The Gestapo's Nightmare

By: C. Muro

When we think of spies, we often think of cool gadgets, invisible ink pens and secret watches that shoot lasers, but in the second World War (WW2) spies were quite different to this stereotype. Perhaps, their best skill was their ability of blending in with those around them and maintaining undercover. Nancy Wake was one of the most well-suited women for the role: her courage and determination allowed her to dodge any suspicions, and so she has ease when camouflaging amongst a multitude of people.
 
Born in New Zealand, Nancy Wake grew up in Sydney, and from the start of her life she was extremely independent. She moved away from home and started studying nursing at only 16, and when she received an inheritance from an aunt, she travelled to England through New York to become a journalist. Nancy was the European correspondent for an American paper, and during her time as a journalist she witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in German politics. Nancy visited Vienna, in Austria, and reported Nazi gangs randomly beating up Jewish men and women on the streets, and so, she vowed to do something against it.
 
In 1939, Nancy moved to the south of France with her husband Henri Fiocca, a French industrialist. Throughout 1940, Nancy used her and her husband's money to support local resistance groups which emerged in France and fought against the German occupation. Citizens partaking in such resistance groups soon found themselves in high-risk operations attempting to disturb Nazi communications/transport to gather information for the Allies. Until 1943, Wake worked relentlessly for the French resistance, playing a major role in the escape of allied airmen and thousands of Jewish refugees.
 
With her involvement in the war, the Gestapo put Wake on their most-wanted list, but she kept her secrecy and slipped through their fingers so many times they nicknamed her 'The White Mouse'. The secret German police was so desperate, they even offered financial reward for her capture. But Nancy was hard to catch: she went undercover using fake identities at German checkpoints and she used her confidence to trick German soldiers (distracting them), allowing her to get into restricted areas. However, as the Gestapo started getting closer, Wake escaped to England - it took her six tries before she was successful. Her husband, on the other hand, remained in France and was captured, tortured, and executed by the Gestapo.
 
When in England, 'The White Mouse' started gained a new role in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a top-secret wartime organization. She was officially trained to become a spy, where she trained her skills in espionage, sabotage, survival, hand-to-hand combat, weapon handling, secret codes, and more. Nancy was one of only 39 women in the SOE and was considered one of the most capable resistance fighters in France during WW2.
 
Wake went back to France in 1944. Her job there was to prepare and arm the resistance fighters, the Maquis. She, and other European spies, were instructed by Winston Churchill to conduct undercover operations. Wake was involved in parachute drops of weapons and ammunition, setting up wireless communication with England, and recruiting/training members of the resistance.
 
One of her most dangerous operations was a bike ride she made to retrieve secret radio codes. In three days, she rode 400km in a bicycle from Auvergne to Chateauroux and back. She got away with this mission by pretending to be a young housewife going home to her village, as she had to pass through many German patrols and guards, and they had no idea of how close they had gotten to catching 'The White Mouse'. Nancy reported this was probably the proudest and bravest thing she has ever done.
 
In 1944, Wake and the resistance started an intensive campaign for sabotaging German occupation forces. She even led a raid on the Gestapo headquarters in central France, which resulted in the death of 38 Germans.
 
Nancy Wake was one of the most distinguished women from WW2. She received the George Medal, the 1939-45 Star, the French and German Star, the Defence Medal, the British War Medal of 1939-45, French Officer of the Legion of Honour,  the French Croix de Guerre with Star and two Palms, the US Medal for Freedom with Palm, the French Medaille de la Resistance, and the Companion of the Order of Australia for her brave accomplishments. She lived the rest of her life in the UK and Australia and sadly passed away in 2011 at 98 years of age.
 
Wake was an extraordinarily courageous and brave individual, and her story certainly inspires many women to be fearless and stand up for what they believe is right. Her and her companions played a crucial role in the end of German occupation of France and the end of the war in Europe.

"Freedom is the only thing worth living for. I used to think while doing that work, it didn't matter if I died, because without freedom there is no point in living." - Nancy Wake.