The largest circulation Armenian e-magazine, circulates every Thursday. Est.

1999
issue: 19 May 2011

THE ARMENIAN LEGION & CYPRUS

Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra - katoomba@cytanet.com.cy -

This article is about a largely forgotten part of World War I, the Eastern Legion (Lgion
dOrient), later called Armenian Legion (Lgion Armnienne), which - despite its brief existence
- wrote illustrious and glorious pages in modern Armenian history. May the memory of the
volunteers (gamavorner) never be forgotten.

In the midst of the Armenian Genocide and World War I, following negotiations in September
and October 1916 between Boghos Noubar Pasha (Chairman of the Armenian National
Delegation) and French military and political authorities, represented by diplomat Franois
Georges-Picot (co-signatory of the Sykes Picot agreement), the formation of the Eastern
Legion was decided. The Legion was officially established by a special charter signed by the
French Minister of War, General Pierre August Roques, on 26 November 1916.

Based on the charter, the Eastern Legion would be an auxiliary unit of the French Army,
consisting mainly of Armenian volunteers, whose purpose would be the liberation of Cilicia from
the Ottoman Empire, so as to create an independent Armenian state in the region. After
preceding negotiations with the British authorities, within the framework of the Anglo-French
intelligence co-operation, it was decided that the training of the volunteers would take place in
Monarga village, at the Carpass peninsula of Cyprus, near Boghaz. The Legion would be
administered by French officers.

The camp was built in December 1916 by Armenian Genocide refugees and the arrival of the
first volunteers - refugees from Mousa Dagh - started in January 1917. Throughout 1917 and
1918, volunteers arrived at Famagusta harbour from the harbours of Marseilles and Port Said
and were transported in Monarga thereafter. Several Armenian organisations in the Middle East,
Europe and North America supported the Legion, either with financial contributions or by
drafting Diasporan Armenians to form companies of the Legion. The selection process and the
training were rather strict, while the exceeding difficulties and large costs of transportation
hindered the arrival of volunteers from the New World.

The volunteers were especially impatient to perform their patriotic duty. The camp consisted of
the headquarters, the barracks, various auxiliary facilities (including a water basin) and a small
chapel. There were 4.124 volunteers in total, forming 3 Armenian battalions, as well as 2 Syrian
companies (consisting of about 300 men). The camps commander was Infantry Lieutenant
Colonel Louis Romieu, while its spiritual shepherd was Archbishop Taniel Hagopian, assisted by
Archimandrite Krikor Bahlavouni, who later became known as Topal Vartabed (Lame
Archimandrite), because of an injury he suffered during his military service.

Training was completed by May 1918. Until then, the 1st battalion had about a year and a half
of training, the 2nd battalion about eight months and the 3rd battalion was being formed. Then,
the largest part of the Legion was moved to Egypt and thence it was deployed to Palestine,
where it wrote glorious pages in its history, marking the famous Battle of Arara on 18
September 1918.

The 3rd battalion left Cyprus in October 1918. In December 1918 the Legion - consisting now of
4 battalions, 4.368 soldiers and 66 officers - settled in the Cilicia region as part of the French
mandate, where it remained until it was dissolved in August 1920. On 1st February 1919 it was
officially called Armenian Legion. After its dissolution, only a very small number of
legionnaires returned to Cyprus.

It is worth mentioning that at the Larnaca Armenian cemetery there is a group grave of 9
legionnaires who were killed in action, which was constructed by the French Consulate in the
late 1940s. In the location where the Legions camp once was, presently in the Turkish-occupied
areas, very few vestiges remain. However, the legionnaires remembrance and heroism will
forever be written in golden letters on the pages of modern Armenian history.