In addition to the Transport officers, and companies, there were the Ottoman Imperial Army labour battalions (amele taburlari) - discussed below. These were included in both the peacetime and mobilized strength. These battalions were attached to the inspectorates of troop movements of each of the Armies. The number of labour battalions varied throughout the war, but between 70 and 120 units seem to have been active at any given time. The labour battalions performed a range of different services, but the most important were road repairs and transport, (as well as manufacture, and agriculture).
In regards, to Ottoman Rail Transport, the empire only had 5700 kilometres of railway at its disposal. The railways were single track and the vital railway connection with the fronts in Palestine and Mesopotamia was interrupted where it crossed the Taurus and Amanos mountain ranges, making it necessary to load and unload all trains four times. The railheads, Cerekli (East of Ankara), Ulukisla (North of the Taurus) and Rasulayn (West of Mosul) were all three to four weeks marching away from the front. A large portion of the supplies had to be carried on the backs of the soldiers in the labour battalions, as can be seen.
Right - The Mevlevi Dervishes pictured in 1887.
The Mevlevi Volunteer Battalion was sent to Damascus in March 1915, and to the 4th Army. They were not regarded (or expected to be) as a combat force, and were assigned non-combat roles [2].
The "Dervishes" mentioned in Conde de Ballobar's memoirs belong to a volunteer brigade formed by the adherents of the Mawlawi and Qadiri Sects originally from Konya Province (largely as 'conscientious objectors', as they were free of conscription being of a religious class).
They were originally issued with old model rifles, on the formation of the unit (and these later withdrawn).
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[1]
[2] Mehmet Besikci. The Ottoman Mobilization of Manpower in the First World War: Between Voluntarism and Resistance (Brill, 2012): 191.
Right - Extracted from a portrait taken around 1915, this Ottoman officer (identified from the 1909 Officer's portepee displayed on the sword), is from the Kadiri Dervish Regiment/Battalion.
The Mevlevi Battalion (discussed above), was formed into a Music Band; a 'Mevlevi Medical Company'; and a combat unit - the 'Kadiri ( dervish volunteers) MG Company'.
Ottoman Imperial Army labour battalions (amele taburlari), were included in both the peacetime and mobilized strength. These battalions were attached to the inspectorates of troop movements of each of the Armies. The number of labour battalions varied throughout the war, but between 70 and 120 units seem to have been active at any given time. The labour battalions performed a range of different services, but the most important were road repairs and transport, manufacture, and agriculture.
The Military Police oversaw the Ottoman Army penal units. These were soldiers under punishment by wearing fez with the tassel cut-off. As well, photographs taken in WW1 of soldier labourers show them wearing fez without tassels - this may indicate they are a labour battalion of soldiers serving in a penal unit. This is particularly the case where the Ottoman Red Crescent Society and Medical activities are taking place.