Born: 1912 (Wellington, New Zealand)
Died: 2011 (London, England)
Biography:
Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, AC, GM (30 August 1912 7 August 2011), also known as Madame Fiocca and Nancy Fiocca, was a nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the Special Operations Executive (SOE) 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. Foot, said that her irrepressible, infectious, high spirits were a joy to everyone who worked with her.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Wake grew up in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. By the 1930s, Wake was living in Marseille with her French industrialist husband, Henri Fiocca when the war broke out. After the fall of France to Nazi Germany in 1940, Wake became a courier for the Pat O’Leary escape network led by Ian Garrow and later, Albert Guérisse. As a member of the escape network, she helped Allied airmen evade capture by the Germans and escape to neutral Spain. In 1943, when the Germans became aware of her, she escaped to Spain and then went to the United Kingdom. Her husband was captured and executed.
After reaching Britain, Wake joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) under the code name Hélène. On 2930 April 1944, as a member of a three-person SOE team code-named Freelance, Wake parachuted into the Allier department of occupied France to liaise between the SOE and several Maquis groups in the Auvergne region, which were loosely overseen by Émile Coulaudon (code name Gaspard). She participated in a battle between the Maquis and a large German force in June 1944. In the aftermath of the battle, a defeat for the Maquis, she claimed to have bicycled 500 kilometers to send a situation report to SOE in London.
Wake’s work with the Maquis was instrumental in coordinating resistance efforts and sabotaging German operations in the lead up to the Allied invasion of France. Her efforts earned her a reputation as one of the most successful and effective members of the French Resistance. She became the Gestapo’s most-wanted person and was nicknamed The White Mouse for her ability to elude capture.
Following the end of World War II, Wake briefly pursued a career as an intelligence officer in the Air Ministry. However, she found it difficult to adjust to the post-war environment and eventually settled in Australia. She married John Forward in 1957 and lived a quiet life away from the spotlight.
In the 1980s, Wake’s extensive contributions to the war effort were finally recognized as she was awarded various honors and accolades for her bravery and dedication. She received the George Medal from the United Kingdom in 1945, the Medal of Freedom from the United States in 1947, and the Légion d’honneur from France in 1970. In 2004, she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia and in 2006, she received the Badge in Gold from New Zealand, her country of birth.
Nancy Wake’s incredible life and accomplishments serve as an inspiration to generations of women. She fearlessly risked her life to fight against oppression, played a pivotal role in the Allied victory, and paved the way for future female resistance fighters and leaders. Her unwavering determination and relentless spirit continue to inspire and remind us of the indomitable power of women.
Awards:
– George Medal from the United Kingdom (17 July 1945)
– Medal of Freedom from the United States (1947)
– Légion d’honneur from France (1970: Knight; 1988: Officer)
– Companion of the Order of Australia from Australia (22 February 2004)
– Badge in Gold from New Zealand (2006)