Set of postcards of Serbian Field Marshal Radomir Putnik Radomir Putnik was Serbia’s first Field Marshal. A career soldier of long standing, he was originally forced to retire by the King Alexander Obrenovic in 1895 for political reasons. When the Obrenovic’s were overthrown in the bloody, regicidal May Coup of 1903, Putnik was rehabilitated by the incoming King Peter, of the Karageorge Royal House. He led the Serbian Army to victory in both the First and Second Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 respectively. When the First World War began, Putnik was undergoing medical treatment in Austro-Hungary at the time, though Emperor Franz Josef granted him safe passage back to Serbia. When he returned, Putnik tried to resign from the Army on the grounds of ill health, but King Peter insisted on having him on the General Staff to oversee the strategic work of the other Generals. Putnik therefore had an important hand in the successful Battles of Cer and Kolubara, both in 1914. By autumn 1915, the Austro-Hungarian, German, and Bulgarian Armies attacked Serbia from all sides simultaneously, and Putnik was forced to lead the strategic retreat in the winter of 1915 that would see the Serbian Army withdraw through Albania and to the coast and thereon to Corfu for rehabilitation, recovery, and re-equipping. The Serbian Army returned on the Salonika Front in spring of 1916. This is a set of 24 postcards featuring the life and career of Putnik. Published in 1928 and edited by Brigadier-General Zivan Rankovic, the postcard packet reads ‘VOJSKA DOMOVINE’, which is Serbian for ‘Army of the Homeland’; also ‘VELIKI VOJNICI’, which means ‘Great Soldiers’. There is also a quote in Serbian Cyrillic from the poem/play ‘Mountain Wreath’ by the Prince-Bishop Petar Petrovic-Njegos, which reads: ‘ТВОЈ ЋЕ ПРИМЕР УЧИТИ ПЈЕВАЧА КАКО ТРЕБА С БЕСМРТНОШЋУ ЗБОРИТ’, which transliterates as ‘Tvoj ce primer uciti pjevaca kako treba s besmrtnoscu zborit.’, and which translates to ‘Your example will teach singers how one should speak of immortality’. The title also mentioned Putnik’s military title, that of ‘Vojvoda’ which, in Serbian, is Field Marshal. The postcards have short captions in Serbian Cyrillic. Putnik died of ill health in 1917 and, in 1918, Mount Putnik in Canada was named after him. || Packet containing 24 postcards about Serbian Field Marshal Radomir Putnik.

In the interview attached to these photographs, David Clarke shares what father George Henry Clarke shared with him about his time as a young man in the Middle East, and the disappointing end to a remarkable service. Contributed via Age Exchange (http://www.age-exchange.org.uk) as part of the Children of the Great War project (http://www.childrenofthegreatwar.org.uk) at a collection day at Leyton Orient supporters club, London, UK. To see all material contributed by Age Exchange, or to see more contributions from this collection day, follow the links at http://www.childrenofthegreatwar.org.uk/archive.html - For further information email: greatwar@age-exchange.org.uk || || George Henry Clarke in uniform || George Henry Clarke || Photograph || || George's comrades at the beach || Photograph || || Like many soldiers who returned, George felt the pension the men were entitled to was dissapointing || George Henry Clarke || war pension certificate, pertaining to George Clarke || Official document || || Memorabilia || JUSTITIA TURRIS NOSTRA' ('Justice is our tower'), cap-badge of the 10th County of London (Hackney) regiment || George Henry Clarke || || George Henry Clarke || Interview with David Clarke || Interview

Crownprince William meets Field Marshal Hindenburg at Verdun station 1916.