Allies’ World War II Spy Nancy Wake who was code named The White Mouse died

Australian Nancy Wake, who worked as a spy and had gone on to become the Allies’ most decorated servicewomen for her role in the French resistance during World War II, died in London on 8 August 2011. Nancy was code named The White Mouse by the Gestapo during the war.

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. Born in 1912, Nancy was trained by British intelligence in espionage and sabotage. Wake lead 7000 resistance fighters in weakening German defences before the D-Day invasion in the last months of the war. She evaded capture during the distribution of weapons. She had reached the top of the Gestapo’s wanted list.

Nancy who was born in Wellington, New Zealand studied journalism in London and became a correspondent for The Chicago Tribune in Paris. A 1933 trip to interview Adolf Hitler in Vienna led her to become committed to bringing down the Nazis.

France had honoured her with its highest military honour, the Legion d’Honneur.
Her biography was penned down by Peter FitzSimons.