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At a time when we in the "Free World" are once again facing an
enemy who appears to have no conscience and no soul we are often amazed by the
bravery shown by "ordinary" people.
All of us are familiar with the story of Florence Nightingale "The Lady of the
Lamp" and the bravery shown by her during the Crimean War, but how many of us
know of the bravery of Edith Cavell?
Edith Louisa Cavell was born in Swardeston, Norfolk on December 4th, 1865. She
became interested in hospitals while travelling in Bavaria and began her nurse's
training in London in 1895. In 1906 she moved to Brussels to help train Belgian
nurses. When World War I broke out in 1914 Edith was in charge of a clinic which
she immediately converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers. She showed no
discrimination, treating British, Belgian, French and German soldiers. She also
helped allied soldiers, once they had recovered from their wounds, to escape
over the border into Holland where they were able to rejoin their armies.
In 1915 Edith Cavell was betrayed to German authorities by a Belgian traitor
and was imprisoned. Despite pleas for leniency and mercy by the British,
American and Spanish governments she was executed by a German firing squad on
October 12th, 1915.
Shortly before her death Edith Cavell was counseled by a British chaplain and
is reported to have said during that interview "I have seen death so often that
it is not strange or fearful to me. Standing as I do in the view of God and
eternity, I realise that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or
bitterness to anyone."
Edith Cavell was a far better and braver woman than I could ever hope to be
and deserves far more recognition than she has received so far. There is a
statue erected in her memory in Saint Martin's Place in London and she has a
mountain named in her honour in Canada.
Written by Valerie. You can talk to
Valerie on our
message boards.
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