Edith Cavell was born in 1865. She was the daughter of a rector. She worked as a governess in Belgium and then returned to England to train as a nurse. She worked in hospitals in London and then became the Matron at Belgium’s first training hospital in Brussels. She is credited with being the founder of modern nursing education in Belgium. When WWI broke out, she was in England carrying for her ailing father. She immediately returned to her hospital, which was designated as a Red Cross hospital for serving wounded soldiers of both sides. After the Battle of Mons, she helped two British soldiers escape to neutral Netherlands. She became part of a network for helping soldiers and military age men escape. Shelter in the hospital was linked to guides that took the men to Netherlands. In 11 months around 200 were aided. The Germans were suspicious and had her watched for a while before she and 34 others in the network were arrested on Oct. 5, 1915. The court-martial occurred on Oct. 7. They were accused under German law for helping soldiers escape to return to duty. Their activities were also a violation of international law. All were convicted, but only Edith and four others were given the death penalty. This was despite worldwide condemnation of the sentence, including by the American government. Three of them were given reprieves, but on Oct. 12, she was shot by firing squad. Her last words were: “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” The German government defended its action by pointing out that the sentence was justifiable under international law. That was true, but the decision to execute her was a moronic one. The British turned her death into a propaganda bonanza. It spread the false story that she had fainted when offered a blindfold and was then shot in the head by a German officer as she lay on the ground. The Germans countered with the claim that she had ratted out others in the network, but it was too late. The British had created a martyr whose death pushed the United States closer to entering the war and she was used for recruiting British men into the army. After the war, her body was exhumed. A memorial service was held in Westminster Alley and she was buried in Norwich Cathedral.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/who-was-edith-cavel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell
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