4º British: Dorothy Lawrence, a woman in the trenches!

We have recently talked about a boy soldier, today we have another peculiar example of courage: Dorothy Lawrence was a British woman that decided to take active part in the war. She cut her hair, got male clothes, learned to walk and talk as a man, and joined (with the name of Tommy) the army.

She stayed several weeks in a trech during the Battle of the Somme, but she was forced to revealed her identity after a severe illness. 

Back to Britain, Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Suffragettes, invited Dorothy to lecture the growing ranks of women desperate to contribute to Britain’s war effort. But Dorothy was banned by the War Office from telling her inspirational story either through newspaper articles or talks until after the Armistice in 1918. You can read her full story in the Daily Mail.