The Poppleton History Society
Flora Sandes
A Poppleton Heroine
Sergeant Major Flora Sandes
Joined the Serbian Army in 1915
Retired in 1922 with the rank of captain
The only British woman in the Serbian Army
Flora Sandes was born in Poppleton in January 1876, the youngest of seven children, daughter of the Rev Samuel Sandes while he was vicar of Poppleton. Flora was baptised in our own St Everilda’s Church.
Flora’s full story can be found in the documents held by the History Society Secretary but, briefly, she trained as a Red Cross nurse and left London for Serbia on 12 August 1914. She subsequently joined the Serbian Army and so created a small piece of history as the only British woman so to serve. She saw much action and was awarded the Cross of Kara-George (equivalent to our VC) when she was a Sergeant Major. Eventually Flora reached the rank of captain. She returned to England and died at Wickham Market in 1956 aged 80 years.
