The most heartbreaking description of the devastation in Asia Minor is given by a non-commissioned officer of the 7th Division named Takis Kontos in his book Mikrasia Telos, which he published in 1960.
A series of telegraphic staccato sentences, some of which make no sense, unlike cryptic verse sequences:
“Saturday, August 13, 1922. Evret-Boyali-Sinan Pasha, the canon of the sun is not visible. Night of Sinan Pasha. The parts are messed up. Rockets and flares, and the order of operation. Shooting all the time. (…) Burning airport. Hems clothes, (bad luck spell). All. Company of the General Staff. (Where are our clothes?). Night surrounded. Rifles everywhere. Cold and cold. Mutosis. (…)
Wednesday, August 17 Observatory. Attack of two divisions. criticality. Plastiras (far left) overlooks the N. (Trikoupi) complex. Bulletin B. Group. Calm. – “You go higher to shoot.” Night Moon. We run like goats. “Where are you going for Christ” – corruption gentlemen – trumpets – long live – “back faulocrats”. Staff horse. Wounded. “Your Virgin Mary” (…)
Thursday, August 18 (…) Second division. In the evening, some gunfire. The trees are on fire. (…) Friday-Saturday 19 and 20 August. (…) The most terrible course. Terrible fatigue. The trees are on fire. Grapes at dawn. Stop in the forest. (…)
House search. Arsonist instincts. (…) Terrible thirst on the Philadelphia plain.
Sunday-Monday 21-22 August. House search. Arsonist instincts. (…) Terrible thirst on the Philadelphia plain. Noon 22. Philadelphia is on fire. Trains. (…)
Tuesday, 23 August. (…) Let him go to hell for self-control. Tree stand. “Those without a mule.” (…) “Remove it.” Grenades. A phalanx of fugitives. Everything is on fire. Sardis with fire. Paktolos with the gold of Akhmetlis. The mule that fell, sugar. (…)
Friday-Saturday-Sunday 26-27-28 August. Morning road. Phalanges and phalanges. At 16:00 “So I’m a kitta, kitta.” Smyrna and ships, “mirians and their horns”. Wrestling match. (…)”
Takis Kontos does not know this, but he is a poet, not a lyric one, but a Doric one, merciless:
“Wednesday-Thursday August 31-September 1. (…) Almond Uzun Kiopru. Colic. Retreat tricks. Horse riding among the almonds. (…) Steamboat sirens. (…)
Friday, 2 September. We also start at 2 o’clock. Tragedy. Night is still Chesmes. Killing the living. “Caliope” again. We sit down. Time 17. Chios.
Source: Kathimerini
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