NANCY
WAKE
Nancy
Wake was a great heroine of world war 2. She was dubbed "The White Mouse"
by the Gestapo, for her way of slipping through their fingers.
Born on the 13th of August 1912, in Wellington, New Zealand, Nancy moved
to Sydney at the age of 2. Her father, Charles Wake, left the family when
Nancy was 5. She had a bad childhood
and often dreamt of visiting New York, London and Paris. In 1932, her dreams
became reality when she set off to New York aboard a boat.
A
white mouse facing the Gestapo
After
visiting New York, Nancy went on to London where she got a job as a journalist.
This job, luckily for her took her to Paris at someone else's expense! Nancy
quickly became known as "la demoiselle avec la bange," The girl with
the bath. Although Nancy knew little French when she arrived in Paris she found
that she picked it up quickly.
In 1936 Nancy met Henri Fiocca, who was a local industrialist. She married Henri
in 1939 in the Marsielle town hall. Her wedding dress was pure black silk with
pink embroidered orchids. It was Nancy's journalism that first took her to Berlin
where she witnessed Hitler's violence. All Nancy cared about was stopping the
Germans, no matter what it took.
Nancy's
involvement with the resistance first began with taking packages to certain
places where they were picked up. In 1940 Nancy helped people escape from the
Nazi's after meeting Scottish officer, Ian Garrow.
In 1941 Nancy met Patrick O'Leary. O'Leary was a very active resistance leader
and organised many escapes for refugees and allied military people.
Nancy narrowly escaped the Germans many times. One time in particular was very
close. She was on a train just outside Toulouse when it was stopped and boarded
by armed policemen. They were ordered to get on trucks, but Nancy made a run
for it.
The
police caught up with her as a group of students were demonstrating something
just around the corner and she couldn't get through. Nancy then got rid of the
only piece of incriminating evidence she had on her, a British five pound note
signed by some escapees she had helped escape. How did she get rid of it? She
ate it! Nancy spent four days in jail where instead of having to sleep in a
cell a kind policeman insisted she sleep on his desk with his coat over her.
On the fifth morning Nancy looked up to see O'Leary standing there. thirty minutes
later she walked out of jail on his arm. The police believed that they were
married and she just walked out.
Nancy
did so many more brave and wonderful things during the war. She worked with
the Maquis Groups all over France. She met one amazing woman who was a legend
to the resistance at the time, Madame Sainson. When Nancy visited though, she
was careful to look at the door mat first. If there was any danger she kicked
the mat crooked, chained the door, and laid a hand grenade inside the door.
Anyone crazy enough to knock while the mat was crooked would end up with a hand
grenade blowing up at their feet. There are so many more incredible things Nancy
has done, but not all can be mentioned here.
Nancy
is a brave and selfless person who did many dangerous things at personal risk.
During the war she saved many lives and stopped many German invasions of small
towns. She parachuted supplies to Maquis groups and learnt to use guns, explosives,
and many other weapons. Many people admire Nancy for her bravery and she should
be honoured for the things she did. By Sophie Briggs
Nancy
Wake, A biography of our greatest war heroine by Peter Fitzsimons
The autobiography of the woman the Gestapo called The White Mouse by Nancy Wake
