNs . However, between 1909, and 1914 this color is re-designated for the Machine Guns units. The infantry on the other hand, are designated as 'Olive Green' (British Turk Army Manual 1916); however most of the early color illustrations show this as somewhere between Brown/Dark Grey. Where as Cavalry are clearly always 'Silver Grey'.

The next change is 1916, where the Infantry now:

piyade= infantry, dark green
Makinali tufek= MG, light green
suvari= cavalry, silvery

In doing this book, I am keeping to the view that it is better to keep -in all the contradictory info, rather than loose it (just in case there is more to be discovered down the track).

The debate about the use of NCO cuff lace, very much falls into this category (and cannot confirm either way). The British Turk Army Manual (1916), and other iterations clearly identified this was for the entire army (and that would include the Jandarma - as this stage they are another branch of the Army / not a separate institution as they are now in modern Turkey). What has been found, is 'Dress gendarmerie regulations, 9 may 1909.' which describe the same system in use. The same regulations for the use of the same system for the rest of the army (in 1915/16), have not as yet been found. So you are left with, ignore a primary resource - The British Turk Army Manual (1916), or still wait to find the corresponding Turkish Army instructions. The final question is, are all the period photographs from WW1 with cuff lace, supposed to be Jandarma mixed in with army units? I think the consensus is wrong.

The 27th Regt uniform has been illustrated with contrasting collar, cuffs and fly due to a problem with the original jacket it is based-on, which is a Gallipoli relic (and I have been working with the owner helping to analysis this - this will be published eventually), which is that we/I cannot tell what color it was originally. It was made as a stop-gap Ersatz tunic, and is very crudely made, and was taken on 25 April 1915. It varies in color between light-grey, to possibly brown. So the illustrations is trying to show both possibilities.

Any more questions/info please come forward!

[ukturkcollector]

These two plates of uniforms will be covering the 1908 'Young Turk' Revolution. Inspired by a 1908 New York Times article, an eyewitness account of the day, recorded these two units, the imperial Guard, and specifically the Ist Albanian Regiment (Zouave), as being loyal to the Sultan being disarmed:



• First Albanian Regiment of the IG. These troops were dressed in uniforms based on traditional Albanian national costume, which were made to resemble the French 4th Zouave regiment uniform. Confusingly, the Albanian regiment are often referred in modern books on the O-T military has one of the four battalions of Zouave troops. The Albanians wore a distinctively tall Albanian fez (figure 2), and were equipped with a traditional Balkan weapons belt, called a “Bensilan”. This is pictured below as well in figure 2. The Bensilan allowed for the traditional "yatagan" curved sword to be carried across the waist - hence the reason for the unusual curvature of the blade. These were the last O-T troops to be equipped with this particular weapon, and trained in the traditional fighting arts associated with this sword. However, toward the mid 1880s these were increasingly replaced with US M1874 Turkish Peabody-Martini contract yataghan bayonets. In addition these troops were also armed with M1874 Peabodies, fitted with the socket type bayonets. Both bayonets were made for the same rifle. For the rest of the O-T army, the NCOs were typically issued the Yataghan bayonet while enlisted men received the socket type. However, the Albanians IG appear to have received both of these weapons.

The revolt began in mid-April, when, under Young Turk leadership, the 3rd Army Corps in Macedonia marched against Istanbul. The sultan's attempt to suppress this uprising failed due to the popularity of the movement among the troops themselves. Rebellion spread rapidly. On July 24, Abdül Hamid announced restoration of the constitution.

These are troops supporting reform: The 1st Lancers (of the Imperial Guard), were apparently in favor of the reforms (the rest of the Imperial Guard were not!), and as a result of the 3rd Army move the Imp. Guard were formally disbanded. The only modern account of the fate of the IG is actually contained in a New York newspaper account, from 1908. This is the - Foreign Correspondence’s "SOLDIERS OF TURKEY FAVOR NEW REGIME", THE NEW YORK TIMES (December 27, 1908). The NYT records, how the "Zouave of the IG were hostile to the new regime". The NYT article goes onto report how the “Young Turks brought to the capital several battalions of Macedonian troops, those who had precipitated the revolution... These troops have replaced the old IG, the members of which have gradually been sent home and mustered out of service”. The significance of this point is that up to that time it was the IG, in particular the Zouaves who were personally devoted to the service of Sultan Abdul Hamid. The article states that the 3rd Army arrived in their 'new brown uniforms', and as these are a year earlier than the actual introduction of the M1909, there are illustrations of these early (pre-1908) field brown uniforms being worn by Engineers. These early versions still used the M1876 rank insignia, and the fez.

[ukturkcollector]

Some new plates, I have been working on:

Some rare uniforms from 1839/1840:


The start of the 1861 to 1908 period: