100 Years Ago
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/archive/first-world-war/article4624751.ece
The Armenian massacres
On this day: Nov 27, 1915
We have received from Lord Bryce extracts from evidence which has reached him of the atrocities committed by the Turks in Armenia. In an accompanying letter Lord Bryce says that the first part of the evidence had been communicated to him “by the Committee of Inquiry in the United States, including men of the highest authority,” and that it came from sources in which they place the fullest confidence. The second part of the evidence comes from an Armenian gentleman in Tiflis who received it from refugees.
One witness writes from Mersina: The number of Armenians sent from this city now totals about 25,000, and this is in addition to the many thousands coming from the north that pass through. The misery, suffering, and hardships endured by these people are indescribable. Deaths are innumerable. Hundreds of children are being abandoned by their parents, who cannot bear to see them suffer or who have not the strength to look after them. Many are left by the roadside. Petty cruelties by police and officials increase their sad plight.
Another writes from Aleppo: Since August 1, 20,000 have so far arrived in Aleppo. They all relate harrowing tales of hardships, abuse, robbery, and atrocities committed en route, and there were few if any adult men, girls over 10 years, or young married women among them. Travellers from the interior have related to the writer that the beaten paths are lined with the corpses of the victims. Between Oorfa and Arab-Pounar, a distance of about 25 miles, there were seen more than 500 unburied corpses along the highway.
Cautious and cool-headed persons place the total loss of life up to August 15 at over 500,000. The territory affected includes seven provinces, from which the Armenians have already been practically exterminated, leaving Aleppo and Adana to be completed. The next testimony comes from a resident at Konia: At Eski Shehir there are from 12,000 to 15,000 exiles in the fields, evidently in great need and distress. The majority are without shelter, and what they have consists of the flimsiest kind of tents, absolutely no protection from the heavy autumn rains which will soon be coming. There is no provision made for feeding them. About 30 to 40 deaths were taking place daily.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/archive/first-world-war/article4625897.ece
Territorials in action
On this day: Nov 28, 1915
Of all the “notable tactical points in our front” which Sir John French has described in his dispatch on our September offensive there is none which has been more bitterly contested than the Hohenzollern Redoubt. On the morning of October 13, when the North Midland Division were ordered to retake the position, our men had to advance from what was practically our original line of September 25. The Germans had brought the whole position back to its original strength.
At 2 o’clock the advance began. As soon as our men left their trenches they were met with a withering machine-gun fire, which rendered any coordinated advance almost impossible. It was obvious that such of our men as raced across that death-swept zone into the German positions would have to fight their way inch by inch with bomb and bayonet. The struggle resolved itself into one in which small parties, sometimes commanded by a junior regimental officer and sometimes by a NCO, fought isolated engagements for hours before they joined up with their comrades.
On the right flank the advance was led by the North Staffordshires, but the fire which greeted them was so devastating that they were quite unable to reach in continuous formation that part of the Big Willie trench still in the enemy’s hands. Nevertheless, these gallant men went steadily on, and the South Staffs began to advance to their support. The front lines suffered severely, but there was no quailing, and as they pressed on their third and fourth lines came up behind and occupied our front line trenches.
In the meantime a bombing party was detailed to execute a flank attack from the eastern portion of Big Willie, which was in our hands, and they succeeded in gaining about 30 yards and in constructing a new barricade. This success was short-lived, as the Germans pressed them back by force of numbers and drove the survivors back behind their original barricade. This German attack was checked by the coolness of Lieutenant Hawkes, of the South Staffs, who won the Military Cross for the coolness with which he led up a bombing party and drove the enemy back to the second barricade. Once again, however, the Germans rallied, and at 4 o’clock we were again behind our original barricade.
The Armenian massacres
On this day: Nov 27, 1915
We have received from Lord Bryce extracts from evidence which has reached him of the atrocities committed by the Turks in Armenia. In an accompanying letter Lord Bryce says that the first part of the evidence had been communicated to him “by the Committee of Inquiry in the United States, including men of the highest authority,” and that it came from sources in which they place the fullest confidence. The second part of the evidence comes from an Armenian gentleman in Tiflis who received it from refugees.
One witness writes from Mersina: The number of Armenians sent from this city now totals about 25,000, and this is in addition to the many thousands coming from the north that pass through. The misery, suffering, and hardships endured by these people are indescribable. Deaths are innumerable. Hundreds of children are being abandoned by their parents, who cannot bear to see them suffer or who have not the strength to look after them. Many are left by the roadside. Petty cruelties by police and officials increase their sad plight.
Another writes from Aleppo: Since August 1, 20,000 have so far arrived in Aleppo. They all relate harrowing tales of hardships, abuse, robbery, and atrocities committed en route, and there were few if any adult men, girls over 10 years, or young married women among them. Travellers from the interior have related to the writer that the beaten paths are lined with the corpses of the victims. Between Oorfa and Arab-Pounar, a distance of about 25 miles, there were seen more than 500 unburied corpses along the highway.
Cautious and cool-headed persons place the total loss of life up to August 15 at over 500,000. The territory affected includes seven provinces, from which the Armenians have already been practically exterminated, leaving Aleppo and Adana to be completed. The next testimony comes from a resident at Konia: At Eski Shehir there are from 12,000 to 15,000 exiles in the fields, evidently in great need and distress. The majority are without shelter, and what they have consists of the flimsiest kind of tents, absolutely no protection from the heavy autumn rains which will soon be coming. There is no provision made for feeding them. About 30 to 40 deaths were taking place daily.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/archive/first-world-war/article4625897.ece
Territorials in action
On this day: Nov 28, 1915
Of all the “notable tactical points in our front” which Sir John French has described in his dispatch on our September offensive there is none which has been more bitterly contested than the Hohenzollern Redoubt. On the morning of October 13, when the North Midland Division were ordered to retake the position, our men had to advance from what was practically our original line of September 25. The Germans had brought the whole position back to its original strength.
At 2 o’clock the advance began. As soon as our men left their trenches they were met with a withering machine-gun fire, which rendered any coordinated advance almost impossible. It was obvious that such of our men as raced across that death-swept zone into the German positions would have to fight their way inch by inch with bomb and bayonet. The struggle resolved itself into one in which small parties, sometimes commanded by a junior regimental officer and sometimes by a NCO, fought isolated engagements for hours before they joined up with their comrades.
On the right flank the advance was led by the North Staffordshires, but the fire which greeted them was so devastating that they were quite unable to reach in continuous formation that part of the Big Willie trench still in the enemy’s hands. Nevertheless, these gallant men went steadily on, and the South Staffs began to advance to their support. The front lines suffered severely, but there was no quailing, and as they pressed on their third and fourth lines came up behind and occupied our front line trenches.
In the meantime a bombing party was detailed to execute a flank attack from the eastern portion of Big Willie, which was in our hands, and they succeeded in gaining about 30 yards and in constructing a new barricade. This success was short-lived, as the Germans pressed them back by force of numbers and drove the survivors back behind their original barricade. This German attack was checked by the coolness of Lieutenant Hawkes, of the South Staffs, who won the Military Cross for the coolness with which he led up a bombing party and drove the enemy back to the second barricade. Once again, however, the Germans rallied, and at 4 o’clock we were again behind our original barricade.