ENGLISHWOMAN IN THE SERBIAN RANKS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2945, 4 December 1916, Page 3

ENGLISHWOMAN IN THE SERBIAN RANKS

STORY OF AMAZING ADVENTURES

When tho Serbian army, lacking effective - artillery, slowly retreated before the superior Bulgarian, forces when they over-ran the country, thero was a, point where ambulance work had to be abandoned; the wounded could not bo picked up, and they were left of necessity to the tender mercies" of their enemies.

Miss Flora Sandes, an Englishwoman, who had already worked in Serbia for 18 months as a voluntary nurse, and had performed heroic service during tho byphus epidemic, was- with one of the regiments when it fell back into Albania, and ultimately reached Durazzo and Corfu. Finding her occupation gone, she became a soldier, . was enrolled in the regiment, and within a very short tinio was promoted to the rank of corporal, and later to (hat of sergeant. : Tho war has furnished many amazing adventures, hut nono perhaps so remarkablo as those of Miss Sandes. "An English Woman-Sergeant in the Serbian Army," just published by Hodder and Stoughton.at 2s. Gd. not, is the narrative, of theso happenings. It is by no means unrelieved tragedy, for_ Miss •Sandes has an unquenchable spirit ana a keen sense of humour, and while sharing tho hardships and dangers of her companions has always an eye to the silver lining, however dark the cloud may'be. Pathos of the Great Retreat. She wields a vivid, descriptive pen; witness this little cameo:— "The soldiers were all retreading across the snow, and I never saw such a depressing sight. The grey .November twilight, the endless white expanso of snow, lit up every moment Ly the Hashes of the guns, and ' the long column, of men trailing away into the dusk wailing a sort of dismal dirge— I don't know what it was they were singing, something between a song and a sob; it sounded like tho cry of a Banshee. I have never heard it before or since, but it was a most heart-break-ing sound." 'flic troops were fighting a rearguard action practically for six weeks —a mere handful of troops, worn out by weeks of incessant fighting, hungry, sick, and with no big forces to back them up, retreating slowly and in good order before overwhelming forces of an enemy who lrcsh and well equipped with every arm. The only thought that buoyed them up, Sergeant Sandes remarks, was that England would never forsake them, and she modestly adds: ''I believe the fact that I went through with, them did perhaps sometimes help to encourage the soldiers." Her first servico as an active-com-batant ,came. when the Serbians were ■holding' Mount Glmkus. At Bay Behind Rooks. . "The companies were quickly posted in their various positions, and 1 made my way over to the Fourth, which was in the first line; we did not need any trenches, as-there were beans of rocks for cover, and wo lay behind them firing by volley. I. had only a revolver, and no rifle of my own at that tinio, but one of my comrades was quite satisfied to/ lend me his and curl himself up and smoke. Wo all talked in whispers, as if wo were stalking rabbits, though I could not see that it mattered much if the Bulgarians did hear us, as .they .knew: exactly Where we were, as'.the. bullets that came singing round one's head directly one stood: up proved, but they did not seem awfully good shots. "■"'•.'•'■■■ "It is a funny thing about rifle fire, that a person's instinct always seems to b» to hunch up his shoulders' or turn up his coat cojlar when he is walking about,, its'if it were-rain, though the bullet you hear whistle past your ears is-not the'one that is going to hit you. I have seen heaps of men do this who have been through dozens of battles, and are not afraid of any mortal thing.'' WheN. the remnants of the regiment got to Durazzo, Miss Sandes was promoted to the rank of corporal, and was sworn in, with a number of other recruits, to the accompaniment of tho impressive religious ceremony which the Serbians follow on these occasions. Thence she went with her regiment to Corfu, where the Serbian army was rested and refitted for further service, and on "Slewa Day," which is a great festival,-' Corporal Sandes became a sergeant amid universal congratulations, among which an t address from the soldiers of the company to which she was attached was not least esteemed. Miss Sandes ends -her volume with the.announcement that she is "eagerly, looking forward to. the time-when we can get another whack at the , enemy, and march victoriously back into Serbia ; and, with aiw luck 'I hope sora? "day to be able to describe how we accomplished it and the' triumphal entry into Nish, which we are always'talking about." . '•'•'■ * ■ ■ ■ • . . . . Tho 'author carried a camera as well as a service revolver, and the hook is embellished with some excellent photographs.