The Luck of Thirteen: Wanderings and Flight through Montenegro and Serbia

In Short

This narrative follows a husband-and-wife team traveling through Montenegro and Serbia during the First World War. Initially seeking a unique vantage point on the conflict, the pair finds themselves caught in the harrowing, chaotic retreat of the Serbian army and civilian population as the front line disintegrates. Combining sharp observation with an understated, dry wit, the chronicle captures the surreal juxtaposition of mundane travel mishaps against the backdrop of a humanitarian catastrophe, offering a rare, ground-level perspective on a pivotal but often overlooked theatre of the Great War.

The Story

The journey begins with an adventurous, almost casual curiosity as the authors traverse the mountainous landscapes of Montenegro and Serbia. They move through the frontier, engaging with local customs and navigating the bureaucratic hurdles of a region deeply scarred by historical conflict. Their early days are marked by the trivialities of travel: the hunt for transport, the struggle against the elements, and the oddities of local accommodation. However, the tone shifts dramatically as the war intensifies. The authors transition from observers into active participants, working within field hospitals to treat the influx of wounded soldiers. The narrative details the grim reality of the medical units—the scarcity of supplies, the constant threat of disease, and the sheer exhaustion of the staff.

As the Austrian and German forces advance, the stability of the region collapses entirely. The authors are swept up in the "Flight of Serbia," a mass exodus that sees an entire country—soldiers, wounded, and civilians alike—forced onto the road in a chaotic, desperate retreat. The journey becomes an endless trek through mud and rain, where the primary objective shifts from documentation to survival. They navigate through treacherous mountain passes, dealing with unreliable guides, disappearing infrastructure, and the constant, gnawing hunger that plagues the retreating columns.

Throughout this ordeal, the authors maintain a focus on the human element: the dignity of the wounded, the indifference of officials, and the small kindnesses exchanged between strangers in the face of ruin. The narrative does not shy away from the brutality of the retreat, describing the piles of discarded gear, the abandoned animals, and the physical degradation of the refugees. The climax of the journey occurs as they finally push toward the Albanian coast, seeking passage to Italy. The tension remains high until the very end, as they navigate the shifting loyalties of their guides and the peril of a sea route patrolled by hostile submarines. Their eventual arrival in Italy, celebrated by cheering crowds and a sense of profound relief, serves as the final punctuation to a journey that transformed their perspective on the nature of conflict. They return to safety not as tourists, but as witnesses to the resilience of those who were left behind.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The authors set out with a spirit of exploration, moving through the station-based chaos of the Serbian rail system. They encounter the logistical absurdities of wartime transport, where train cars serve as erratic bedrooms and shunting accidents are a standard part of the travel experience.

Crossing the frontier The transition into Montenegro brings a confrontation with the stark, rugged beauty of the Balkan mountains. Here, they encounter the remnants of old border conflicts and the lingering, often humorous, suspicions of the local populations toward outsiders.

The hospital front The narrative turns to the grim, demanding work of the field hospital, where the authors assist with the influx of casualties. The clinical routine of the wards provides a jarring contrast to the romanticized notions of battle, highlighting the physical toll on the soldiers.

The flight of Serbia As the enemy forces close in, the authors join the mass migration of a retreating nation. The struggle for bread and the navigation of swampy, mud-choked roads become the defining features of their existence, turning the journey into a fight for basic sustenance.

Into Albania The final leg of the trek takes them across the harsh landscapes of Albania toward the Adriatic coast. They must negotiate with local guides and overcome the exhaustion of their depleted party, ultimately securing passage out of the war zone.

The People

The authors, Jan and Jo Gordon, serve as the steady, pragmatic lenses through which the reader views the unfolding catastrophe. Jan is the observer, frequently attempting to document the world through photography and sketching, while Jo acts as the resourceful communicator, often managing the day-to-day logistics and interpreting for the group. They are defined by their refusal to panic, even when their situation becomes dire.

Supporting them are a cast of characters who highlight the varied human response to the war. There is the "Sirdar Voukotitch," a commander who epitomizes the formal, occasionally impenetrable nature of Montenegrin authority. The narrative also introduces a variety of wounded soldiers, such as the man known as "John Willie," whose presence in the hospital ward brings a poignant, fragile humanity to the story. Other figures, like the "dignified Albanian" guide, illustrate the complex, often frustrating, relationship between the travelers and their local hosts. These people stand in the way of the authors' goals as much as they facilitate them; their shifting reliability reflects the general instability of the region. By the end, both the authors and those they encounter have been irrevocably altered, stripped of their initial assumptions about the war and left only with the shared memory of the endurance required to survive it.

In Its Own Voice

"The wounded were indescribably dirty, and their clothes in a shocking state, all stiff with blood."

The authors describe the immediate, visceral reality of the patients arriving at their hospital.

"One orderly with soap and razors shaved every hair from each; and several plied clippers on the matted heads."

This detail underscores the meticulous, often dehumanizing process required to prepare the wounded for treatment.

What It's Really About

The book is a quiet, devastating meditation on the fragility of civilization. It explores how quickly the structures of a society—transport, food supply, and medical care—can dissolve when subjected to the pressures of modern warfare. Beneath the travelogue, there is a persistent, indignant question regarding the responsibility of those who orchestrate conflict while the "fruits of their plots" are harvested by the common soldier. It is an argument against the abstraction of war; by focusing on the mud, the hunger, and the exhaustion of the participants, the authors demand that the reader confront the brutal, unglamorous reality of what it means to be a displaced person in the path of an invading force.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate firsthand historical accounts that prioritize the sensory experience over dry political analysis will find this book particularly rewarding. It reads like a travel journal that has been hijacked by history, maintaining a tone of wry, British understatement even while describing the most harrowing circumstances. You will find yourself drawn to the authors' ability to find humor—such as their bequeathing of eccentric, outdated sun hats to the hospital ward—in the midst of profound suffering.

However, one must be prepared for the realities of the period. The authors write with the attitudes of their time, which can feel dated or occasionally insensitive to modern sensibilities. The narrative also does not offer the polish of a contemporary memoir; it is a raw, jagged account, reflecting the chaos of the retreat it describes. If you are willing to engage with the period-typical viewpoints and the occasionally dense, meandering pace of the travel narrative, you will be rewarded with an intimate, unvarnished look at a forgotten corner of the First World War. It is a testament to human resilience that lingers long after the final page, serving as a reminder of how quickly the world can turn, and how much is lost in the process.