大象传媒

Norfolk born Nurse Edith Cavell was running a nurse training school in Brussels when war broke out, and treated soldiers from all sides without distinction. She helped over 200 allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium, offering them shelter while they recovered from wounds. Edith was arrested and tried by a German military court, found guilty of treason, sentenced to death, and shot by firing squad on 12 October 1915.

Following the war, her body was returned to Norfolk after a ceremony at Westminster Abbey. She was laid to rest at "Life Green" at Norwich Cathedral on 15 May 1919.

Edith Cavell's arrest and trial was followed publically, making her a cause c茅l猫bre and later a martyr. There was international shock at her death. For the Germans it provided an opportunity to show how tough they were on those judged to be traitors irrespective of gender. Her femininity expressed through her work as a nurse garnered great sympathy in Britain.

A propaganda war followed and led to a surge in recruitment numbers for the allies. The rise in numbers was vital for Britain to successfully fight in the first "total war" when the small professional army had to be replaced by mass mobilisation.

Following Edith Cavell's death the number of men volunteering to serve doubled to 10,000 a month. This was crucial to the British war effort because conscription wasn't introduced until 1916.

Graham Smith is the former Dean of Norwich Cathedral. Here he describes the importance of Edith Cavell鈥檚 memory to Norwich.

Location: Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk, NR1 4DH
Image of Edith Cavell鈥檚 memorial in 1919
Photograph courtesy of Norfolk Clare Everitt
Footage of Edith Cavell鈥檚 funeral, courtesy of Imperial War Museums

Show less