Black sea interpreters 1914-1920

[Chasing-fireflies]

I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this regiment? It appears on a medal card for a possible relative I am researching but I can't seem to find anything about them doing Google searches. If someone could point me in the right direction I would most grateful. TIA.

[MaxD]

Would you give his details so we may look at the card?  There was no "regiment" with that name although there was a Black Sea Army consisting of a large number of units and there were local interpreters employed (and perhaps men from UK with the language skills).

MaxD

[Chasing-fireflies]

Hi Max, yes of course. His name was Christakis George Papadopoulas born 1893. He spoke 4 languages according to his 1926 passenger list going to New york. He spoke Greek, German, French and English. He was born in Pano Lefkara in Cyprus so not a million miles away from the black sea.

[MaxD]

Clear now.
The medal roll for the British War and Victory medals on which he appears is one that has a number of sections under the overall heading of "Miscellaneous"  including the interpreters with the Black Sea Army, the Slavo-British Legion in Russia, the Cape Coloured Labour Corps, the Zion Mule Corps and other outfits, dare I say it, that not many folk have heard of!
In your case, Ancestry has put "Interpreters" against Regiment or Corps as if it were a formed regiment, to make it worse, they then give the roll the title of the Slavo British Legion which is simply the first of the sections in the document!

All were essentially civilians who assisted the allies in one theatre of war or another and whose service earned them the two medals.  Your man served from 25 May 1916 until 12 November 1919, the dates suggesting he started with the army in Salonika.

Whether any histories are about that tell the interpreters story I doubt but you might like to see what you can find on the Salonika campaign and the subsequent Black Sea endeavour which involved the 27th Division starting at the end of 1918.

MaxD


MaxD

[Chasing-fireflies]

Many thanks, that makes more sense to me now. I appreciate the help and explanation of it all.