Winterton born nurse Lizzie Atkinson endured a perilous 200+ mile trek during the Winter of 1915 as part of the Serbian Retreat. Below is an even more graphic account of her journey.
South of England Advertiser - Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent, December 30, 1915
Heroic Nurses - Perilous escape from Serbia
Eighteen nurses with other members of the Scottish Women’s Hospital arrived in London last week from Serbia. It was as long ago as October 19 that one unit of the party were compelled by the advance of the enemy to evacuate their hospital at Lazarevatz, but it was not until December 11 that they arrived at the Albanian port of San Giovanni di Medua, and from there sailed for the friendly shelter of Brindisi.
The intervening weeks were spent travelling under conditions from which it seems almost incredible they should have survived.
Nurse’s graphic story
A graphic account of the horrors of the journey was given by Sister Elizabeth Atkinson, who was with the Lazarevatz unit. “We were ordered to leave the hospital on October 19.” she said. “All the patients who could walk were told to shift for themselves, and those who could not were sent off in bullock wagons. Mrs Haverfield, the administrator, was in charge of our party. We had to wait 18 hours on the platform before we could get a train, and then we were packed like sardines, standing, into ordinary goods trucks. It was pouring with rain all the time, and the journey to Krushevatz which took us three days, was a nightmare.
“When we got there we had to wait three hours in a cafe before we could get any food. At last they succeeded in finding a pig and killing it for us. At first it was suggested we should have to sleep on the cafe tables, but eventually one of the doctor’s rooms at the hospital was secured for us, and there 22 of us slept on straw mattresses. Food was dreadfully scarce, and we had to pay 2s even for a small loaf.
“After the big trek began with Mr Smith’s party things became worse than ever. Over the mountains the cold was intense. Even the food froze, and even handkerchiefs froze stiff as we took them from our pockets. Often we found horses which had been frozen to death on the road, and three had been cut up for food by the Albanians.
“When we began the trek over the mountains a terrific blizzard came on, and as the party struggled along the different groups lost sight of each other. At one time I and four other nurses thought we had lost the track, for the rapidly falling snow had obliterated the footsteps of those in front.
“My companions turned back, but I went on, and at last saw above me the leaders of the party struggling along the winding track ahead. A few minutes later I was overtaken by an Austrian prisoner whom we had nursed, and he found us shelter in a half-ruined hut, through the holes in the wall of which the snow blew all night.
“However, he managed to make a fire, and in the warmth of this he attended to one of my feet, which was badly frost-bitten. I would like to say that all the Austrians we came into contact with were most kind and good to us. Those we had nursed would do anything for us.
Seven days on mountain tops
“Going down the mountains the ground was frozen hard, and the track was like glass most of the way. Our horses were continually falling, and as a result we lost much of what luggage and stores we had. Once when my pony went down and his load was pitched off, an Albanian youth seized one of the bundles and ran off with it before he could be caught. Altogether we were seven days on the snow clad mountain tops. Each night we sank down completely exhausted, and each morning seemed to bring forth a still more dreadful day.
“In many places the mountain track was barely a foot wide along the edge of precipices, and we saw both men and animals fall over. The ponies were so weak from want of food that a slight collision between their loads and the jagged points of the rock was sufficient to hurl them over. Bridges were broken down everywhere, and we had to wade through the icy waters. Most nights we slept out; sometimes we found shelter in houses; and often had only straw to sleep on.
“At Andranitsa we found a number of Serbian soldiers, and though absolute exhaustion necessitated one day’s halt we were then forced to go on by the impossibility of getting any food. At Levereka we managed to get two motors, in which most of the party went off, but the rest of us had to wait four days before we could go on. Then we got to Podgeritza, where we obtained our first decent meal.
“From there we went partly on foot and partly by motor to Scutari, and afterwards walked to San Giovanni di Medua. Here we expected to find an American relief ship, but we found the port had been bombarded.”
Eighteen nurses with other members of the Scottish Women’s Hospital arrived in London last week from Serbia. It was as long ago as October 19 that one unit of the party were compelled by the advance of the enemy to evacuate their hospital at Lazarevatz, but it was not until December 11 that they arrived at the Albanian port of San Giovanni di Medua, and from there sailed for the friendly shelter of Brindisi.
The intervening weeks were spent travelling under conditions from which it seems almost incredible they should have survived.
Nurse’s graphic story
A graphic account of the horrors of the journey was given by Sister Elizabeth Atkinson, who was with the Lazarevatz unit. “We were ordered to leave the hospital on October 19.” she said. “All the patients who could walk were told to shift for themselves, and those who could not were sent off in bullock wagons. Mrs Haverfield, the administrator, was in charge of our party. We had to wait 18 hours on the platform before we could get a train, and then we were packed like sardines, standing, into ordinary goods trucks. It was pouring with rain all the time, and the journey to Krushevatz which took us three days, was a nightmare.
“When we got there we had to wait three hours in a cafe before we could get any food. At last they succeeded in finding a pig and killing it for us. At first it was suggested we should have to sleep on the cafe tables, but eventually one of the doctor’s rooms at the hospital was secured for us, and there 22 of us slept on straw mattresses. Food was dreadfully scarce, and we had to pay 2s even for a small loaf.
“After the big trek began with Mr Smith’s party things became worse than ever. Over the mountains the cold was intense. Even the food froze, and even handkerchiefs froze stiff as we took them from our pockets. Often we found horses which had been frozen to death on the road, and three had been cut up for food by the Albanians.
“When we began the trek over the mountains a terrific blizzard came on, and as the party struggled along the different groups lost sight of each other. At one time I and four other nurses thought we had lost the track, for the rapidly falling snow had obliterated the footsteps of those in front.
“My companions turned back, but I went on, and at last saw above me the leaders of the party struggling along the winding track ahead. A few minutes later I was overtaken by an Austrian prisoner whom we had nursed, and he found us shelter in a half-ruined hut, through the holes in the wall of which the snow blew all night.
“However, he managed to make a fire, and in the warmth of this he attended to one of my feet, which was badly frost-bitten. I would like to say that all the Austrians we came into contact with were most kind and good to us. Those we had nursed would do anything for us.
Seven days on mountain tops
“Going down the mountains the ground was frozen hard, and the track was like glass most of the way. Our horses were continually falling, and as a result we lost much of what luggage and stores we had. Once when my pony went down and his load was pitched off, an Albanian youth seized one of the bundles and ran off with it before he could be caught. Altogether we were seven days on the snow clad mountain tops. Each night we sank down completely exhausted, and each morning seemed to bring forth a still more dreadful day.
“In many places the mountain track was barely a foot wide along the edge of precipices, and we saw both men and animals fall over. The ponies were so weak from want of food that a slight collision between their loads and the jagged points of the rock was sufficient to hurl them over. Bridges were broken down everywhere, and we had to wade through the icy waters. Most nights we slept out; sometimes we found shelter in houses; and often had only straw to sleep on.
“At Andranitsa we found a number of Serbian soldiers, and though absolute exhaustion necessitated one day’s halt we were then forced to go on by the impossibility of getting any food. At Levereka we managed to get two motors, in which most of the party went off, but the rest of us had to wait four days before we could go on. Then we got to Podgeritza, where we obtained our first decent meal.
“From there we went partly on foot and partly by motor to Scutari, and afterwards walked to San Giovanni di Medua. Here we expected to find an American relief ship, but we found the port had been bombarded.”