Eli Perahya

This is me, Eli Perahya, as a soldier. The photo was taken in Istanbul in 1935. I was enlisted for military service three times. First, in 1935, I completed the six-month service in Istanbul, partially in Harbiye headquarters as 'yazici' [secretary-clerk], partially in Haydarpasha in the 'sihhiye' [sanitary corps]. Then in 1940, I was called again and consigned to Bahceyis, a very small village near Catalca in Thrace, around 50 km from the center of Istanbul, together with three classes [men born in the years 1327-28-29 - hijri calendar, roughly speaking these years would correspond to the years 1912-1913-1914]. And, finally, again in 1941 with the well-known call for the 20 military classes; this time I was sent to Sivas and Erzincan.