Edith Cavell
Edith Cavell was a British nurse serving in Belgium who was sentenced to death for assisting prisoners to escape during WW1. Edith Louisa Cavell was born on December the 4th, 1865. (Duffy, 2009) Edith was born in Swardeston, a small village in Norfolk where her father was a vicar for 45 years. (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2013) At the age of 20, Edith entered the nursing profession, moved to Belgium and became matron of the Berkendael Medical Institute in 1907. Edith succeeded in raising the standard of Belgian nursing even though her career in Belgium was short-lived. (Duffy, 2009)
In August 1914, Cavell was away on a short holiday with her Mother. When weeding her Mother’s garden in Norwich, Edith found out that Belgium had been seized by Germany. To her Mother, Edith explained “I am needed more than ever,” and abruptly left for Belgium. That was the last time her mother ever saw her. (Kosanovich & Hageman) With the war starting in 1914 and the occupation of Belgium by the Germans following shortly after; Cavell had joined the Red Cross. The Berkendael Institute was swiftly transformed into a hospital for wounded soldiers of all nationalities. Many captured allied soldiers who were tended to at the Berkendael Institute successfully escaped to Holland with the assistance of Cavell. (Duffy, 2009) In August 1905, Germans raided the home of Philippe Baucq and arrested him. Philippe hadn’t destroyed various letters that incriminated Edith Cavell. (Kosanovich & Hageman) Edith Cavell was arrested on the 5th of August, 1915 by German authorities. She was charged with personally aiding the escape of 200 or more soldiers. Edith Cavell was kept in solitary confinement for nine weeks until a confession was extracted which formed the basis of her trial. (Duffy, 2009) Edith Cavell, her Belgian associate Philippe Baucq and two others were pronounced guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad. On the 12th of October 1915, Edith Cavell was executed at the national rifle range in Brussels. She was still wearing her nurse’s uniform when shot. (Kosanovich & Hageman) Edith Cavell was then depicted as a martyr and received worldwide media coverage, mainly in Britain and the U.S. (Duffy, 2009) Her image & identity became an essential component of British war propaganda with recruitment in allied countries doubling for eight weeks after her death was announced. (NNDB, 2013) (Kosanovich & Hageman) The media coverage reinforced the opinion that the Germans occupied Belgium with brutality. (Duffy, 2009)
Read more: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/52328128?searchTerm=world%20war%201%20women&searchLimits=l-availability=y|||l-australian=y
In August 1914, Cavell was away on a short holiday with her Mother. When weeding her Mother’s garden in Norwich, Edith found out that Belgium had been seized by Germany. To her Mother, Edith explained “I am needed more than ever,” and abruptly left for Belgium. That was the last time her mother ever saw her. (Kosanovich & Hageman) With the war starting in 1914 and the occupation of Belgium by the Germans following shortly after; Cavell had joined the Red Cross. The Berkendael Institute was swiftly transformed into a hospital for wounded soldiers of all nationalities. Many captured allied soldiers who were tended to at the Berkendael Institute successfully escaped to Holland with the assistance of Cavell. (Duffy, 2009) In August 1905, Germans raided the home of Philippe Baucq and arrested him. Philippe hadn’t destroyed various letters that incriminated Edith Cavell. (Kosanovich & Hageman) Edith Cavell was arrested on the 5th of August, 1915 by German authorities. She was charged with personally aiding the escape of 200 or more soldiers. Edith Cavell was kept in solitary confinement for nine weeks until a confession was extracted which formed the basis of her trial. (Duffy, 2009) Edith Cavell, her Belgian associate Philippe Baucq and two others were pronounced guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad. On the 12th of October 1915, Edith Cavell was executed at the national rifle range in Brussels. She was still wearing her nurse’s uniform when shot. (Kosanovich & Hageman) Edith Cavell was then depicted as a martyr and received worldwide media coverage, mainly in Britain and the U.S. (Duffy, 2009) Her image & identity became an essential component of British war propaganda with recruitment in allied countries doubling for eight weeks after her death was announced. (NNDB, 2013) (Kosanovich & Hageman) The media coverage reinforced the opinion that the Germans occupied Belgium with brutality. (Duffy, 2009)
Read more: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/52328128?searchTerm=world%20war%201%20women&searchLimits=l-availability=y|||l-australian=y