Nach Turkei

Peter H · Post by **Peter H** » 24 Oct 2006 14:00

What's the litzen on these guys travelling to Turkey?

Note also I think the Bulgarian flag.

Source:ebay 2004

Chris Dale · Post by **Chris Dale** » 25 Oct 2006 01:24

Hi Peter,

That's a very interesting photo. Do you know anything more about it? Where or when it was taken, what unit etc? I've never seen German troops wearing a mixture of Turkish and German uniforms like this.... and that the whole unit is wearing fezzes too... very odd.

The Litzen and Swedish cuffs would tend to indicate a Guards unit... difficult to say much more....

From the black and white photo it's difficult to be sure of the flags but they appear from left to right to be the Hapsburg, Turkish, Bulgarian and German flags... all the central powers...

I'd be very interested to hear what you or other readers make of it....

Cheers
Chris

Peter H · Post by **Peter H** » 29 Oct 2006 03:29

Chris,

These chaps could be returning from Turkey as well.

However fezzes were also worn in Bosnia so they may have purchased some there while in transit to Turkey.

The Bulgarian flag would suggest it was after October 1915.

Regards
Peter

Chris Dale · Post by **Chris Dale** » 29 Oct 2006 04:35

Hi Peter,
You're right I hadn't considered they might be returning...
Cheers
Chris

bob lembke · Post by **bob lembke** » 01 Nov 2006 19:23

I know very little about my father's service at Gallipoli, but the most detailed thing he told me about it was a quite detailed account of travelling by train in 1915, slipping thru Romania in civilian clothes. But the Romanians must have known who they were, I am sure a large bribe had been paid.

If they were traveling in uniform by train it must have been after about February 1916, when the track that the Serbs had thoroughly destroyed in their retreat was repaired. Some material and weapons got thru in November 1915 (a couple of batteries of heavy artillery and some much needed artillery shells that actually exploded upon impact), but must have been dragged overland some distance in the Balkans.

Bob Lembke

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 04 Nov 2006 22:25

They are not returning home. It is easy to understand it because of the joyful faces. Flags, tidy and new uniforms. They are happily celeprating the allianz. If they were returning home they would be tired, worn, müde, sad.

The train wagen on the picture remembered me my childhood. Until 1970's we had that kind of wagons in service in Istanbuler rail system They were beautiful. I still have the nostralgia.