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The Armenian Legion

Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra

During the Armenian Genocide and World War I and


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), the Eastern
Legion (Lgion dOrient/ ) was
officially established in Cairo on 26 November 1916,
by a special charter signed by the French Minister of
Liturgy at the Armenian Legion camp
War, General Pierre August Roques. According to
the charter, it was to be an auxiliary unit of the French Army, consisting mainly of Armenian
volunteers, whose aim was to liberate Cilicia from the Ottoman Empire, for the purpose of creating
an independent Armenian state in that region. After negotiations with the British authorities, within
the framework of the Anglo-French intelligence co-operation, it was decided that the training of the
volunteers (=gamavorner) would take place at Monarga, in the Carpass peninsula of
Cyprus, near Boghazi. The Legion would be administered by French officers, detached by the
Foreign Legion.
The camp was built in December 1916 by Armenian Genocide refugees and the arrival of the first
volunteers - refugees from Musa Dagh - started in January 1917. Throughout 1917 and 1918,
volunteers arrived at Famagusta harbour from the harbours of Marseilles and Port Said and
thereafter they were transferred to Monarga, about 25 Km to the north, away from any residential
areas. Other than the French officers, there were also some Armenian junior officers.
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 and training were rather strict, while the exceeding difficulties and
large transportation costs hindered the arrival of more volunteers from the New World (in total,
only about 1.200 American-Armenians came, out of the nearly 6.000 who registered in the lists).
The volunteers were especially impatient to perform their patriotic duty.
The camp consisted of the headquarters, the barracks, various auxiliary installations (including a
water basin) and a small chapel. In total, there were 4.124 volunteers, who formed 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. Both clergymen came to Cyprus from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
even though at the time the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was under the Armenian Patriarchate of
Constantinople.
During their stay in Cyprus, the volunteers visited the Magaravank in Halevga, both in 1917 and in
1918, as well as various other places in Mesaoria, Pentadhaktylos and the Carpass; at times, they
visited Egypt. For recreation, they frequented at the neighbouring Boghazi, while they often
organised various events within the camp. The owner of the camps canteen, for over a year, was
Dickran Ouzounian. On a hill, at a small distance from the Legions camp, there were the ruins of a
castle, said to be built by Leo V, creating relevant connotations
Basic 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 third battalion was being formed. Then, the

largest part of the Legion was moved to Egypt and


thence it was deployed to Palestine, where it marked
the Battle of Arara on 19 September 1918. The 3rd
battalion, which remained in Cyprus, was assigned
the defence of Castellorizo island (to the east of
Rhodes) and Ruad island (near Syria). The 3rd
battalion, together with the two supply companies,
left Cyprus in October 1918 for Beirut. In December
1918, the Legion - now consisting of 4 battalions,
4.368 soldiers and 66 officers - settled in the Cilicia
region (with its headquarters located in Adana) as
Training at the Armenian Legion
part of the French Mandate, where it remained until it
camp in Monarga
was dissolved in August 1920. In February 1919 it
was officially called Armenian Legion (Lgion Armnienne/ ). In mid-1919,
General Antranik Ozanian came to Cyprus, wanting to go to Cilicia in order to head the Legion, but
this was denied by the French. After its dissolution, only a very small number of legionnaires
returned to Cyprus.
In the Armenian cemetery of Larnaca there is a group grave of 9 volunteers of the Armenian
Legion, commissioned 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.

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