Turco-Serbian War 1876
Production date
1876-1877
Description
Papers and printed material relating to the National Society's work during the Turco-Serbian war. This mainly includes newspaper cuttings on topics covering national and international opinion on the war, the work carried out by the National Society and reports given by Colonel Loyd-Lindsay and Lord Derby. It also includes printed reports and letters regarding the work undertaken by the National Society. July 1876- April 1877.
Collection Type
Archives
Level of Current Record
sub-fonds
History
After the Franco-Prussian war, and although gaining respect and esteem for the work carried out, it was felt that the National Society would only come together in times of conflict and would not operate during peace.
Accordingly, the next time the National Society was called to action was during the 1876 conflict between Turkey and Serbia which began as the result of a Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire.
In Britain, public opinion on the war was running high and led to the formation of the ‘Eastern War Sick and Wounded Relief Fund’ by the Order of St John. However, continued public opinion urged the National Society to become involved and on 16 August Colonel Loyd-Lindsay announced that the council had decided to set aside £20,000 as a relief fund. Eventually the National Society merged with the ‘Eastern War Sick and Wounded Relief Fund’ to create one body to deal with the crisis.
Colonel Loyd-Lindsay and Mr MacCormac left England with stores to distribute supplies between Serbia and Turkey. Upon arrival in Serbia, Loyd-Lindsay and MacCormac found it difficult to work with the Serbian surgeons and this led to the founding of a separate British hospital in Belgrade with 3 aims in mind, to give aid to the Serbians, to act as a model for other Serbian hospitals and to provide a setting within which the British surgeons could exercise their skill.
In Britain there had also been reports of atrocities, and Captain Colebrook-Carter uncovered evidence of these at Scutari where Turkish soldiers had been victims of mutilation. It was decided that the best method of giving assistance in this case was to rent a large house for six months, which was converted into a 70 bed hospital in Scutari.
The National Society’s operations ended officially on 30 November 1876 in Serbia and 30 December in Turkey. In the final report it stated that 35 surgeons, nurses and agents had been employed and just over £10,000 had been expended.
Accordingly, the next time the National Society was called to action was during the 1876 conflict between Turkey and Serbia which began as the result of a Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire.
In Britain, public opinion on the war was running high and led to the formation of the ‘Eastern War Sick and Wounded Relief Fund’ by the Order of St John. However, continued public opinion urged the National Society to become involved and on 16 August Colonel Loyd-Lindsay announced that the council had decided to set aside £20,000 as a relief fund. Eventually the National Society merged with the ‘Eastern War Sick and Wounded Relief Fund’ to create one body to deal with the crisis.
Colonel Loyd-Lindsay and Mr MacCormac left England with stores to distribute supplies between Serbia and Turkey. Upon arrival in Serbia, Loyd-Lindsay and MacCormac found it difficult to work with the Serbian surgeons and this led to the founding of a separate British hospital in Belgrade with 3 aims in mind, to give aid to the Serbians, to act as a model for other Serbian hospitals and to provide a setting within which the British surgeons could exercise their skill.
In Britain there had also been reports of atrocities, and Captain Colebrook-Carter uncovered evidence of these at Scutari where Turkish soldiers had been victims of mutilation. It was decided that the best method of giving assistance in this case was to rent a large house for six months, which was converted into a 70 bed hospital in Scutari.
The National Society’s operations ended officially on 30 November 1876 in Serbia and 30 December in Turkey. In the final report it stated that 35 surgeons, nurses and agents had been employed and just over £10,000 had been expended.
Catalogue Number
WAN/2