About
Nancy Wake, born in 1912 in New Zealand, grew up in Australia. After working as a journalist in Paris, she joined the French Resistance in 1940, helping hundreds of Allied personnel and Jewish refugees escape to Spain. Nicknamed 'The White Mouse' by the Gestapo, she escaped to England in 1943, joined the Special Operations Executive, and was parachuted back into France in 1944 to coordinate sabotage operations. She was one of the most decorated women of the war. She wrote her autobiography 'The White Mouse' in 1985 and died in 2011 in London.
* 1912-08-28 — † 2011-08-07
Major works
- The White Mouse (1985)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1940Joined the French Resistance after the German invasion.
- 1943Escaped to England and joined the Special Operations Executive.
- 1944Parachuted into France, coordinated sabotage operations ahead of D-Day.
Themes
ResistanceCourageFreedomSacrificeFemale heroism
Sources: awm.gov.au · portrait.gov.au · womenaustralia.info