GENERAL PIMITRIEFF

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2228, 14 August 1914, Page 6

GENERAL PIMITRIEFF

BULGARIAN AID FOE .EUSSIA... ' General' Badko Dimitrieff, who is npiv to. lead a'division of the Eussian Ariiy;' "tv-os the hero of- Kirk 'Kilisse, rind has had an eventful' military and political career. ,' Born. in 4859, in the-Balkan villageof ■ Gradetz, near 'Kotel, he entered the Eastern Eumelian- Militia as lieutenant in 1879, and ih; the following year was sent/to: Eussia in -order -to' pursue his military studie3. Kbturning in 1884 he took part in the revolution of the following year and'was subsequently appointedChief of Staff in.-the Eastern Army Corps. He was present'at the battles of Dra.goman, Tzaribrod/ : and Pirqt,''and iwas decorated Tvith'tho:'Order of Bravery by Prince Alexander, in whose captufo and expulsion from Bulgaria he played ■a> leading part. , .After the counter revolution, he ned to' Russia, where he remained till 1898; whence returned'to Sofia, receiving a-'staff appointment in the Bui-, garian Ariny.. .In. 190-t he becamo Chief' of-Staff, and in : the folloifing year he received the rank; of maio^-general.' It is stated that he attained much success '.in .training the officers of his,staff,: and has- done -good service' in the general preparation of cciuipmont. In the Balkan War General Dimitrieff at first commanded the 'Third■ .-Bulgarian Army (of .80,000 men), and in that-capacity took ■ part in! the'battle of Leliolu. His-priiici-pal task during the campaign in Thrace, however, was the. reduction of Kirk , Kilisse, an important depot and road centre. . gnardeft by two,modern forts. ..The Bui'-' earian Commander-in-Cliief, General Sftvov had intended to delay this enterprise un-til-the investment of Adrianople wns sufficiently far advanced--,to. secure it from' interference, but' General Dimitrieff pushed on so vigorously that, the Turks suffered'a Revere defeat and were compelled to abandon' Kirk Kilisse, with its forts .and-:it3 immense supplies of .material,': as well as fifty, field guns.. From the outset' General Dimitrieff was regarded as the most brilliant- troop lender -in , theBulgarian' Army and soon after the battle, of Kirk Kilisse both the' first and third Bulgarian Armies were placed under his tactical direction. .; ./:■'; " /,-■