POLYNESIEN
Ship Memorial
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MONUMENT
In memory of the Serbian and French army cadets who lost their lives
in the sinking of the ship “SS Polynesien” on August 10, 1918.
Unveiling of the Monument in Marsaskala
After two years of dedicated work, the Polynesien Ship Memorial was unveiled in Marsaskala, Malta, as a tribute to the Serbian and French cadets who lost their lives when the SS Polynesien sank on August 10, 1918.
The ceremony, held on August 10, 2025, gathered representatives from Malta, France, and Serbia — commemorating shared history, courage, and solidarity during the First World War.
Among the speakers were Malta’s Minister for Culture Owen Bonnici, Director of the Serbian Government Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora Arno Gujon, and representatives of the French Embassy in Malta, including Benjamin Martinez. The event was supported by the Marsaskala Local Council and the Serbian Orthodox Parish, led by Father Risto Gorančić.
The monument was officially unveiled by high diplomatic representatives — Malta’s Minister for Culture Owen Bonnici and the Director of Serbia’s Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy Arno Gujon.
The ceremony carried a deeply emotional tone, highlighted by the moving performance of the song “Kreće se lađa francuska” (“The French Ship Sets Sail”) by opera singer Tanja Andrić.
The event was opened by Petar Maksimović, initiator and project coordinator on behalf of the Serbian Educational and Cultural Center St. Helen of Anjou, who welcomed the attendees and expressed gratitude to all partners who made the project possible:
The Marsaskala Local Council and Mayor Mario Calleja,
The Embassy of the Republic of France in Malta, and the Serbian Government Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy led by Mr. Arno Gujon,
Mr. Miodrag Jakšić for his continuous support from the very beginning,
Mr. Marcus Blatchford, General Director of 3DMB UK, who provided the initial “point cloud” data that launched the project’s technical phase,
Prof. Milan Kalajdžić from the University of Belgrade, whose wreck model and data processing ensured the project’s technical precision,
Peter Agius and Ann Muscat, descendants of wartime nurse Mary Muscat, who generously shared her 1918 photo archive of surviving Serbian soldiers — an invaluable historical link,
Kevin and Mark Gaglione from Medcomms Ltd. for their technical support,
Kevin Aquilina, experienced diver, for helping incorporate authentic underwater details from the wreck into the monument’s design,
Sculptors Jelena and Igor Đorđević, authors of the monument, for transforming a technical concept into a meaningful public artwork,
Jacques Vassal from JDV Company and Nebojša Nežić from Floors and More for their assistance in the final construction phase,
Prof. Timmy Gambin and the Underwater Cultural Heritage Department of Heritage Malta for their crucial professional and institutional support.
Special thanks were extended to Father Risto Gorančić for his spiritual guidance and prayers, to Consul Boško Šukić for his dedication and contribution, and to Mića, for his unwavering support, patience, and encouragement from the very beginning.
The Serbian community members who attended the ceremony added warmth and pride to this historic and emotional moment — one that will long be remembered as a symbol of unity and remembrance.
A Tribute to the Common History of Serbia and Malta
On July 28, 1918, the ship Polynesien departed from the port of Bizerte, carrying cadets of the Serbian Non-Commissioned Officers’ School to the front.
Among the young cadets on board was the heroine of the First World War — Milunka Savić.
The Polynesien was under the command of Second Lieutenant Siniša R. Tajišić, an active infantry officer from Kragujevac. The convoy leaving Bizerte consisted of around ten transport ships carrying military supplies to Thessaloniki, escorted by several destroyers for protection against enemy submarines.
The voyage began calmly, with all precautionary measures in place. According to survivors’ testimonies, the first morning passed uneventfully until around 11:00 a.m., when a sudden, powerful explosion shook the ship.
Milunka Savić later recalled fearing that her life would end in the depths of the Mediterranean, saying that “death did not want her,” as she miraculously survived — never knowing how many cadets had perished.
