January 1, 1855, was a day worth commemorating in European history. On this day, the Four Powers Convention officially came into force, and the European Continent entered the era of the new Vienna System.
In accordance with the treaty, the various nations began fulfilling their respective responsibilities and obligations. The British soldiers who had "wandered into" Serbia also began to be repatriated.
Originally, these British soldiers could have left as soon as the negotiations began. But after spending so long in Serbia, they had not exactly been idle.
Although the London Government covered their living expenses, they had no pocket money. The bureaucrats in London certainly were not going to send over their military pay.
Austria had merely disarmed them; it had not restricted their personal freedom. Apart from having fixed places to lodge and eat, they could roam freely within several kilometers. Taverns were their favorite haunts.
The Austrian Government was only responsible for three meals a day. Any additional expenses came out of their own pockets! It did not take long for the British soldiers to be reduced to pennilessness by living off their dwindling reserves. Life without money was hard, and no one could endure it for long.
Breaking laws and discipline? Serbia was now under military administration. If they were caught, they could lose their heads.
At the time, reconstruction was underway locally, and there was a shortage of able-bodied young laborers. To make their lives a little more comfortable, quite a few soldiers took up side jobs to earn some spending money.
Serbia had suffered devastating losses among its young and able-bodied population, leaving the ratio of men to women severely imbalanced. After staying there for some time, many British soldiers even started families locally.
Once they had families, they naturally became attached to the