Milunka Savić

Serbian war heroine awarded French Legion of Honor twice in WWI

Milunka Savić (1890-1973) [6] became history's most decorated female combatant by disguising herself as male to fight in Balkan Wars and WWI. After suffering wound in 1913 Battle of Bregalnica revealed her gender, Savić convinced commanders to let her stay by outperforming male soldiers in marksmanship.

Her 7 battlefield medals [7] include:

French Légion d'Honneur (twice)
Russian Cross of St. George
British Medal of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael

Savić led night raids capturing 23 Bulgarian soldiers single-handedly during 1916 Salonika Campaign. Post-war, she adopted 3 war orphans and operated Belgrade's first veteran hospital.

Despite Nazi torture in WWII for refusing to host German officers, Savić survived to see Belgrade name a street after her. The Serbian military academy's top award bears her name - a rare case of female namesake in male-dominated military institutions.

Literary Appearances

No literary records found

Cinematic Appearances

No cinematic records found

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