The Flaming Sword in Serbia and ElsewhereStobart, M. A. (Mabel Annie)
History
The Flaming Sword in Serbia and Elsewhere
Stobart, M. A. (Mabel Annie)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
Some of these bombs had fallen near our camp, and Colonel Guentchitch
and other officers came up to be assured that all was well. We had a
narrow escape the next day. Again, at 7 a.m., German aeroplanes arrived
and began dropping bombs on the town; the intention being, presumably,
to destroy the arsenal. But this time they thought our camp worthy of
attention. This was tiresome, as we received that morning the order to
be at the railway station with the convoy, ready to embark at 3 p.m.
The motor ambulances, all in line, would have made an easy target, so
we distributed them and hid them as best we could. One bomb fell in the
camp, but luckily buried itself in a soft place; another exploded in
the middle of our stores, and spare tents, in the new barracks, missing
three of the unit, who had just been sorting these stores, by less
than a minute. Tents were burnt, and marmalade destroyed, and holes
made in the walls, but otherwise no harm was done. I didn't hear how
many people were killed in the town, but one man who was brought to us
injured, died before he could be moved from the stretcher.
As soon as we were rid of one set of aeroplanes another lot arrived,
but they had the decency to clear off in time for us to collect our
cortège and be ready at two o'clock to start for the station.
The six Ford motor-ambulances were to carry the staff of twenty-one
with their personal baggage; our own ox-wagons and one cart, drawn by
two horses, took our personal food, stores, and tents; all the rest
of the thirty wagons, including water-cart and oxen and horses, were
to meet us at the station. We had been given by the director of the
arsenal a field-kitchen on wheels, which had been taken last autumn
from the Austrians. This went with us and was a valuable asset.
It was an interesting moment, when, at the sound of the whistle, the
little company assembled, said good-bye to the remaining unit and
jumped into the ambulances, which were numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, for
easy identification by their respective crews, and started for the
front (on Friday, October 1st).
Good-bye to our beautiful white camp, in which so many scenes had been
enacted--of sorrow, and of work, and some of play; and in which hopes
for the Serbian future had fluctuated, now on one side, now on the
other, of the balance.
What fate would befall us, and those who were left behind, before we
met--if ever--again? But those who were left behind would, at least,
I trusted, be protected from harm, for they would be under special
supervision, and Kragujevatz was the Military Headquarters. Besides,
the enemy would never reach Kragujevatz!
But for one and all there was one word--Good-bye. God be with you; and
He was.
PART III
CHAPTER XVIII
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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