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Edith Cavell (1865-1915)
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Archivist's note: Sources: Edith Cavell 1865-1915, a Norfolk Heroine, on line at http://www.edithcavell.org.uk; Historical Manuscripts Commission On-line National Register of Archives. Compiled by Julie Tancell as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.
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Edith often returned to visit her mother, who since her husband's death was living in Norwich. She was visiting her mother in the city's College Road when news of the German invasion of Belgium reached her. She was back there by August 3rd. In the autumn of 1914 two stranded British soldiers found their way to Nurse Cavell's training school, others followed and were spirited away to neutral territory in Holland. An underground lifeline was established, masterminded by Prince and Princess De Croy at a chateau in Mons, and some 200 soldiers were helped in their escape.
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Edith returned to Brussels in 1907 to nurse a child patient of Dr. Antoine Depage, but he soon had other plans for her. Dr. Depage wanted to pioneer the training of nurses in Belgium in a similar way to that practiced by Florence Nightingale. Up until that time nuns had been responsible for the care of the sick and although they were kind and had their patients' welfare at heart, they were not properly trained for the work. So, now in her early forties, Edith was given the task of running a pioneer training school for lay nurses. L'Ecole d'Infirmiere Dimplonier, which was situated on the outskirts of Brussels and formed out of four adjoining houses, was opened on October 10th, 1907.
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After the death of her father, her mother moved to Norwich, and Edith made several trips home to see her. It was during one of these visits, in 1914, that the news came that Germany had invaded Belgium. Edith immediately returned to her training school in the suburbs of Brussels.
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Two members of the escape route team were arrested on July 31st, 1915 and five days later Nurse Cavell was interned. During her interrogation she was told that the other prisoners had confessed, she believed her captors and told them everything. Later at her trial she condemned herself by admitting that she had "successfully conducted allied soldiers to the enemy of the German people". Her guilt was a capital offence under the German penal code, and she was to be shot.
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There is a hospital in Peterborough, schools in Vancouver, British Columbia and St. Catharines, Ontario , and the Edith Cavell Bridge in New Zealand. Also named for her was Edith Piaf , French singer, born 19 December , 1915 .
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Edith Cavell (1865-1915)