 Émilienne Moreau was born on 4 June 1898 at Wingles, in the Pas-de-Calais département.In 1914, her father, a retired miner, opened a grocery store in Loos-en-Gohelle, close to Lens whilst World War I was breaking out.Émilienne Moreau, who was starting a teaching career, witnessed the German invasion of the north of France during October 1914.