The first-aid station of the 20th Armored Infantry Battalion suffered a direct hit from a German bomb on 24 December 1944, resulting in the death of over 30 men and nurse Renée Lemaire. Augusta Chiwy, who was stationed in an adjacent building at the time, was propelled through a wall by the blast but emerged physically unscathed.
Early Life and Nursing Education
Born in 1921 in the Belgian Congo to a Belgian veterinarian and his Congolese wife, Augusta Chiwy relocated to Belgium at the age of nine. In 1940, she began her formal nursing studies at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. By the time the German offensive reached Bastogne in December 1944, she had returned to her family home for the holiday season.
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As the town became encircled by advancing German troops, Chiwy initially provided medical assistance alongside her uncle, a physician. On 21 December 1944, she volunteered to join the 10th Armored Division, working under the command of U.S. Army physician John Prior. To facilitate the transport of injured personnel during active fire, she adopted an Army uniform. Following the destruction of the first-aid station on Rue Neufchateau, she remained with the American forces until the siege concluded two days later.
Post-War Life and Recognition
After the conflict, Chiwy pursued a career in a hospital specializing in spinal injury treatment, married a soldier, and raised two children. For decades, her wartime contributions remained obscured by historical oversight, with some accounts incorrectly reporting her death during the battle. Her experiences were eventually documented by British historian Martin King during the research for his book, Voices of the Bulge, which eventually brought her story to public notice. Her life and actions were further highlighted in the 2015 Emmy-winning documentary Searching for Augusta: The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne.
Honours and Death
In 2011, Chiwy received two significant distinctions for her humanitarian efforts. On 24 June, Pieter De Crem, the Belgian Minister of Defence, presented her with the title of Knight of the Order of the Crown on behalf of King Albert II. Later that year, on 12 December, U.S. Ambassador Howard Gutman presented her with the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service. She was designated a Bastogne Citizen of Honor in 2014 and passed away near Brussels in 2015, where she was interred at the Bastogne cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1921, Burundi
- Died: 2015, near Brussels
- Education: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
- Military Role: Nurse at 20th Armored Infantry Battalion
- Knight of the Order of the Crown: Awarded 2011
- Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service: Awarded 2011
- Bastogne Citizen of Honor: Awarded 2014
- Burial location: Bastogne
Questions readers ask
Did Augusta Chiwy feature in the Band of Brothers series?
Yes, a character based on her appears briefly in the television series, portrayed by Rebecca Okot.
Why was she assumed dead for many years?
Historical accounts of the Battle of the Bulge often failed to account for her survival, leading many to believe she had perished during the 1944 bombing.
Achievements
- Knight of the Order of the Crown
