Gabrielle Alina Eugenia Maria Petit was born in a simple family in Tournai (Doornik), Belgium in 1893. After her mother's death she was raised in a catholic boarding school in Brugelette. In 1914 Gabrielle Petit, now 21 years old, was living and working in Bussels. As soon as the war broke out she took part in the medical service of the Belgian Red Cross. Her fiancee, Maurice Gobert, whom she met in 1912 was - being a professional soldier - sent to the front. After hes was wounded in Hofstade and captivated by the Germans, he managed to escape to his parents in Fontaine - l'Eveque. When he was recovered he crossed the Dutch border to join the Belgian troops. After a short training period in England, Gabrielle Petit joined the Secret Service and soon became a master spy. She collected information about the movements of the German troops and their railway communications for the Allied Powers. Besides that, she was also active as a distributor for the clandestine newspaper "La libre Belgique" and the underground mail service "Mot du Soldat" and helped several young men crossing the Dutch border. http://www.ww1-propaganda-cards.com/gabrielle_petit.html
Petit was betrayed, captured by the German army in February 1916, and executed two months later. During her trial, she refused to reveal the identities of her compatriots in exchange for clemency. She was imprisoned at St. Gilles Prison in Brussels, before being brought before a firing squad on April 1, 1916. Her body was buried at the execution field in Schaarbeek http://www.1914-1918.be/civil_gabrielle_petit.php
