The Trial of Nurse Cavell, October 7-9, 1915

Nurse Edith Louisa Cavell (1865-1915) was an English nurse who became a World War One heroine. She went to Brussels in 1907, when she was appointed the first matron of the Berkendael Institute. When the Germans occupied Brussels she became part of an underground group which was formed to help British, French and Belgian soldiers reach The Netherlands, a neutral country. She had helped 200 men when she was arrested in August 1915. She, and others from the group, were brought before a court-martial on October 7 and after confessing on October 9, she was sentenced to death. She was shot three days later. The execution, for a charge which did not include espionage, was considered an outrage and was widely publicised by the Allies.