Serbian Army in Corfu

 I am in Corfu this week on a family holiday. Leaving my wife to enjoy the sea and sand, I headed for Corfu Town to visit the museum related to the Serbian Army's stay on Corfu in the First World War. 

The Serbian army's (plus many civilians) Great Retreat was a desperate journey through the mountains of Albania and Montenegro during the winter of 1915-1916, following the Central Powers' invasion of Serbia. During the journey, 77,455 soldiers, 47,000 prisoners of war and 160,000 civilians froze, starved to death, died of disease, or were killed by enemy action. Of the 400,000 people who set out, only 120,000 soldiers and 60,000 civilians reached the Adriatic coast, where they were evacuated by Allied ships to the island of Corfu.

Nearly 5,000 Serbian refugees, primarily women and children, were evacuated to Corsica. They were cared for by the Scottish Women's Military Hospital, established by Dr Elsie Inglis, who had been taken prisoner in Serbia. Young boys came to Edinburgh. A British nurse, Flora Sandes, enrolled in the Serbian Army during the retreat and was later wounded in action after reaching the rank of Sergeant Major.

Approximately 152,000 Serbian troops, equipped by the French, played a decisive role in the final Allied offensives, significantly contributing to the breakthrough on the Macedonian (Salonika) front and the liberation of Serbia.

This is all remembered in a small museum in Corfu Town. They have uniforms, equipment, and information boards, supported by knowledgeable volunteers. 

This is an example of a French-equipped Serbian infantryman.

Another Brit not forgotten is Rear-Admiral Troubridge. He commanded the Danube Flotilla and accompanied the Great Retreat. He then assisted in evacuating the army from Albanian ports.

Most of the soldiers were initially treated on the Island of Vido, just off the coast. Many died, but the Allied medical services eventually managed to get organised. There is a mausoleum on the island today.

There are a couple of Serbian shops near the museum, with books and other items. Needless to say, I will not be returning to Scotland empty-handed!

As I usually do on my trips abroad, I also visited the CWGC cemetery. The graves include some of the unluckiest sailors in the Royal Navy. Crew of the destroyers HMS Saumurez and Voltage, which were mined in the Corfu channel in 1946. There is also a nicely renovated grave of Private John Connors, who won a VC in the Crimean War.