Who was Captain Torossian ?

[armenianweb]

http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=84055

If you are information about Captain Torossian , can you send a mail in : info @ gomidas.org

Gomidas Institute

42 Blythe Rd

London W14 0HA

United Kigdom

Tel: 00 (44) (20) 7603 7242

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.gomidas.org/

Are you from Philadelphia? Have you heard of Captain Sarkis Torossian?

This is very important!

Can anyone provide us with information about Sarkis Torossian, who was born in Evereg Gesaria (Ottoman Turkey) and died in Philadelphia (USA) in 1954? He is the author of a memoir entitled "From Dardanelles to Palestine" (Boston, 1947). The family members included Parsek (1895-1961), Eugenie (born Kassabian, 1904-1984), Charles (1921-2003) and Bertha (1922).

Komitas Institute is currently working on a project related to Captain Torossian, whose book caused a stir in Turkey. The controversy continues today, as some critics have argued that Torossian's memoirs are false. Some have even said that he never existed.

We therefore seek the help of our friends, supporters and colleagues who may have information about Sarkis Torossian and are willing to share.

We want to use this information to advance our own research and public conferences in Turkey. We would appreciate any information you are able to provide. If you have any information, please email us at [email protected]? If you give us your name and phone number, we will be happy to call you.

[TomServo]

Re: Who was Captain Torossian ?

Why wouldn't the Gomidas Institute put this notice on their website?

The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute has a page on him with photos, including one of a certificate from the Ottoman government.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Who was Captain Torossian ?

The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute has a page on him with photos, including one of a certificate from the Ottoman government.

It appeared that Captain Sarkis Torossian was the first who destroyed a British warship during the Dardanelles/Chanakkale battle in early 1915.

That claim is certainly not true. No British or allied warships were sunk by the guns of any of the Ottoman coastal forts. They were all sunk by mines laid in the waters of the Dardanelles.

However, the guns from the forts made it very difficult to do minesweeping operations - so they contributed to the events that led to the sinkings of a number of ships. That led to the subsequent abandonment of the attempt to take Constantinople - though one wonders if that modest loss of ships was just used as an excuse by pro-Turk (or pro-xxxish, if one wants to be really conspiratorial) elements within Britain's ruling elete to save the Ottoman Empire, given the vast numbers of British troops that were being killed elsewhere for far less important strategic aims. Such a conspiracy would explain the conversion of the typical murderous Turkish soldier (who, ignoring the rules of war, would kill any captured allied soldiers, and, if captured themselves, would feint surrender, hide their weapons, and later try to kill their captors) into the post-war mythical "clean fighting Turk". In percentage terms, more British prisoners-of-war died building the Cilicia railway than died building the "death railway" in Burma during WW2.

[londontsi]

Re: Who was Captain Torossian ?

...... In percentage terms, more British prisoners-of-war died building the Cilicia railway than died building the "death railway" in Burma during WW2.

Do you have any references for this?


.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Who was Captain Torossian ?

That led to the subsequent abandonment of the attempt to take Constantinople - though one wonders if that modest loss of ships was just used as an excuse by pro-Turk (or pro-xxxish, if one wants to be really conspiratorial) elements within Britain's ruling elete to save the Ottoman Empire, given the vast numbers of British troops that were being killed elsewhere for far less important strategic aims. Such a conspiracy would explain the conversion of the typical murderous Turkish soldier (who, ignoring the rules of war, would kill any captured allied soldiers, and, if captured themselves, would feint surrender, hide their weapons, and later try to kill their captors) into the post-war mythical "clean fighting Turk". In percentage terms, more British prisoners-of-war died building the Cilicia railway than died building the "death railway" in Burma during WW2.

You should know by now that most of us on this board are very conspiratorial.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Who was Captain Torossian ?

Do you have any references for this?


.

No sources to hand - but from memory I think it was around 78 who died out of some 300 prisoners who were used as forced labour. That is a much higher percentage than those who died while being forced to work on the Burma railway (although of course the total number of prisoners who died there were much higher). Immediately after the war most of the bodies were recovered and buried in cemeteries nearby. These graves were later destroyed by Ataturk's regime.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Who was Captain Torossian ?

Do you have any references for this?

These are from some old notes I made about 10 years ago about some content in the book "The Vanished Battalion" by Nigel McCrery. I don't think it is an exact quote - more likely it is a summary of content.

"Most prisoners were transferred to the notorious work camps on the Anatolia Railway, and it was in these camps that a high pproportion of deaths occured as a result of the inhumane conditions imposed by their captors. In February 1916 the Turks held approximately 490 British and Commonwealth prisoners - at least 96 later died in captivity."

So that is about a 20% mortality rate (if all those 490 were forced to work on the railway). It may be that not all of them were, and so the % of deaths amongst those who were working there will be higher than 20%.

Estimates for the % number of deaths on the Burma railway seem to vary - it was about 18% in most sources when I wrote the above notes and realised how high that casualty rate was compared to the better known Burma railway. However the Wikixxxs seem to be Australia fanboys and prefer to use the much higher Australia figures which have the mortality rate at about 25%.

The book deals with the fate of the soldiers of the 5th Norfolk regiment, most of which were murdered by the Turks after they surrendered.

"There was a widespread belief (held by those not directly in the front line) that prisoners, especially officers, were treated well by the Turks. The contrary was true. Most prisoners known to be captured were never seen again and to be wounded and captured by Turkish soldiers meant almost certain death."