War heroine dead in pond left notes (From Tewkesbury Admag)

War heroine dead in pond left notes

A SECOND World War heroine who was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for her bravery in hiding Allied soldiers from the advancing Germans, committed suicide, a coroner ruled this week.

Bettine Muir, who never married, was found in an ornamental pond in the grounds of Kiftsgate Court in Mickleton where she lived in a cottage.

The inquest at Gloucester heard that Miss Muir, whose body was discovered by her niece, had been living in the cottage for 15 months.

On September 4, her niece went to the cottage at 8.30am to help her pack for a trip to Scotland but found the door unlocked and a note addressed to her.

She and her husband then went to the water garden and there found a body floating face down on the edge of an ornamental pond. Several other notes, including one to the police, were later found.

Pathologist Dr Keith McCarthy said that Miss Muir had taken a significant number of sleeping tablets that could have killed her, but she could have drowned. He said the cause of death was an overdose of therapeutic drugs and drowning. Coroner Alan Crickmore said: "This lady was recognised for her bravery and duly recognised and awarded the Croix de Guerre." He recorded a verdict of suicide.