People And Their Fates – Armenian Genocide

During the attack of the British troops on the forefronts of the Turks, Artashes Hambartsumyan was in the ranks of the British dressed in Scottish uniform.

In documents, his name was abbreviated to Hambi. The task of Artash was to find Armenian orphans in Turkish families and transport them to Europe. About twenty orphans, who would have otherwise become soldiers in the Turkish army, were transported to Europe by British ships.

Photo: Karahisar, April 1919

Armenian family from Kharberd.

The father of the family joined the self-defense forces and was killed in battle against Turks. The family’s mother and children were exiled to the Syrian desert – their ultimate fate is unknown.

Only the boy, the elder son of the family (right) survived. He was sheltered by an Arab family in Aleppo. The Arab family cared for the Armenian child and brought him up as their own.

The Palanjyan family from Erznka.

Of all the family members, only Shushan Palanjyan (the young girl on the right) survived, the rest were brutally killed. This photo was taken before 1915.

The Verona family from Kharberd.

Only one family member survived (the girl on the left) – she avoided the death march, was saved, and miraculously reached the United States in 1920.

The Kafafyan family from Adana.

All members of the priest’s family were beheaded, only the girl (in the center) survived. The Turks have sliced her throat with a dagger, assuming she would die from blood loss. But the girl survived. She later sailed to Marseille on a French ship.

The Geodelekian family from Adana.

From this family survived Makruhi Geodelekyan, the child sitting in the latter’s arms, Sahag (the man on the left), and his wife Mary (sitting next to him). The rest were slaughtered, including the nun who had arrived from abroad.

Armenian family from Constantinople.

The head of the family, banker Abraham Sisakian, was hanged. The family hid from the Turks for some time and was eventually rescued and brought by boat to Marseille.

Source: Harutyun Harutyunyan