A saboteur who went on to lead 7,000 resistance members and rescued over 200 allied airmen, the white mouse was also a woman. Aug 16, 2011 world war two heroine and french resistance fighter, nancy wake, has died in london at age 98. 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. Jan 01, 1985 a truelife account of soe nancy wake, aka the white mouse. Wake herself shared her lifes work with the public when she took part in the film nancy wake code name. A biography of our greatest war heroine, harpercollins, pymble, new south wales, 2002,isbn 0007144016. 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. While she was still alive, nancy wake, wwiis most decorated woman for her extraordinary war feats, hated people who messed up her life story. Its difficult to praise the heroism of nancy wake enough. In some ways, this is surprising considering that she was one of the most decorated soldiers of world war 2 and played such a significant role in the allied resistance to german occupation that she. After living and working in paris in the 1930s, nancy married a wealthy frenchman and settled in marseilles. Farewell to nancy wake, the mouse who ran rings around the nazis. Nancy grace augusta wake, the white mouse, new zealandborn intelligence agent born aug.
Nancy wakes rich life included foreign travel, a lauded chapter with the french resistance and global recognition for her bravery during world war ii. 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. From babylon to america, the prophecy movie by school for prophets attila kakarott duration. 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. The white mouse, which told her story through interviews, story retellings, and old film footage. I killed a lot of germans, and i am only sorry i didnt kill more. Jul 20, 2014 she parachuted out airplanes, bicycled 500 km. In some ways, this is surprising considering that she was one of the most decorated soldiers of world war 2 and played such a significant role in the allied resistance to german occupation that she topped the gestapos most wanted list. This is the incredible true story of nancy wake, the daring allied spy who became the gestapos most wanted woman in wwii.
Nancy wake dvd doco drama trailer as seen on sbs youtube. Nancy wake was the most wanted woman in wartime europe, and the most highly decorated australian woman ever. Whilst the story of nancy wake, wwii agent for the allies, is an interesting one, this production is only ok. Nancy wake simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. World war two heroine and french resistance fighter, nancy wake, has died in london at age 98. But, what led this spunky, teenage runaway to become an inglorious bastardsstyle nazi killer. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Imagine the difficulty of earning the respect of 7,000 hardened, male, french resistance fighters. Perhaps nancy wake may have received her nz honour by then, so that will need to be added to the article at the same time as a new introduction.
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. Nancy wake was an amazing woman, one whose courage and tenacity is legendary. Nancy grace augusta wake, ac, gm 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 also known as nancy. The thrilling true story of nancy wake, the french wartime agent who lived a life of adventure. Nancy wake tells the true story of australias greatest war heroine the woman the gestapo dubbed the white mouse. Nancy grace augusta forward wake, ac, gm 1912 2011.
They codenamed her the white mouse because of her ability to elude capture. This photo is a primary source of nancy wake found on a secondary source website. She returned to australia with her husband in the early 1960s. I have previously read the autobiography of the woman the gestapo called the white mouse, of which i have an autographed copy. Nancy wake even gets a mention in the new zealand edition of the lonely planet series of travel guides. With noni hazlehurst, john waters, randall berger, richard boue. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. The white mouse was at one point top of the gestapos most wanted list in france. Born in roseneath, wellington, new zealand, wake s family moved to sydney, australia in 1914.
Nancy grace augusta wake was a special operations executive agent of the british at the time of the second world war. In my humble opinion, the only good german was a dead one. 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. Ms wake, who has died in london just before her 99th birthday, was a new zealander brought up in australia. Autobiography of the woman the gestapo called the white mouse, macmillan.
Her short term impact was that she was an amazing spy and helped lead the french resistance into many successful attacks on germany. As a naive, young journalist, nancy wake witnessed a horrific scene of nazi violence in a viennese street. Nancy grace augusta wake ac, gm 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 served as a british agent during the later part of world war ii. Her family moved to sydney, where she grew up, when nancy was just 20 months old. Nancy grace augusta wake the australian war memorial. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, achievements and timeline. Nancy grace augusta wake was a special operations executive agent of the british at the time of the second world war and. Nancy wake, in wwii freedom fighter, allied agent and the. With europe on the brink of war, they fall desperately in love and are married.
Codenamed the white mouse for her elusiveness, this international. At one point, nancy let her men into battle against 40,000 seasoned nazi troops and kicked their ass. Charlotte gray, later made into a film with wake played by australian actor. This miniseries event begins in 1939 when nancy meets henri fiocca, while she is working on assignment as a journalist in marseilles. Adapted from russell braddons book by roger simpson bikie wars. Nancy wake 2dvd set true colors nonusa format, pal, reg. She ran away from home at the age of 16 and found work as a nurse, but a windfall enabled her to leave australia for europe.
