Her father was a journalist who went to live in new zealand to make a movie about maoris. Nancy wake was a woman of exceptional courage and resourcefulness whose daring exploits saved the lives of hundreds of allied personnel and. Nancy wake had a difficult childhood growing up in sydney. Working with the french resistance in world war ii she saved the lives of countless refugees and downed allied airmen. Timetoasts free timeline maker lets you create timelines online. Oct 27, 2010 as a war hero, nancy wake was a pioneering feminist that spoke loudly with words and backed them up with actions. In the early 1930s she went first to england and then paris as a freelance journalist and there met and married henri fiocca, a wealthy french. At one time she was on the top of the gestapos most wanted list. Nancy becomes increasingly involved in the war effort by taking advantage of her social position as a courier and then she became a member of the allied escape route organisation aero. After living and working in paris in the 1930s, nancy married a wealthy frenchman and settled in marseilles. After initially being admitted to kingston hospital for a minor chest infection, her health deteriorated quickly. Of course, nancy wake didnt begin her life as a secret agent throughout europe in fact, the years before world war ii exploded the international community into chaos, she was living in australia. Nancy grace augusta forward wake, ac, gm 1912 2011. After the fall of france in 1940, she joined the escape network of captain ian garrow, which.
This is the incredible true story of nancy wake, the. A biography of our greatest war heroine fitzsimons, peter on. Born 30 august 1912 in wellington, new zealand, wake grew up in sydney, australia. May 23, 2018 genealogy profile for charles augustus wake charles augustus wake 1870 1952 genealogy genealogy for charles augustus wake 1870 1952 family tree on geni, with over 190 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Nancy wake, an australian who became one of the most highly decorated women of world war ii, here tells her own story. Farewell to nancy wake, the mouse who ran rings around the. Aug 14, 2011 nancy grace augusta wake was born aug. The gripping true story of the woman who became the gestapos most wanted spy in the early 1930s, nancy wake was a. Wake fought the infection for over one week, but eventually died peacefully on sunday august 7. She now lives in the royal star and garter home for exservicemen in richmond, west london. This is the incredible true story of nancy wake, the daring allied spy. Nancy grace augusta wake was a special operations executive agent of the british at the time of the second world war. Nancy grace augusta wake 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 known as the white mouse, was an australian who worked as a spy for the british in world war ii.
Nancy wake, who fled australia to see the world at 16, ended up at the top of the gestapos mostwanted list for her leading role. World war ii timeline details the first significant naval battle in the pacific theater. Overall nancy wake had more of an immediate impact on the war efforts, but it could be argued that her impact was also long term due to the many lives she saved. Read nancy wake by peter fitzsimons available from rakuten kobo. She tells her own story with interviews, reconstructions, stills and film footage in nancy wake code name. Wakes dramatic life story and her feisty, courageous personality made her the ideal subject for documentaries and dramatisations. A biography of our greatest war heroine, harpercollins, pymble, new south wales, 2002,isbn 0007144016. He sold the family home and never came back, resulting in his family being evicted. Aug 08, 2011 farewell to nancy wake, the mouse who ran rings around the nazis the ww2 resistance heroine, who has died aged 98, was a force of nature who topped the gestapos mostwanted list. Nancy wake, who died on sunday, was this countrys most decorated service woman.
Wake underwent a wartime metamorphosis, from a funloving youth to a highly decorated resistance fighter. A novel by sebastian faulks based on her life called charlotte gray, was later made into a movie starring cate blanchett. Nancy wake was an amazing woman, one whose courage and tenacity is legendary. Wellington nz 30 august 1912 nancy wake during world war two as a female british special operations executive agent based on russell braddons 1956 book nancy wake. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, achievements and timeline.
Regrettably the insights, such as they are, are clumsily interjected, breaking up the flow of the actual drama itself. Aug 08, 2011 nancy wake, the french resistance fighter who became australias most decorated world war ii heroine, has died in a london hospital at the age of 98. Nancy wake, the white mouse of the french resistance. Born on august 30, 1912, wake spent her earliest years growing up in roseneath, wellington, new zealand with her parents and five older siblings. My timeline on nancy wake by claire mccutcheon on prezi. Nancy wake, was one of the most effective and cunning british agents working in germanoccupied france during world war ii. Nancy wake by russell braddon is much the same with perhaps more clinical details, as russells book was originally published in 1985, and told to him by nancy herself. As a woman, wake didnt look threatening to the nazi troops. Nancy wake the autobiography she published the royal new zealand returned and survises association awards wake its highest houner, the rsa badge in gold wake resigns from the foregn office and retuns to to sydney, arriving in january 1949. I have previously read the autobiography of the woman the gestapo called the white mouse, of which i have an autographed copy. In 1933 she worked in paris and later for hearst newspapers as a european correspondent. Jul 20, 2014 she parachuted out airplanes, bicycled 500 km. Nancy wake, the french resistance fighter who became australias most decorated world war ii heroine, has died in a london hospital at the age of 98. Nancy wake, who fled australia to see the world at 16, ended up at the top of the gestapos mostwanted list.
