23 Ocak 2019 Çarşamba

TNT Matchbox Diary: A Turkish POW in Russian Prison Camp (1915-1918)/Part XV

//Ed. Note: Fuad Bey adjusts to prison camp life in 
Russian-held Sarıkamış.//

sarıkamış rus esir kampı ile ilgili görsel sonucu
                                         Turkish POWs

1 March 1916 Monday
Since all of our appeals to the Commander with regard to everything 
we need as the result of our captivity go unheard,  we received no 
response. Today’s noon meal came from the restaurant. Quite strange. 
There was a big pot of cabbage soup in which there were very large 
pieces of meat and meatballs, as well. We got angry about this and 
said this wasn’t appropriate for officers. In the afternoon we told the 
officer who knows French that we wouldn’t eat from such a restaurant
anymore because the food they had given us was an insult. We added
that we need money  again. He promised to tell the Commander and 
left. In the evening something fried, made of cow’s meat, came from 
the restaurant. This wasn’t too bad and we had no choice but to eat it.
At night I learned a few Russian words from a Russian ?borazan?
sergeant named Kobavi Aksenti. At first we tried to talk using signs. 
My goal was to learn Russian.

2 March 1916 Tuesday
We have to make do with the restaurant because no money is coming 
from the Command. The food has improved somewhat and is better 
prepared. Given that the Command doesn’t pay any attention to what 
we say it seems that henceforth we will eat from the restaurant.
But we perceive tha the restaurant has been advised to improve the 
meals. Once again we went to bed late. I shared a bed with Fahri but I
was uncomfortable because he had quite a few fleas on him. I put up 
with this for three hours then I dozed off on a window sill. The night 
passed very badly. Today I wrote a letter to my brother Ekrem.

sarıkamış rus esir kampı ile ilgili görsel sonucu

Finally, Bath Time

3 March 1916 Wednesday
Toward mid-day a Russian officer came and said that we would go 
to the bath. After Some objections were made we decided to go. The 
Russians gave us each an underwear and a shirt. The underwear was 
old and the shirt new. We have no choice but to accept them because 
we’re indigent. Just at the time we were going to the bath, a fellow
named Mustafa did something that makes a person angry – although 
all the rest of us went outside in order to go to the bath, he wouldn’t. 
He kept us waiting. My friend Zühdü became quite aggravated at this
and spoke harshly. So on our way to the bath Hurşid and Zühdü 
exchanged words because of this. Right away I spoke up for Zühdü.
I got very angry. With great difficulty we reached the bath and waited
a bit. Since there were no towels I entered the bath in my underwear. 
The bath is a military bath and the room rather large, with rows in the
middle. On one side there were hot and cold water faucets, nicely 
done. Quite a few pails and buckets, as well. We just about did our 
laundry at the bath. We washed everything we had. I left my old 
underwear and jacket there. I went to the city to get the evening 
meal under guard. The Russians and especially the Armenians 
were staring at us.

4 March 1916  Thursday
Once again the aggravations of captivity. At mid-day the wrote our 
names. Supposedly, they will give us a salary. At night we pass the 
time doing trivial things like telling stories. Aksenti came again at 
night and we chatted. The Russian toilets are odd. When someone
lives in Turkey it’s not possible to get a complete and accurate picture
of foreign customs and morals. One has to see these things. Now 
we’ll see and understand Russian things. Russian toilets don’t have
water, they’re out in the open, a chair with a hole in the middle. 
They clean themselves with paper. These toilets are for common 
use but now and then there are private ones, too. In our barracks 
there’s a toilet exclusively for officers that is only covered around
its perimeter. We are using this and it’s comfortable for us.

I Need to Find a Friend

5 March 1916 Sunday
I’m really suffering from lonliness and since I can’t find anyone to
share my thoughts with, the aggravation mounts. I have to find a friend.
There are eight of us here. Two of these are bigots and one is a
secretary in the provincial justice office. Because of the manners and
all sorts of other shortcomings I cannot choose any of them. The other
four are graduates of the Teachers University and of course I find them
preferable to the others.  I’ve decided to choose a friend from one of
them and Zühdü from Edirne is more sociable, better and smarter so I
find him to be suitable. I see him as a good and permanent friend.
When he was little he went to a military school. We know each other's
friends from schools. I’m sharing my thoughts and talking with him a
lot because he’s a good-hearted person. The restaurant proprietor is
serving good food lately. Today one or two Russian officers who are
prisoners and who are in the room next to us, came to visit us.

sarıkamış map ile ilgili görsel sonucu

//END of PART XV//


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