Our members welcomed Rachel Duffield to our November meeting. Rachel really blew us away with her superb presentation on the life of Edith Cavell (4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915.) She really brought Edith to life by dressing herself in a formal nurse’s attire of the times. She gave renditions of hymns and songs of the era throughout the talk and encouraged audience participation.
Edith Cavell was born in Swardston. Her father was a priest in the Anglian church, the religious faith she was brought up with, together with her gentile and strong moral principles was to provide an important influence on her life as was the life of Florence Nightingale.
In 1900 she trained as a nurse at a London hospital. In 1907, she was recruited to be matron of a new nursing school in Brussels. She became a teacher of nurses throughout Belgium and began a nursing journal documenting good nursing practises and basic standards.
When the First World War broke out in 1914 Edith was in England, but she moved back to Belgium to her hospital that was later taken over by the Red Cross. The Germans invaded Brussels and by the end of 1914 it was under strict German military rule. Many British soldiers were stuck in Brussels after the withdrawal of the allied forces. As well as nursing these soldiers Edith hid them and placed them in safe houses around Belgium. From these houses approximately 200 were able to escape to neutral Holland. Edith continued with her nursing duties and was aware that the German army threatened strict punishments to those “aiding and abetting” the enemy. She was outspoken and felt compelled to help those in need.
She was arrested and imprisoned and after a short trial was found guilty of treason and sentenced to execution. After the war her body was returned to England was buried in Westminster Abbey later she was buried in Norwich Cathedral.
Even when she knew what her fate would be she tried to minimise her plight in letters to her mother. An example of great courage.
A sad story but portrayed by Rachel in a delightful way.
Margaret White