Gertrude O'Connor

"“Sounds like you boys are hard at work today.”""- Gertrude to Vukašin and Vincent"Gertrude Elzsebet O'Connor (née de Vinke) was a Dutch nurse and the matriarch of the O'Connor family after marrying Beamard O'Connor.

She spent two years volunteering as a nurse during the Great War, serving in northeastern France from 1915 to 1917.

She moved to England sometime during 1918, meeting Beamard O'Connor and agreeing to marry him. She is currently pregnant with their first child.

Early Life
Gertrude was born on March 23 1895 to Mr and Mrs de Vinke. She grew up in Coevorden, Netherlands where she attended a Catholic Girl's School.

Sometime during her teen years, she was taught to use a zweihänder by her German grandfather, a blade that she still possesses.

The Great War
When war broke out in 1914, Gertrude travelled to Paris where she volunteered with the Société française de secours aux blessés militaires, the national Red Cross Society in France.

After receiving her training, she assisted the wounded during the First Battle of Champagne, the Second Battle of Artois, The Battle of the Somme and the Second Battle of the Aisne.

Due to the Army paying the nurses around half what their male compatriots received, Gertrude often had to rely on financial support from her family. Support that slowed when her mother grew sick in the Summer of 1917. Unable to continue working, Gertrude returned to Drenthe to be with her family.

By 1918, she decided to brave the dangers of the Central Powers navy and travelled to London by sea.

Physical description
Gertrude was described as being a tiny voluptuous woman of Dutch origin, with soft doe brown eyes that shined and long brunette hair fell in stylish waves over her shoulders. She had rosy cheeks and kind smile, with pale skin that flushed easily.

She was apparently capable of "bringing the Great Bear of Osraighe to his knees with the briefest glimpse."