She's The Boss (Peaky Blinders)

War names

(Georgie's P.O.V.)
During the war and even slightly after it, I got called many names. I'll list them for you.

Around 3 years ago, somewhere in 1914 July, I waved my brothers goodbye as they left to fight in France. They told us our brothers, husbands or sons would be home before christmas. But one christmas without them turned to two. And before I knew it I left for France when the third came around. Its the least I could do after seeing some men return missing limbs, being blind or deaf. I became a nurse near the Belgium and French trenches. I hit my 9 month mark caring for the wounded soldiers. I couldnt save everyone, I knew I couldnt, but it still marked my heart whenever a soldier breathed his last breath. Most of them died reasonably peacefull considering the circumstances. But there are and will always be the soldier who will cry or scream out in pure pain and fear untill they collapsed. The only way to calm them down was to sing to them while I held their hand. I lost count on how many hands I held while they slowly died. The men started to refer to me as The Dying Soldier's Angel. I think its because I was one of the view people that would see the dying soldier. They would tell others that I would bring them to Heaven before continuing my quest to help others.

In January 1918 I finally saw my brothers again. Tommy was wounded and John and Arthur where exhausted and sick to death. I cared for them just like I did with all the other soldiers. Untill one day a captain came and ordered every nurse and healthy soldier to leave the area, cause we had been compromised. The coördinates of our hospital had been leaked and the enemy was on its way to kill us. Knowing there where only nurses and most of the soldiers being wounded. My brothers where to sick and wounded that they where supposed to be left behind. I put up a fight but I was still taken to a different base leaving everyone I cared for behind. As soon as I had arrived I had marched my way over to the tents of the Generals and yelling their head off. I was so angry. "How can you leave them behind like that!" I screamed in anger, "the soldiers who fought for you while you hide behind the line like a bunch of cowards". I wanted to change their mind to go back for them. Most of the generals lowered their head in shame but the highest general disagreed fully with me. "What do you know about war? You are just a woman" General Jones had answered back. "Atleast I have the balls to step onto the battlefield" I snapped back and walked out of the tent, "what is that supposed to mean?" He asked as he followed me, "it means I'm going back". I could hear him growl as he watched me snatch a rifle and climb onto a horses back. "You are not going anywhere. And thats an order" he ordered me. I simply looked at him "good thing, Im not one of your soldiers. So you can't order me around, General" I said before spurring the horse on. "It'll be a suicide mission" he yelled after me. Than atleast I tried something I thought to myself as I rode back to my brothers. I'll keep it short for you. When I arrived there was no time to escape quickly so I had ordered everyone who could still pull a trigger to get up and fight. We had made a plan to lay traps near the edge of our camp and wait out untill the enemy came. We succesfully killed the enemy that should've. I turned to see one of my soldiers hold his gun up to a German boy who was holding his hands up in surrendour. I realized he was begging for mercy. I stopped private Jones before he could shoot the 16 year old. "Wie lautet dein Name? I asked the boy for his name "Klaus Steinfield" he asnwered back with his thick accent. I introduced myself before asking him if he was serious in telling us the coördinates of the enemy. Like many of us, Klaus just wanted to go home and he was sure that by helping us we could end the war quicker. I told him he could come with us if he helps us. He agreed and I got every sick and wounded soldier safely to the new camp. General Jones didnt agree with Klaus's help. But Klaus showed he was to be trusted and UK began to free more of France everyday. I was the only one who could communicatw eith Klaus in his native language so I got the name she who communicates with the enemy but it soon enemy turned into ally. Sadly in May 1918 I was the one who pulled the trigger to kill Klaus. He was going mental and began shooting in random. He heard rumors that anyone who would be a traitor to their own country would be either hung or tortured for betrayel. He just got scared. "Vielleicht, wenn du mich erschießt. Ich werde zu Ehren sterben" he cried out to me as he held his gun to my head. He was convinced his parents would be more happy to know that their son died because the enemy shot him instead of being a traitor. And because of that he will get an honourable death. I had shook my head and told them that maybe people will not realize what he did, but we know what he did for us. While I talked with Klaus, begging him not to do something stupid so I would need to kill him, General Jones ordered me to shoot him. "Kill me, please" Klaus said with a broken voice in english as a tear rolled down his cheek. I shook my head no. "You're my friend" I told him back with a raspy breath. Trying to make him believe in me more than his fear. "Shelby Shoot him!" The general called out. That last sentence had ran clear in my mind. And I remember that I screamed the word no as loud as I could and jumped infront of John when Klaus fired his gun off at him. This resulted in me killing Klaus and me being hit in my side. I dropped my gun and looked at the blond haired boy that was now laying lifelessly on the ground who hadnt even lived to be 17. General Jones walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I told you he would betray us". "You are wrong. He had the right heart, but fear consumed it" I had replied.

My third name is not anything like the first two. This one is the one people remember first and the one they will always remember. Traitor to the crown. This is quite simple to explain. General Jones had ordered everyone to go to battle eventhough everyone could see it was suicide. We where up against tanks eith just simple rifle and guns. I disobeyed his order and almost every men stood behind me. But he threatened to kill us all and so we ended up marching to our death. But before we even reached it General Jones had stepped onto a land mine. It didnt kill him but he lost both his legs. I couldnt save him and the other Generals had said I didnt even try to safe him. So once the war was over and I stepped of the train. I got arrested for Treason against the crown and sent to be hung.

But I didnt end up with that name. No, I was given one more name in my war time, it was near the end of 1918 begin 1919. I dont know how but the royal family had heard about my war efforts. And I was set free just minutes before my hanging. I was given many medals, for bravery, camaraderie and many more. I got my last war name from them:
Sergant Major of the army. The highest rank in the Army.

So those are the names people knew me by during my war times:
-The Dying Soldier's Angel
-She who communicates with the enemy/ally
-Traitor to the crown
-Sergant Major of the army

But now its finally back to Georgie Shelby. And I like it much more. Back to having a name that doesnt tell you who I was or who I should be. But most of all what I am not.

Published: 3rd of May 2021