Diana Souhami - Edith Cavell

review by Maggie Perkovic on show 10th March

EDITH CAVELL WAS A HEROINE OF THE 1914 WAR. BORN IN 1865 IN A SMALL NORFOLK VILLAGE INTO AN ENGLISH LIFE THAT SEEMED IMMUTABLE. AGED THIRTY SHE LEFT THE CONSTRAINED LIFE OF A GOVERNESS TO "DO SOMETHING USEFUL, SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE SHE BECAME A PIONEERING NURSE. SHE TRAINED AT THE FLAGSHIP ROYAL LONDON HOSPITAL AT A TIME WHEN NURSING WAS EMERGING AS A PROFESSION RATHER THAN, "AS FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE PUT IT, "JUST A JOB OF LAST RESORT FOR THOSE TOO OLD TOO WEAK, OR TOO DRUNK TO DO ANYTHING ELSE'. AT THE STARTOF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, EDITH CAVELL WAS IN BRUSSELS AS HEAD MATRON OF BELGIUM FIRST EVER TRAINING SCHOOL FOR NURSES.
ON 20TH AUGUST 1914 SHE WATCHED AS FIFTY THOUSAND GERMAN SOLDIERS MARCHED INTO THE
CITY. UNDER GERMAN OCCUPATION HER LIFE CHANGED FROM THAT OF THE ARCHETYPAL VICTORIAN
MATRON, TO THE SUBVERSION AND CONCEALMENT OF A RESISTANCE WORKER.
DESPITE HUGE PERSONAL RISK, SHE ALLOWED I NURSING SCHOOL TO BE USED AS A CENTRAL SAFE
HOUSE FOR HUNDREDS OF ALLIED SOLDIERS, SERARATED FROM THEIR REGIMENTS, WHO IF CAUGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED AND SHOT. EDITH CAVELL NURSED THEIR WOUNDS, GAVE THEM
MONEY, AND ORGANISED DISGUISES, FALSE PAPERS, AND GUIDES TO GET THEM OUT OF THE COUNTRY. HER RESISTANCE NETWORK WAS TRACKED DOWN BY THE GERMANS. OF THOSE ARRESTED SHE WAS SINGLED OUT FOR EXECUTION BECAUSE SHE WAS ENGLISH. SHE FACED HER PUNISHMENT WITH CALM AND COURAGE THAT AFFECTED ALL WHO SAW HER DURING HER FINAL DAYS.
HER LAST WORDS WERE" I DIE FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY' PRECEDING IT WITH "MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR.
THIS IS A VERY WELL WRITTEN AND CONCISE STORY OF THIS BRAVE WOMAN. SHE WAS A HARD WORKER IN HER LIFE AND DEVOTED TO HER NURSES AND HER DOG JACK. SHE MENTIONED SOME GRIEF AT LEAVING HIM, BUT SHE KNEW IF SHE WAS CAUGHT IT WOULD BE THE DEATH PENALTY FOR HIDING THE MEN, AND FOR SOME AREAS OF SPYING ON ENGLAND'S BEHALF. HAVING SEEN SOME OF THE ATROCITIES PERPATRATED BY THE INVADING ARMY SHE FELT NO QUALMS IN HELPING IN ANY WAY TO SEND THE SOLDIERS HOME. HOWEVER, SHE INSISTED THAT ALL WOUNDED
SOLDIERS WHAT EVER NATIONALITY SHOULD BE NURSED WITH COMPLETE IMPARTIALITY.
"IT IS NOT ENOUGH JUST TO BE PATRIOTIC THERE MUST ALSO BE NO HATRED IN YOUR HEART"
SERVICE OF THE BEST WAS HER MANTRA, SHE MAINTAINED HER STRONG ANGLICAN FAITH TO THE
END HER DEATH WAS A SHOCK THROUGHOUT THE WORLD,AND HER PICTURE USED TO RECRUIT YET
MORE SOLDIERS TO FIGHT FOR ENGLAND. I ENJOYED READING IT, AND CERTAINLY FELT I KNEW MORE ABOUT HER LIFE AND THE OTHER BRAVE PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN RESCUING OUR
TROOPS FROM THE WAR. RECOMMENDED READING.
review by Mags