One of her fellow passengers, Dušan Stanković, left a vivid testimony describing the final moments aboard the Polynesien:
“Suddenly, the ship trembled with a deafening explosion, and we fell to the deck… The siren wailed ominously, the ship tilted, panic broke out… We ran from bow to stern, tripping over one another… There was a struggle for life belts, as some hadn’t fastened theirs properly… The ship leaned further to the left… We ran toward the part that was still above water, lowering lifeboats and rafts. Second Lieutenant Tajišić was calm and composed, giving orders and trying to stop the panic… Boats filled quickly and moved away… Tajišić was the last to stay aboard, ensuring every soldier was rescued. He tried to lower a small boat, but one end broke free and he fell into the sea… The water pulled him down — he never resurfaced. Thus, without a word, saving his cadets and waiting until the last man boarded, the brave and noble Lieutenant Tajišić said his final farewell…”
“Soon, small British rescue ships arrived from Malta and pulled us from the sea. The ordeal lasted 45 minutes. When the masts of the Polynesien disappeared beneath the waves, we, the surviving cadets and French sailors, stood at attention and paid our final respects to the ship and our fallen comrades. In the depths of the Mediterranean, some of our brothers remained forever.”
Alongside Lieutenant Tajišić, two cadets lost their lives.
The survivors were rescued by Allied vessels near Malta and later continued their journey to the front. By September 1918, they rejoined their units and took part in the final battles for the liberation of Serbia.
Sources:
The Great War of Serbia for the Liberation and Unification of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes: 1914 – 1918, Vol. 26, Belgrade, 1935
A. Đurić, Solunci Speak, Belgrade, 1987
Historic Photos of
Serbian Soldiers Rescued Near Malta, 1918
Initiating the Memorial Project
One of the lesser-known episodes from the glorious history of the Serbian Royal Army during the First World War took place on August 10, 1918, off the coast of Malta. The French ship Le Polynesien was transporting around 500 Serbian soldiers — cadets of the Reserve Officers’ School from Bizerte — to the Thessaloniki Front. Among the young Serbian officers and soldiers was the famous heroine Milunka Savić.
At around 11 a.m., the ship was struck by a torpedo fired from the German submarine UC-22, about three kilometers off the coast of the small fishing village of Marsaskala, in southern Malta. Within 45 minutes, the vessel sank, taking with it 11 crew members and 6 Serbian soldiers (the exact number of casualties remains uncertain). The survivors were rescued and treated in a Maltese hospital before being transferred to the Thessaloniki Front, where they later joined the final battles for the liberation of Serbia.
The shipwreck remains well preserved to this day, lying at a depth of 68 meters, and is now considered one of Malta’s most remarkable and technically demanding diving sites.
Our organization launched an initiative to install a memorial monument in Marsaskala, on the very shore overlooking the site of the sinking. The monument will feature a 3D sculpture — the upper part representing the ship in motion and the lower part depicting the wreck — accompanied by an informative plaque in Maltese, Serbian, and English.
So far, we have secured the support of:
the Serbian company Argo Navis, contributing to the technical production of the 3D ship and wreck models for casting;
the British company 3DMB, which provided the digital model of the wreck;
the Marsaskala Local Council and its Mayor Mario Calleja;
and Professor Timmy Gambin from the University of Malta, responsible for the preservation of Malta’s underwater cultural heritage.
Images of the Polynesien Ship Model
and Its Underwater Wreck
The French Ship Sets Sail
The sea is deep and mighty wide,
So blue and endless on each side.
No shore in sight, my heart feels pain,
I fear I’ll never see home again.
The French ship sails from Thessaloníki,
Carrying warriors, weary and weakly.
Brothers-in-arms, both ill and worn,
By war and loss, so deeply torn.
Each soldier fought with steadfast hand,
For faith and glory, for his land.
He prayed to God with humble grace,
To see once more his homeland’s face.
I leave in sorrow, weak and pale,
Yet whisper, “Lord, You will prevail.”
My brothers too embark with me,
To share our grief upon the sea.
No joy remains, not even a spark,
The Spanish submarines haunt the dark.
All pray to Saint Nicholas’ power,
To guard our ship in this fateful hour.
— Branislav Milosavljević
“The French Ship Sets Sail”
A song written by Branislav Milosavljević, created during the First World War (1917), dedicated to Serbian soldiers who sailed from Thessaloniki toward the front. The lyrics express the sorrow, courage, and faith of the Serbian warriors who endured the hardships of war and prayed for divine protection on their journey home.
