There's no one like Nancy!
Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, a spy and a master of disguise, was the most decorated servicewoman of World War II.
Nicknamed the ‘White Mouse’ by the Gestapo (Nazi Germany’s secret police) for her uncanny ability to evade capture, Wake used her charm, intelligence, and daring to outwit the enemy.
Wake’s leadership was both fearless and strategic. Living in France during WWII, Nancy became a key figure in the French Resistance, risking her life against Nazi oppression.
As a journalist in the 1930s in Paris, Nancy had a front row seat to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime.
The most wanted nurse, Nancy
Known by many aliases and code names, Nancy, was a New Zealand born nurse who went on to become Gestapo’s most wanted resistance fighter. Her work involved vital intelligence gathering, organizing resistance groups, and coordinating parachute drops of weapons and supplies.
Her early efforts were largely underground, but as the war intensified, so did her role. After France fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, Nancy Wake joined the Pat O'Leary escape network, helping Allied airmen flee to Spain. When the Gestapo closed in on her in 1943, she escaped to Spain and later reached the UK. Tragically, her husband was captured and executed.
Trained by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), she parachuted into occupied France in 1944 to lead Resistance fighters in sabotage operations against German forces ahead of the D-Day invasion.
A war hero like no other!
Wake helped coordinate attacks on German supply lines, communications, and troops—disrupting enemy movements and boosting the morale of local fighters. At one point, she cycled over 500 kilometres through enemy territory to restore lost radio contact with the Allies.
Despite having a five-million-franc bounty on her head, Wake never backed down. In French Auvergne, Wake led Resistance groups that caused more disruption to the Germans than any other region in France, thanks to her strict control over arms and funding, which she directed to the most active fighters.
Post war, Wake received numerous honours for her bravery, including the UK’s George Medal (1945), the US Medal of Freedom (1947), France’s Légion d'honneur (Knight in 1970, Officer in 1988), and New Zealand’s Badge in Gold (2006).
Many stories about her courageous undercover activities come from her autobiography, The White Mouse, published in 1987.
*This article has been curated by Hook. All claims and opinions expressed belong to the original author. Hook does not verify or endorse the information presented and is not responsible for its accuracy.*
