Solomon Elazar with fellow soldiers

This photo was taken in 1916. My father, Solomon Elazar, is the first from right. The others are colleagues of his, whom I don?t know. The following is written on the back of the photo: 'Gorna Dzhumaya, 08.12.1916, Dear Rozali, I received your postcard and I was very glad that you ? to write me. Don't forget to write me every week. Sending you my sincere greetings. Kiss Dora. Solomon Rozali S. Elazarova, 64 Paisii Str. Sofia. Unfortunately I cannot recall any details about this photo. My father was born in 1880 in Kjustendil. He had secondary education. In the Balkan War and in the Inter-Allied War my father fought as a supply officer, because he was an educated man. I remember that he wore a beard and a fur cap. At that time all men wore fur caps and most of them had beards and moustaches. Moustaches were almost obligatory. My father worked as a distributor of paints and varnish produced by German companies. The goods arrived in large chests. There were even special tools for opening the chests. My father's business declined during the general economic recession [at the end of the 1920s] and following the advice of uncle Rufat he declared bankruptcy. All that affected my father deeply, because we had a very good reputation. After he died on 1st March 1932 we were in a very hard situation; it was a huge blow to us. He died at the age of 52 of cancer.