Russian soldiers resting in the field. Card postmarked November 28, 1916.
Reverse:Postmarked November 28, 1916.
"We drove quickly over the hill, for we saw enemy foot-soldiers on the neighbouring hills. Just before Khatna, we met many Russians soldiers. I was sitting by the driver. One soldier looked at me and shouted to his companions: 'Kakoy tam zvyer sidiyt? [What kind of wild beast is sitting there?]' And a chorus of derisive mirth greeted his words. I willed myself not to think of those offensive words but I was deeply hurt. I had thought that the bands of unruly soldiers would somehow have contrived to remain in Russia; but here they were at large in Roumania too. Would they infect the Roumanian Infantry? What would happen then?"
Entry for August 28 (August 15, Old Style), 1917 from the diary of Florence Farmborough, an English nurse serving with the Russian Red Cross. She had first encountered rude, and sometimes threatening, Russian soldiers in the retreat following the collapse of Russia's Kerensky Offensive in July. Her unit then accompanied Russian troops moving into Moldavia to support the Romanian Mărăşti offensive. The German counter-attack, the Battle of Mărăşeşti, began on August 6, the Austro-German Battle of Oituz two days later.
Nurse at the Russian Front, a Diary 1914-18 by Florence Farmborough, pp. 305–306, copyright © 1974 by Florence Farmborough, publisher: Constable and Company Limited, publication date: 1974
1917-08-28, 1917, August, Romania, Russian soldier
