Mrs Sandes was born in Nether Poppleton, near York.

Mrs Robinson explained that she was the daughter of a “very well-connected” Anglo-Irish vicar who became the vicar of Marlesford and moved the family there.

When World War I broke out in 1914, she was 38 years old and eager to serve.

“She ended up volunteering for the Red Cross when the First World War broke out and was rejected because she only had certificates from the St John Ambulance Brigade and no practical experience” , Ms Robinson told BBC Radio Suffolk.

“It really upset her and then she found out there was a group of volunteer nurses going to Serbia and she went with them.”

She worked in Serbia for several years, but when the country was invaded in 1916 and they were told to retreat, Ms. Sandes refused to abandon the forces she had been assigned to and joined them.

She was the only British woman to fight the Germans directly.

Over time, she rose through the ranks of the army to the rank of officer and, according to Ms Robinson, she is still remembered in Serbia today for her efforts.