Serbs on Corsica in the Great War. Part 1

Abstract

Historians and historical research of the role of the Serbian nation in the Great War give ample respect and recognition of the great battles and great victories. However, the exodus of the Serbian people and its armies out of Serbia is also not forgotten. Neither are the Salonika Front, nor other battlefronts. Less well known and researched is the fate of 35,000 young Serbian recruits, the young people dispersed to distant lands. This research is concentrated on the fate of the Serbian refugees in Corsica, on those who helped them, looked after them, and treated them to recovery, and who themselves came there from other parts of the world. Those Serbian refugees in Corsica were looked after by the representatives of diplomatic, humanitarian, and medical missions from Serbia, France, and Great Britain. The life of the Serbian refugee colony in Corsica was organized, financed, and supported by the Royal Serbian Government in exile in France, the French Relief Committee for the wounded, sick, and refugees, the Serbian Relief Fund, the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Service, the local authorities, and numerous individuals in Corsica. We have paid particular attention to the Scottish Women’s Hospital in Corsica that provided a special hospital unit called “Corsica Unit,” situated in Ajaccio, with the isolation ward in Lazaret, and ambulances and dispensaries located in various villages, where the Serbian refugees were billeted. At the time of centennial commemorations of the Great War, we want to express our profound gratitude to the humanitarian and medical assistance from all quarters, and in particular to the Scottish Women’s Hospitals, and Dr. Elsie Inglis, the founder and the leader of this medical mission.

Keywords

• World War I
• French medical help
• Serbian Red Cross
• Serbian Relief Fund
• Scottish Women’s Hospital
• Corsica
• Serbia
• Inglis E