The white mouse who roared the sydney morning herald. Nancy wake, shown in 1945, was a spy and became one the allies most decorated servicewomen for her role in the french resistance during world war ii. Nancy wake, nicknamed the white mouse for her ability to evade capture, tells her own story. The gestapo who called wake the white mouse, declared a price of 5 millionfranc on her head. Her father, a journalist, left the family shortly after moving them to sydney, australia. Nancy grace augusta wake, ac, gm 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 also known as nancy fiocca was a new zealandborn nurse and journalist who joined the french resistance and later the special operations executive soe during world war ii, and briefly pursued a postwar career as an intelligence officer in the air ministry. She witnessed the rise of adolf hitler and the nazi movement, and saw roving nazi gangs randomly beating jewish men and women in the streets of vienna. Docudrama telling the story of an extraordinary undercover agent who worked with the resistance against nazi germany, evading the gestapo while on their. The gripping true story of the woman who became the gestapos most wanted spy in the early 1930s, nancy wake was a young. Once she is a member she helps hundreds of escaped prisoners, political refugees, survivors of the dunkerque evacuation of allied troops and downed allied fliers seeking a safe passage out of france and into spain.
Rte 1 radio documentary, nancy wake and harry potter, first broadcast 9aug2011. Gestapos most wanted nancy wake, the white mouse nonusa format, pal, reg. Nancy grace augusta wake new zealandborn intelligence. This week, a new, locally made docudrama called nancy wake. During the second world war, the servicewoman nancy wake, who has died aged 98, became known as the white mouse, a nickname given to her by the gestapo for her elusiveness. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. But, what led this spunky, teenage runaway to become an inglorious bastardsstyle nazi killer. The youngest of six children, nancy wake came to australia with her parents when she was 20 months old. Her family moved to sydney, where she grew up, when nancy was just 20 months old. Nancy wake, whom the gestapo codenamed the white mouse was the allies most decorated servicewoman of world war ii. I hate wars and violence but if they come then i dont see why we women should just wave our men a proud goodbye and then knit them balaclavas. Her short term impact was that she was an amazing spy and helped lead the french resistance into many successful attacks on germany. Nancy wake simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Gestapos most wanted french resistance documentary timeline. During the second world war, the servicewoman nancy wake, who has. At the age of 16 nancy ran away from home to work as a nurse in the country. One of the allies most decorated servicewomen of world war ii, nancy wake was a key figure in the french resistance. Nancy wake is appointed companion of the order of australia. Nancy grace augusta wake 30 august 1911 7 august 2011 known as the white mouse, was an australian who worked as a spy for the british in world war ii. The white mouse tells the story of how nancy came to live in france and become involved with the resistance. Trained in handtohand combat, espionage, sabotage, and able to drink her male counterparts under the table, she was known as one of the most fearsome resistance fighters during wwii. Aug 07, 2011 nancy grace augusta wake 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 known as the white mouse, was an australian who worked as a spy for the british in world war ii. Nancy grace augusta wake the australian war memorial. This website gave me information about the soe program and how it came to be.
A portrait of nancy wake, painted by robert hannaford. Her mother was a dogmatically strict religious woman. Nancy wake is a 1987 australian miniseries on the exploits of new zealander b. Apr 20, 2017 i hate wars and violence but if they come then i dont see why we women should just wave our men a proud goodbye and then knit them balaclavas. Aug 07, 2011 nancy wake was a woman of exceptional courage and resourcefulness whose daring exploits saved the lives of hundreds of allied personnel and helped bring the nazi occupation of france to an end. Nancy wake was far from a damsel in distress, and by the end of the war was number one on the gestapos most wanted list. Nancy grace augusta wake, ac, gm 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 also known as nancy fiocca was a new zealandborn nurse and journalist who joined the french. Nancy grace augusta fiocca born wake in myheritage family trees davidson web site. Nancy grace augusta wake, the white mouse, new zealandborn intelligence agent born aug. At the outbreak of world war ii, wake was working as a journalist. Gestapos most wanted world war 2 documentary drama film on dvd, directed by mike smith. Aug 08, 2011 during the second world war, the servicewoman nancy wake, who has died aged 98, became known as the white mouse, a nickname given to her by the gestapo for her elusiveness. Nancy wake ww2 freedom fighter, allied agent, and the.
Farewell to nancy wake, the mouse who ran rings around the nazis the ww2 resistance heroine, who has died aged 98, was a force of nature who topped the gestapos mostwanted list. Nancy wake became one the allies most decorated servicewomen for her role in the french resistance during world war ii. Aug 08, 2011 nancy wake had ordered her first bloody good drink there in 1946, lured to the bar, like many former secret agents, by the hotels then general manager, louis burdet, who had himself also. Reads like a thriller my heart was pounding as nancy set up links with resistance workers, drove ambulances, transported black market goods, exchanged messages, came face to face with the gestapo and was placed under arrest. This is the incredible true story of nancy wake, the daring allied spy who became the gestapos most wanted woman in wwii. During the war in france, wake served as an ambulance driver. Jan 01, 1985 a truelife account of soe nancy wake, aka the white mouse.
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