The Soldier Identity Book of 12th Ottoman Automobile Troop in the Fırst World War (Transcriptıon And Assessment)

Abstract

Although a century has passed, the First World War has not been investigated in detail yet. In this study, the soldier identity book of 12th Ottoman Automobile Troop, which was active from June, 1333 (1917) until the end of the First World War, will be transcribed and the data will be analysed. The original copy of the book, recorded by the court deputy, Burhanaddin's son Najeeb, is in my private library. Although the number changed from time to time, there were some 40 soldiers including the drivers and their helpers in the structure of 12th Austrian-Ottoman Automobile Troop. As it is inferred from their identities, there were a great number of non-Muslims.

A great amount of data was inferred from the records in the identity book such as

1. The soldiers' age, hometown, and ethnicity;

2. The materials given to the soldiers;

3. The theatre of operations and the activities carried out there;

4. Disciplinary situation, and some crimes and punishments; and

5. The Military status of Ottoman forces in the territories of Mosul; and a great amount of data of the same kind.