Flora Sandes British woman who served in the Serbian army Date of Birth: 22.01.1876 Country: Great Britain

1. Flora Sandes: The British Woman in the Serbian Army
2. Joining the Serbian Army
3. A Remarkable Career
4. Life After the War
5. Later Years

Flora Sandes: The British Woman in the Serbian Army

Flora Sandes was a British woman who served in the Serbian Army during World War I. She was the first and only British woman in the Serbian Army at that time, having accidentally found herself in the midst of war and later being enlisted in the Serbian military. Sandes was born in 1876 to the family of Irish vicar Samuel Dickson Sandes. Her family moved several times throughout the country, and Sandes was homeschooled. From a young age, she lamented not being born a boy and even prayed every night to wake up as one. However, nature had already played its part, and Sandes had no choice but to live as a girl.

Joining the Serbian Army

Sandes excelled in horse riding, marksmanship, and enjoyed hunting and hiking. When the war broke out, she attended training courses for army nurses. In 1910, she left her parental home and joined the unit of horse-drawn ambulance drivers who transported the wounded from the battlefield. She became skilled at handling the horse-drawn carriage and the ambulance, providing first aid and caring for the injured. During the First Balkan War, Sandes found herself in Serbia with the Red Cross. In the chaos of war, she got separated from her unit and ended up in the Serbian Army, where it turned out they were not opposed to having a female soldier. Sandes became a soldier and quickly began to rise through the ranks. She first attained the rank of corporal and later became a sergeant.

A Remarkable Career

Sandes was awarded the highest military honor, the Order of the Karađorđe's Star, after displaying bravery and being severely wounded in hand-to-hand combat. She genuinely enjoyed her service and fought with great enthusiasm. Sandes was well regarded by her comrades, who trusted and cared for her, and she greatly appreciated their kindness. She could have obtained a position at the headquarters, but she did not desire it. She wanted to serve in the troops. In 1916, Sandes published her autobiographical book, 'An English Woman-Sergeant in the Serbian Army,' which was based on her military diaries. Unfortunately, a serious injury and its consequences prevented her from continuing her military career, and she was discharged from active duty. However, she remained and worked in a hospital until the end of the war. Sandes was demobilized in October 1922.

Life After the War

In addition to her military service, Sandes made efforts to help the impoverished Serbs affected by the war. She organized clothing and medicine drives, established funds, and charitable projects. In May 1927, she married former White Army general Yuri Yudenitch, and the couple settled in France. However, they later returned to Serbia, which had become part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and settled in Belgrade. Here, Sandes once again stood out as the first female taxi driver in Belgrade. In 1927, she published her second autobiography. Moreover, she traveled around the world giving lectures on the war in Serbia, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. It is known that during her speeches, she always wore her military uniform.

Later Years

When the threat of a German invasion loomed over Yugoslavia in April 1941, the 63-year-old Sandes and her husband Yuri Yudenitch were called up to the army, but it ended before they could begin their service. Both of them were briefly captured by the Germans but quickly released. Yudenitch soon fell ill and passed away in 1941, while Sandes decided to leave the country. With some difficulty, she managed to return to England, and little information is known about her life since then. It is only known that Flora Sandes passed away in 1956 in Suffolk County.