[The writing below was extracted from Cahit Önder's book entitled "Yaşayan Çanakkaleli Muharipler" - 1981
(Yazır Matbaacılık Koll Şti)]

[The writing below was seperately translated]

I was born in 1885. Currently, I am 96 years old. I left my village and returned eight years after.

I served with the 27th Regiment located near the Ari Burnu region. For two years, I was held captive by the British. I labored those mirrored riles, which became very popular within the 27th Regiment. I was a carpenter. They knew me as the man that took care of the automatic riles.

There were also 5 others from my village that were with me. Upon my arrival at Gallipoli, they placed me as a foot soldier - sending me to serve under the guard of the 27th Regiment, located in the Ari Burn region. Within the 27th Regiment, I was stationed with the 2nd Battalion's, 1st Squadron * . Our Regiment Commander was Sefik Aker, our Battalion Commander Major Halis the Blind*, our Squadron Commander Hasan Efendi and team Commander was Kara Mahmut. I was there for 9 months and during that time I even stole lighters.

Our grouped was located in Kabatepe. The 1st and 3rd Batallion * was located in Maydos the morning we saw the enemy. It was only us, the 2nd Batallion * that was holding our ground. The 1st and 3rd Batallions * barely made it. The infidels attacked. As a collective Regiment, we pursued an attack.

In our group, all of the ranking officers were killed and only Eyup Sultan of Lapseki was left in charge. He was a sergeant. The enemy stations were very close. They would throw bombs at where we were situated. They even threw onions. As they approached they would barb-wire there perimeter and thereafter no more bombs were thrown once they situated themselves. When the enemy retreated, they placed dynamite in a tunnel they dug up. The ignition took away a whole squadron upon entering the tunnel. Not one was saved. Liked a minaret, the soil lifted into the air.

I would make the mirrored rifles... as I said before I was a carpenter. Because of this occupation they gave me the duty of making mirrored rifles. But actually, I was a foot soldier. And how were those mirrored-rifles made? One day, we planned an attack on the enemy, we got a hold of a mirrored-rifle. Where we were situated, there was a tunnel; and in that tunnel I began laboring mirrored-rifles by duplicating the exact one we had captured. From the mirrored-rifles I made -1- for each Squadron. A rear-view mirror would be placed on each gun-barrel.

Without popping a head, one would be able to see the enmy from a bunker. On March 18th while the enemy battleships were heavily attacking, I was in Ariburnu. Once the infidels realized that they were unable to proceed through the Strait, they attacked Sedd el Bahr. Once access was denied from there as well, they attacked Ari Burnu and after that Tuzla. The howitzers that were brought from Hungry proved to be very useful. It would land vertically and the ship would transform into smoke. The infidels would then jump into the sea. Once the infidels attacked us, we counter-attacked. We came up to where the mules were. Suddenly, they attacked us from the side. My rifle was dysfunctional and only its metal was in my hand. That day I was hurt from my hips - and because of that as yu can see I am unable to walk. I was hurt from everywhere. The shrapnels bullseyed me. Once injured, I was sent to Demetoka Hospital. I was a patient for 3 months and once out, upon the Regiment Commander's orders, I was ordered to make only mirrored-rifles.

I saw Ataturk in Ari Burnu. He was along side with other Commanders. It was when the Regiments were marching in front of him - is when I saw him. I marched in front of him. I also saw the Minister of State, Enver Pasha of Harbiye...... As I said before, I was injured and ill. They sent me back to my village just so I have a change in venue. Three months later, I returned to Gallipoli.

They stationed me to the 24th Regiment. We went to Istanbul. They clothed us and then put us on a train from Haydarpasha to Arabia. Once we reached infidel territory there was no train tracks. We therefore, walked for 70 days. We arrived at Tell el. I was unable to walk, because I already sustained injury Gallipoli. I was put in Seyyar Hospital, where I did not even stay a month.

The British attacked the hospital. We left about 500 people in that hospital in there tents that were situated therein. The tents were conflagrated, They put me in charge to care for the animals we have with us. As far as my Regiment, they went to Damascus... likewise, we did as well... we went to a Palace that belonged to Sultan Hamid. We transformed the palace into a hospital.

The British attacked us once again. We were unorganized, therefore we withdrew. The Germans made a bridge from a nearby river, which allowed us access to escape. We were heading towards Damascus again. Upon arriving at Damascus, we encountered the British and were held captive ; some 50 thousand of us. The British surrounded Damascus. That is how we were detained. No bread... no cooked food.

 I was a bit selfish ; Before, I took all the bread that was from the hospital and placed it into a container. I was a bit selfish. I remember selling a bread for an Ottoman gold coin. That kept me going on for awhile. Later on, the infidels brought us canned food and bread. In groups of a thousand captives, we walked for another 8-days until we destined Egyptian channel.

There were 12 barb-wired cells each capable of containing about 3000 people. I was in the 4th cell. I was held captive by the British for two years. During the first days of our captivity, a British Major crippled from his leg walking with a cane in his hand, had a translator present with him. He told the translator something and the translator then shouted in a loud voice:

"Is there anyone here from the 27th Regiment?"

It is not as if they were going to kill me; I then stepped forward and replied:

"I am"

That crippled infidel man slowly walked towards me with his cane. That infidel was probably acting as a warden. He approached me and he kissed me from my hand and eyes.

I was very confortable with that infidel. May God be satisfied with his deeds to me. He had made me a separate tent. He also told me to:

"... bring along two friends with you."

Oh my was I so relieved! He was injured in Ari Burnu as well. He told me that:

"The Turks were determined to wipe out every Brit in the area."

The translator was a lightening rode between the Major and I. I was give 20 English liras. On a weekly basis, he would also give me 80 packs of 'Fills' cigarettes. He told me to:
 

"... sell all of these and go make some money with it."

He would not leave the tent and would always be with me by my side. Using the courderoy material found in the British boots, with my bare hands, I made him a chest... you know... the ones that are made much like the weddings we have these days. I also made other material.

As a gift, he gave me two Ottoman gold coins. As far as the chest,

on top it the phrase 'Made by Prisoners of War' was written.

He would not release me until the prisoners were down to 1000. After that, we returned to Istanbul by boat and from Istanbul to my village. During my time there, I ate a lot of horse meat. They fed me lamb meat just once. Before serving in the military, I was married. Nuriye died while I was away. I then married Zatiye. It has been 13 years since the death of Zatiye. I have three children and currently my son takes care of me. They all live. I neither have a medal nor a salary.

* Ali Demirel intermixes the 2nd with the 3rd Battallion. There are two possibilities.

Either Cahit Onder misprinted this in the book or Ali Demirel cannot recall the proper Batallion numbers. However, the existence of the phrase 'Halis the Blind' substantiates that he was talking about 'Major Halis of the 27th Regiment's 3rd Battalion.' Therefore, it is fair to say that Ali Demirel was under the command of Major Halis.