We have fought against the Bulgarians in
Catalca. We have stayed there for nine months. I was a infantry private in 7th
Division, 21st Regiment, 1st Battalion, 1st Squadron, 1st
Squad. We chased the Bulgarians through Kirklareli. They opened fire and I have lost my
four friends there. I stayed in Bulgarian frontier for three months, then I took my
discharge papers and returned home.
I was in my village, when I have heard the mobilisation. It was
Ramadan, and very hot. It was a Friday. The harvest time was very near; we were working in
the field. Chief of the village came and told “you have recruited to Kepez, 9th
Division, 25th Regiment, set out quickly, otherwise I will get in trouble.”
We left the village and went to Kepez. The battalion sent us to our
squads. I was in 25th Regiment, 1st Battalion, 1st
Squadron, 1st Squad. I was in the service Cevat Pasha, who was the commander of
the group. He was an Albanian.
At first, the enemy landed on Kumkale with marines. In Kumkale, there
was 64th Battalion. We were in Geyikli. We have received a telephone, saying,
“come, quick.” We immediately moved to Kumkale, but when we have arrived, we saw that
64th Battalion has already defeated the enemy. Until the morning, we have
combated with the ones remained in the village. Later, we have returned to Geyikli, then
we have been sent to Uvecik, where we positioned on the shore.
The enemy came from the Imbros (island) with 32 battleships and
torpedoes. Their brass bands were playing marches. The French battleships were in front,
the British were following them. Our forts began to fire but, they could not reach the
ships, they were only fuming. At last, one of our gunners has reached one of the ships.
After Uvecik, we were positioned in Eceabat, we arrived at the Helles,
and for fifteen days, we have waited in the platoon. I was attorney corporal. After 26th
Regiment arrived, we have shifted. Our regiment receded. One day, we were washing the
clothes; a British bomb has fallen on the point we washed the clothes. The white clothes
have dried but the coloured ones were still wet. I told the laundrymen to hang them out on
the sides of the tents. I have watched of the sentry until six o’clock and returned to
my tent. I was just going to bed when I heard the explosion in Helles. Helles Cove was
burning. There were hard biscuits enough for three days in the pantry. The commander
ordered them to be distributed to the soldiers and we marched on Helles. We were
positioned in Gully Ravine. We stood against the heavy fires of the enemy. Later we went
down to the water scales. Among us, there was an Armenian; he was doing the postal
service. It was just mid-afternoon, we have seen a squad coming from the Turan Fort, and
we immediately began firing. The Armenian shouted, “stop, stop, they are our men.” We
ceased fire. We realised that, from the huge 26th Regiment, only one squad has
remained. They have destroyed the regiment with bombs. We replaced the 26th
Regiment as the 25th Regiment. We have spent the night in a cove in that
region. We only could have resisted for three days against the enemy. Beside our regiment,
there was a Gendarme Regiment. They were destroyed as well. Enemy turned his battery
toward us. Only three of us could have survived. The enemy has cut us into pieces with
machine guns. There was a gendarme private among the wounded soldiers, whose leg was
broken by a shrapnel piece...
