Turkish NCOs (1915-1950)

[Tosun Saral]

Here is a collection of photos of Turkish NCOs during the years 1915-1950. Çavuş is the Turkish name given to all NCOs. The word "çavuş" is well known in all areas of old Ottoman Empire. Even the old dictator of Rumenia "Cavusescu" was son of a Çavuş. The old painting shows Çavuş at the Ottoman court. The master sargeant was Başçavuş.

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1283 yaka numaralı Harbiye öğrencisi Mustafa Kemal sınıfının çavuşu idi.
Harbiye (War School) Cadet Mustafa Kemal was sargeant of his class. His registration number was 1283.

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Başçavuş Hafız Macit Efendi.
Milli Mücadele şehidi üsteğmen Hafız Macit 1920.
Kaynak: Sayın Prof. Dr. Fatma Acun'un Gorsel Tarih arsivi No:12285

NCO Master Sargeant (later 1st Lt.) Hafız Macid Efendi during WW1. He was KIA in 1920 during Tuırkish War of Liberation.
source: The "Görsel Tarih Arşivi" archiv of Prof. Dr. Fatma Acun from Ankara.

[Tosun Saral]

Ruscuklu Hasanoğullarından, Bursa'nın Hoca Hasan Mahallesinden 11 nci Sahra Topcu Alayı'nın 1nci Batarya komutanı Gedikli Lüçük Zabir Hasan Çavuş. Bu kahraman asker Balkan Seferinde son Çatalça Muharebesi'nde şarapnel miskeyiyle yaralanarak misket parçası akçiğerine yakın bir yerde kalmasına ve bu misketin ona bir savaş hatırası olmasına rağmen Seddülbahir mıntıkasında bataryasının başında son derece secaat ve cesaretle harb ederek düşmanın takviye kıtaatını yandan ateş altına almış ve takviye kolunu berbat ve perişan etmiştir. Burada da yaralanmış ve tedavidn sonra yeniden görevi başına dönmüştür.
Kaynak: Harb mecmuası sayı 4, s.54

NCO İsmail Çavuş from Bursa commander of 1st battary of the 11st Field Artillery Regiment defending Sedd-ül Bair at Gallipoli in 1915.
source: Harb Mecmuası the War magazine

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Gedikli Küçük Zabit Hasnun Galip Efendi (1883- Gelibolu 1915) Galatasaray Futbol Takımının kaptanı idi. Çanakkale Kara savaşlarına katılmak üzere askere alıdı ve orada şehid düştü. Bu gün İstanbıul'da Galatasaray Külübünün bulundığu sokak onun adını taşımaktadır.

NCO Hasnun Galip (1883-Gallipoli 1915) captain of the Galatasaray Foodball team. KIA at Gallipoli. According to Harb Mecmuası the War magazine KIA on June 8th 1915, and his unit was 7th Div. 21st Regiment 2nd battalion.

[Tosun Saral]

The original monument of NCO Yahya Çavus who stopped with a team the whole British landing all day long in 1915 at Sedd-ül Bair in Gallipoli. The monument is now demolished by ignorant governments and is rebuilded a new statue. What a pitty! They could have erected a new statue a few yards away. Nail Nami Bey the governor of Çanakkale wrote the following verse about Yahya Çavuş

"They were a team of Heroes and Yahya Çavuş
They fought againts... 3 Regiments willingly
The enemy thought that they were a division
They wanted a place by side of Allah and reached at dawn."

Yahya Çavuş Geliboluya çıkarma yapan İngilizleri takımı ile bir adım attırmadı. Çanakkale valisi Nail Nami Bey Yahya Çavuş hakkında şu şiiri yazdı.

"Kahraman bir takım ve Yahya Çavuştular
Tam üç alayla burada görülden vuruştular
Düşman tümen sanırdı o kahraman erleri,
...Allahı arzu ettiler akşam kavuştular"

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A young NCO corporal at Gallipoli fights during WW1. He was obviously taken to the front from NCO prepatory school. It is written on the fhoto in old Turkish letters that "Volunteer Handgranadier"

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Asaf Efendi (Istanbul 1888 - Ankara 1971) well known as "Kilic Ali" (sword Ali) in the history of Turkish Republic. He graduated NCO school in 1906. He was made Lt. in 1909 and 2nd Lt. in 1915. He fought at Gallipoli and wounded from his leg. He promoted to the rank of captain in 1918 and was awarded with the war madal of 1st class. He was made a milis Pasha at the order of Mustafa Kemal Pasha to organize the resistance in Antep/Ayintap/todays Gaziantep, Maras/Kahramanmaras) in 1920's againts British, French and Armenians in south East Turkey. His succesful organization and fights againts enemy Antep and Marash stayed within the borders of Turkey. The city of Antep/Ayintap got the Madal of Independance and name Ghazi after the fights. Maras got the madal too. Turkish parliament gave the name "Kahraman"(Hero) to the city in 1970's.
NCO Asaf Efendi, (in white uniform standing) in Medina, the Holy City of Moslems where Mohammed buried. in 1910. Turks lost Medina after the Arap Rewolt commanded by Lawrance in 1920. The Turkish garnison continued to fight after the Armistrace of Mondros under the command of Major General Fahreddin (Turkkan) Pasha

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Coast Artillery corporal Mustecip Efendi who took a French submarine "Tourquise" POW by firing a single shoot at Gallipoli in 1915.

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Two Turkish NCOs during Gallipoli.

[infantry]

An excerpt from my book "A Military History of the Ottomans"

(The shortcomings of the Ottoman military during the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-78)

Additionally, the Ottoman army, which suffered huge difficulties in training and accommodating officers, did not have a professional non-commissioned officer corps and often, experienced senior soldiers were dragooned to perform NCO duties. At the root of the administration’s neglect of NCO training was its complete lack of understanding of the important role of NCOs. In turn, as a result of the combination of the lack of an NCO corps, Alaylı officers of limited capacity, and semi-trained soldiers, Mektebli officers were often over stretched to cover many of the duties of all these groups. Thus, it was a common sight to see high-ranking officers doing the artillery gunner’s job of aiming the cannon or general staff officers conducting reconnaissance instead of cavalry troopers. As can be expected the fatality rate of the Mekteblis jumped to record levels during actual battles.

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Thanks my commander.

İkinci Teşrin (Kasım)1935 günü ı Süvari Silah Taburu 1 nci Bartarya Başçavuşu Sabri Efendi sınıf arkadaşı Cevded Efendiye yazmış "Cevdetciğime, Senelerce bir sınıfta okuduk. Fakat hayatın çilvesi beni sizden ayırdı. İşte bu ayrılığı birleştirecek hayalimi siz kardeşime akdim etmekle bahtiyarım. Beni unutmayınız.
Resim Divanyolu/İst.da Foto Ay tarafından çekilmiştir.
Tosun Saral özel koleksiyonundan

Horse Artillery Sergeant Sabri Efendi from Cavalry armour Battalion 1st battary dedicated this photo to his class mate Cevded Efendi in November 1935. " To my dear Cevded, We studied in the same class years long. The fate of life has seperated us. I send my image hoping to connect us together."
From my private collection.

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1943 İZMİR
Sayın Oya Bilgili Altınel'in Kayınvalidesi annesi ve babasıyla.
Kaynak: Bilgili koleksiyonu

With the courtesy of my friend Mrs. Oya Bilgili Altınel.
Mother and father of her mother-in law in İzmir in 1943.

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A horse Artillery NCO in 1941.
from my collection

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A NCO in 1944
from my collection