Edith Cavell, WW I Nurse and Hero

On a recent flight to London, I thought about what my husband and I would do once we arrived. Certainly, we wanted to see Westminster Abbey, Churchill’s War Rooms, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben. But side trips to York, Stonehenge and Bath were also on the agenda.

There was something else on my mind, and that was finding the Edith Cavell monument in

The Edith Cavell Monument

London. Most people have no idea who Edith Cavell is, including those who work in gift shops near Trafalgar Square, the approximate location of the monument. It’s actually at 10 St. Martin’s Place up from the right-hand side of the National Gallery, and I was determined to find it.

Before I go any further, I should tell you about Edith. She was born in December 1865 in Swardeston, a village to the west of London, and became a nurse in a working class area of London called Whitechapel, which is near the dockyards on the east side of the city and where Jack the Ripper wreaked havoc. The daughter of a vicar, Edith was educated at the local high school and several boarding schools. After her classwork, she went to Belgium where she became a governess for a family, then returned home to take care of her ailing father. This experience led her to apply to become a nurse probationer at the London Hospital. She then worked at several hospitals in the London area before traveling farther from London to nurse patients afflicted with everything from cancer to gout.

Dr. Antoine Depage recruited Edith when she was in her early 40s to establish a new nursing school in Belgium. She accepted the challenge and a few years later started publishing a professional journal called “L’infirmiere.” By the end of her first year, she was training nurses for three hospitals, 24 schools and 13 kindergartens in Brussels.

When the Germans invaded Belgium in 1914, Edith nursed both sides without discrimination. She took care of her own injured people as well as French and German soldiers. She helped many British and German soldiers escape to The Netherlands by concealing them and giving them money enough to travel and feed themselves. The Germans kept a close eye on Edith's activities, and when she was finally arrested and tried at court-martial, the British government could not help her, and she went to her death before a firing squad.

Today, the words “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness toward

Yorkminster, York, England

anyone,” carved into the monument, stand as a testament to her life and work.

American writer Terri Arthur wrote a book about Edith called “Fatal Decision: Edith Cavell, WW I Nurse.” Penned in the style of a novel, the story holds the reader in its grip from beginning to end.

Arthur, also a Registered Nurse, draws the reader into Cavell’s story by introducing well-defined, multi-dimensional characters and descriptive settings that support the suspenseful, beautifully written narrative. The chapters are mostly short and, on occasion, include photographs of various characters, newspaper clippings and locations where the action takes place, including the prison where Cavell was held.

Some libraries own the book. If yours doesn’t, you can order the book online for about $20.

Having read the book before traveling to London, I stood in awe in front of Edith’s monument and took photos, one of which I later framed. Edith has become my hero.

All of London is a thick stew of history, and no trip to England would be complete without spending a day in York, north of London and easily accessed by train, and Stonehenge, Bath and even Windsor. The country is small enough to see it all within a week’s time. We loved York for its quaint small town and Stonehenge for its unique mysteries. Bath and Windsor were also 

captivating and stunningly beautiful.

Stonehenge

I will caution those contemplating a visit to England to be aware of hotel choice. Former brownstone-type homes have been converted into hotels (such as The Nayland near Paddington Station), and the rooms are just about the size of a closet. The bathrooms are nearly impossible to turn around in unless you’re five feet tall and weigh 100 pounds. I’d advise to book at a Marriott or even Holiday Inn where the rooms are more spacious.

If you plan to go, also consider a boat ride along the Thames. There’s one that speeds along the river while the James Bond theme is playing, but a woman at the tourist center told us to reconsider because it’s terror inducing. Much better for us was the gentle ride along the Thames, under the Tower Bridge and past a replica of The Mayflower all the way to Greenwich.  

There’s so much to see and do in sweet little England that it’s worth a repeat visit. Just make sure you create an agenda before you go so you won't waste even a minute.