Mehmet Arif Şenerim
After being held captive for nine months in the town of Amolyas in the north of Thessaloniki, he escaped to join the 2nd Corps 13th Reg.
At the outset of the First World War, he was sent to the Gallipoli front to join the 5th Army under Marshall Otto Liman von Sanders.
On 18 March 1915, when the English and French navies in an attempt to force their way up the Çanakkale Strait gave heavy losses, they decided to put units on land at Gallipoli Peninsula.
The ANZAC forces which landed at Arıburnu on 25 April 1915 were stopped by the 19th Division under Mustafa Kemal's command at Conkbayırı.
Assault was ordered on ANZAC Corps under General Birdwood (and was formed with 1st Australian Division, 2nd Australian and New Zealand Division, Ceylon Battalion and Indian Battalion) at 5:00 a.m. Captain Mehmet Arif was with 15th Reg.
He was tasked to fortify the trenches and it was completed under the heavy fire of the ANZAC Corps.
Until the end of August 1915 he served in the trench wars on the Arıburnu front at Gallipoli.
In 1915 he was promoted to the rank of "Kolağası" (senior major) and was posted with the 14th Regt, which was stationed in Bitlis on the Eastern Front.
Due to this heavy assault, Russian forces and their rearguards could not cling onto Bitlis, and withdrew to Kirkor mountains.
He campaigned against the Armenian Army and surprised by attacking from the left side at the Peroz Battle.
The Battles of Erciş, Adilcevaz, Pehmas and Rumya took place as guerilla wars.
At the Truce, 30 Oct 1918, he was honoured with the Merit Medal by Brigadier General Ali İhsan Pahsa.
He joined the Battles of Eskişehir, Karköy, Razancı, Mudanya and Bandırma with the Porsuk Platoon against the Greek armies.
After the victory, he was honoured with Testimonial in 1923 when he was a major, and the same year he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
His first wife was Ayşe Hanım, who was the mother of Colonel Behzat Balkış, Pertev Çandar and Muzeyyen Hanim.
His second wife was Zehra Hanım of Nevrokop, who is the mother of teacher Nergis Şenerim.
Mehmet Arif Şenerim died in Konya aged 74 and was buried at the Üçler Graveyard behind the Mevlana Museum.
