- £375.00
Serbia. (Serbian Relief Fund). 1918. Stamp-less picture post card of 'Women going to Market at Bitolja' addressed to Suffolk endorsed 'On Active Service' and cancelled by ova; 'Serbian Relief Fund/ Hospital' in violet on face, routed via Salonique with Field Post Office/ AX double ring dated '13th Nov 18' and framed censor 'Passed By Censor/ No 305'.
Lovely item written in the hand of Flora Sandes the only British woman in the Serbian Army.
Sent by Flora Sandes from the newly re-occupied zone at Kremjan with Serbian Relief Fund/ Hospital cachet having been transferred with the hospital from Sorovitch.
Flora Sandes, daughter of an English country parson, achieved something most remarkable for a woman even by Great War standards. After volunteering as a nurse with the Red Cross she was recruited by Madame Grujic of the Serbian Relief Fund to work in the Balkans. She became deeply involved with the Serbian cause and in the struggle against the Bulgarian invasion of Serbia she decided to support the Serbs more actively by enlisting as a Private Soldier into the Serbian Army. She quickly proved herself worthy of promotion to the rank of Sergeant Major. During the liberation of Serbia she was badly wounded and awarded Serbia's highest military decoration for bravery. On retirement she married a Serbian Army N.C.O. and lived in Serbia until her return to England in the 1940's.
