Milunka Savić - The Serbian Heroine

miluna savich is one of Serbia's most heroic and outstanding figures in military history renowned for her exceptional Valor in combat during the Balkan Wars and the first world war widely regarded as possibly the most decorated woman in military history her inspirational career challenged norms and pushed boundaries making her an icon of strength and determination miluna savich was born on June 28th 1892 in the village of civik near Novi pazar ser I the Balkan nations came together in 1912 to oust the Ottoman Empire from Europe ending its influence in their homelands and freeing the people living

in those territories from ottoman rule her brother was Ill with tuberculosis and was given draft papers to mobilized troops for the first Balan War seized by a strong sense of Duty and a wish to protect her family and her country miluna made a daring decision she dawned a male disguise and joined the army in her brother's place having cut her hair and putting on men's clothes she joined the military ranks the serbs divided into four groups most of which engaged the Western ottoman Army near Novi pizar close to the village where milunka savich was born

she joined the iron regiment at the age of 24 which was rapidly mobilized for the battle of kumanovo the first major event of the war which took place on October 24th 1912 miluna fought at the front a few months later in the Battle of bregalnica which took place between June une 30th and July 8th 1913 she earned her first medal and was promoted to Corporal yet during the fighting miluna was wounded by a gunshot and taken to a field hospital where doctors found out her real gender a shock and commotion in the Army Savage's Commander

was uncertain whether to punish or send her back to the battlefield she had proved to be an exceptional Soldier but women were not allowed to fight in the Serbian Army at the time the officer then suggested that she should join a nursing unit where other women served but Savage rejected the offer firmly expressing her desire to continue fighting for Serbia the commander assured miluna that he needed some time to consider what to do with her and that he would give her an answer the next day as some historical sources report miluna firmly stood her ground

and told the commander that she would await his decision she stood in this position for a full hour until the commander finally instructed her to return to camp and resume the fight against the enemy Savage was involved in both the first and second Balan Wars only one year after the end of these conflicts the first world war broke out and Savage once again impressed on the field earning the respect of Allied and enemy soldiers alike in the early days of the first world war Savage and her regiment took part in the Battle of kolubara between

Austria Hungary and Serbia in November and December 1914 Savage crossed No Man's Land an expression for a disputed Territory between enemy armies equipped with two grenade packs and her standard rifle she succeeded in single-handedly destroying an Austrian trench using these grenades and then proceeded to another trench where 20 enemy soldiers surrendered to her and her companions having sent the prisoners to the Serbian Camp miluna kept up her attack by throwing grenades into another trench her offensive was only stopped when A Shard from an artillery shell hit her in the head maluna was awarded cia's highest

decoration the kadora star with swords for her courage at Kara Austria lost the battle and was forced to retreat miluna savic's gallantry dedication and razor sharp instincts made her a true hero in the eyes of her comrades in arms at the 1916 Battle of the cab bent Savage was bestowed with another kador star with swords for her bravery in clearing Bulgarian occupied trenches and using grenades against them she accomplished a remarkable Deed by singlehandedly capturing 23 Bulgarian Soldiers the enemy troops were astonished to discover that a woman had successfully captured and disarmed almost two dozen

men not withstanding their courageous endurance the serbs could not withstand the pressure of all their enemies and had to Retreat through Albania during the final months of the first world war when the Serbian Army was withdrawing Savage joined a French unit and kept fighting throughout her three Wars Savage was wounded nine times some of which led to permanent seil that she carried with her for the rest of her life miluna savich was given a a total of 12 medals including two French Legions of Honor Russia's St George's cross the British medal of the order of

St Michael and Serbia's Milos oich medal she was also the only woman in the entire first world war to receive the French CA guier her staggering metal Hall makes her one of the most decorated people in the history of warfare France granted maluna a military pension and appreciation for her services but she chose to return to her beloved Serbia the postwar year however were fraught with tragedy for maluna savich she married a banker and had a daughter besides adopting three children but her husband ended up deserting the family as a single mother Savage got a

job as a cleaner at the Serbian foreign Ministry when World War II erupted savich headed an infirmary for the Yugoslav National Liberation Army but the German occupation of Serbia was difficult savich was brutally beaten by the Nazis right in front of her children for helping members of the resistance movement and later sent to ser I's banika concentration camp surviving the inhumane conditions savich was recognized by a German officer who called her a war hero instead of being put to death she was released after spending 10 months in the camp her final years were beset by

poverty however and Savage died of a stroke in 1972 during her life milonga Savage never got the recognition she deserved for her military service to her Homeland but her story lives on passed on to inspire future Generations ations