The story of nancy wake 1912 2011 there is a story that when nancy wake parachuted into nazioccupied france in the spring of 1944, she got tangled up in a tree, and when the head of the local resistance unit pulled her down he said, i hope all the trees in france bear such beautiful fruit this year, to which she replied, dont. Nancy wake is a 1987 australian miniseries on the exploits of new zealander b. Nancy wake, a prominent figure in the french resistance during the second world war, was born in wellington, new zealand, on 30 august 1912. Also featuring patrick ryecart, shane briant, alan andres, luciano marutcci, frank gallacher, pamela rabe, sean myers, chris hallam, john mcternan, william upjohn, kevin miles, tiriel mora and vincent gil, nancy wake is a gripping miniseries presentation, revealing the dangerous escapades and achievements of a wellrespected and recognized. Nancy wake tv series 1987 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Feb 08, 2015 from babylon to america, the prophecy movie by school for prophets attila kakarott duration. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. Nancy grace augusta wake new zealandborn intelligence. Farewell to nancy wake, the mouse who ran rings around the. Ms wake, who has died in london just before her 99th birthday, was a. Noni hazelhurst is superb in her role as nancy wake and the staging of the fight by the french resistance is very well done.
Nancy wake family, childhood, life achievements, facts, wiki and bio of 2017. 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. Nzedge legends nancy wake, resistance fighter warriors. His gritty, ultraviolent, fastpaced, and impeccably hip writing style. Nancy wake is relatively unknown by most australians. In the early 1930s, nancy wake was a young woman enjoying a bohemian life in paris.
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. The white mouse tells the story of nancys incredible bravery, and her determination to see the nazi regime defeated. Nancy wake was the allies most decorated servicewoman of wwii, and the gestapos mostwanted person. She became a leading figure in the maquis groups of the french resistance and was one of the allies most decorated servicewomen of the war. Also featuring patrick ryecart, shane briant, alan andres, luciano martucci, frank gallacher, pamela rabe, sean myers, chris hallam, john mcternan, william upjohn, kevin miles, tiriel mora and vincent gil, nancy wake is a gripping miniseries presentation, revealing the dangerous escapades and achievements of a wellrespected and recognised. Noni hazlehurst, john waters, shane briant, frank gallacher, alan andrews, randall berger, richard bou, jon concannon, vincent gil, chris haddon, pino amenta, nancy wake 2dvd set true colors, nancy wake 2dvd set, true colors, pino amenta, noni hazlehurst, john waters, shane briant. Nancy wake was a woman of exceptional courage and resourcefulness whose daring exploits saved the lives of hundreds of allied personnel and. Nancy wake s rich life included foreign travel, a lauded chapter with the french resistance and global recognition for her bravery during world war ii. Nancy wake an australian new zealander was a ww2 agent said to have been the nazi most wanted person of the whole war. Australianborn nancy wake noni hazlehurst fights with the french resistance during world war ii. The story of nancy wake 19122011 captivating history. When war broke out she was a young woman married to a wealthy.
A novel by sebastian faulks based on her life called charlotte gray, was later made into a movie starring cate blanchett. 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. The parents of an anorexic woman fight to save her life. Cate blanchett photos cate blanchett and spy nancy wake at the film premiere of charlotte gray, at the odean in london.
I very much recommend people to see the film to appreciate how brave the soe agents were in the face of great odds and how they operated in conditions of great peril and privation. Quentin tarantino is undoubtedly one of the if not the most influential american film directors of the last quartercentury. 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. Aug 08, 2011 farewell to nancy wake, the mouse who ran rings around the nazis. Maintaining her interest in politics, wake was endorsed as a liberal candidate at the 1966 federal election for the sydney seat of kingsford smith. By the end of the second world war, she was the gestapos most wanted person. Ever the courageous portrait of strength, humility, and fiery personality, wake welcomed the opportunity to speak about all shed seen. A truelife account of soe nancy wake, aka the white mouse. It was an extraordinary story and an extraordinary life. New haven sda temple brooklyn, ny recommended for you. May 23, 2018 nancy grace augusta wake ac, gm 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 served as a british agent during the later part of world war ii.
Born in roseneath, wellington, new zealand, wakes family moved to sydney, australia in 1914. 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. Nancy wake, an australian who became one of the most highly decorated women of world war ii, here tells her own story.