author
Flora Sandes
1876–1956
Drawn to adventure long before the First World War, she became the only British woman officially enlisted as a soldier in the Serbian army. Her life combined frontline bravery, nursing work, and a talent for telling an extraordinary story in her own books.
1 Audiobook
An English woman-sergeant in the Serbian Army
by Flora Sandes
About the author
Born in Yorkshire on January 22, 1876, and raised in England, Flora Sandes grew up with interests that did not fit the usual expectations for women of her time. When war began in 1914, she went to Serbia with a relief unit connected to St John Ambulance, intending to help as a nurse.
In the chaos of the Serbian campaign, she moved from medical and support work into military service and was formally enlisted in the Serbian army. She fought during the First World War, was wounded in action, and became widely known for her courage; she was later promoted and remained closely linked with Serbia for the rest of her life.
Sandes also wrote about her experiences, including An English Woman-Sergeant in the Serbian Army and a later autobiography, The Autobiography of a Woman Soldier. She died on November 24, 1956, leaving behind one of the most unusual and memorable wartime stories of the twentieth century.