The re-interment of Edith Cavell

© IWM (1074)

Please note: This video contains no sound.

Edith Cavell was a British nurse working in Brussels at the start of the First World War. In 1915 she was arrested for helping Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium and was sentenced to death. She was executed by firing squad on 12 October 1915 and was buried in Belgium.

After the war, her body was exhumed and repatriated to Britain, and she was re-interred at Norwich Cathedral. This silent film footage documents Edith's funeral procession, which took place in Norwich on 15 May 1919.

This is an edited version of the film. Watch the full version.

Related Content

Pre-War Life in Brussels - A portrait of nurse Edith Cavell as she sits in a garden her two dogs. The dog on the right, "Jack" was rescued after her execution.
© IWM (Q 32930)
Women in Wartime

Who Was Edith Cavell?

Edith Cavell (1865-1915) was a British nurse, working in German-occupied Belgium during the First World War. She helped hundreds of British, French and Belgian soldiers escape the Germans and was arrested, tried and executed in 1915.

Elsie Knocker (left) and Mairi Chisholm in Pervyse, Belgium in 1917.
IWM Q2663
Women in Wartime

5 Inspirational Stories Of Women In The First World War

From ambulance drivers to translators, women served Britain in a variety of ways during the First World War. Discover their stories now.

Shop for Machining 15-inch Shells: Singer Manufacturing Company, Clydebank, Glasgow, 1918
© IWM (Art.IWM ART 2271)
Women in Wartime

12 Things You Didn't Know About Women In The First World War

The First World War brought many changes in the lives of British women. It is often represented as having had a wholly positive impact, opening up new opportunities in the world of work and strengthening their case for the right to vote. The reality is more complex.