Reşat Bey

[stevebecker]

Mates,

What do you have on this account?

"In the first half of 1918, Reşat Bey served in Istanbul, as the Head of Military Police in Üsküdar. His stint away from the battle field would only take seven months and in July 1918, he returned to active duty, as the commander of the 53rd Regiment attached to the Yıldırım Group of Armies in the Mesopotamian theatre of war.

On September 21, 1918, Reşat Bey’s unit received an order to capture the ridges around Masashana. During a reconnaissance mission on the night of September 22/23, Reşat Bey has his staff were taken prisoner by the British cavalry. Reşat Bey spent the next one year interned at the Sidi Bishr camp near Alexandria in Egypt. He was released on November 23, 1919, returned home, refused the offer to serve on the military tribunal in Istanbul and joined the liberation movement in Anatolia. "

What I can find there was no 53rd Regt in July 1918, as it had been disbanded in 1915 to form the 18th Caucasus Regt (11th Cau Div) which was used on the Caucasus Front.

Rasat is shown captured by the British at Masashana in Sept 1918, how?

Was that with the 53rd Regt? or 18th Regt 11 Cau Div or some other unit?

Cheers

S.B

[Tosun Saral]

Reşat Çiğiltepe
LtCol Nuri Bey (Conker left C of 8 th Div. at East Front, and Co of 17th Inf Regt Staff lt. Coll. Reşat Bey took the command over on apr 23rd 1917

Reşat Bey took command of 53rd Div after Nov 18th 1918 from Lt Col.Mehmet Hayri Bey.
The 53rd was destroyed or all taken Pow during Battle of Nablus.

During Turkish War of Liberation he commanded 11st Caucasus Div. and then the 2nd Mürettep Div in March-April 1921 dfuring the battles around Ahisha -Ahılkelek on Caucasus.
Staff Col Reşat Bey was comanding the 57th Div during the Great Attack on Ausgust 26th 1922. His division was ordered to take the Hill Çiğiltepe on right time, He wanted a short extra time from Mustafa Kemal Paşa but he could not take the hill in his promissed time. He suicied on Ausgust 27th will all honour. All men of the army of Mustafa Kemal Paşa were fixed an the idea of final Victory. His Family got the surname Çiğiltepe after civil reforms of Turkish Republic. May he rest in light.

[stevebecker]

Tosun,

Thank you again.

Yes He must have confused 53rd Regt and 53rd Div, that's why I couldn't understand captured by British, if his Division was in the Caucasus.

Cheers

S.B

[Tosun Saral]

Reşat Çiğiltepe