NANCY WAKE

 

Another book I read this year was about Nancy Wake a woman whose name I knew but knew nothing about except she was known as the White Mouse by the Gestapo.

She was born on the 30 August 1912 in Wellington, New Zealand, she passed away on the 7 August 2011.

Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, AC, GM was a nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the Special Operations Executive during World War II, and briefly pursued a post-war career as an intelligence officer in the Air Ministry. The official historian of the SOE, M. R. D

Trained by British intelligence in espionage and sabotage, Wake helped to arm and lead 7,000 resistance fighters in weakening German defenses before the D-Day invasion in the last months of the war.

She was credited with saving the lives of hundreds of Allied soldiers and downed airmen between 1940 and 1943 by escorting them through occupied France to safety in Spain.

She received the George Medal, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, British War Medal 1939-45, French Officer of the Legion of Honour, French Croix de Guerre with Star and two Palms, US Medal for Freedom with Palm and French Medaille de la Resistance for her courageous endeavours.

After some 60 years, Nancy Wake finally received Australian recognition for her heroism. In 2004 she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia. She once said of being snubbed of Australian recognition… 'They can stick their award and be thankful it's not a pineapple'.