WEDNESDAY WOW WOMAN: NANCY WAKE, GESTAPO’S MOST WANTED!

As we approach Remembrance Day, poppies pinned to lapels are a common sight, worn to honour our war heroes. T.V. and radio shows remind us of the significant sacrifices made by soldiers and civilians in WW1 and WW2. I read about all the brave women who risked life and limb to save the lives of Jewish people during the Nazi atrocities of WW2. There were many, but one in particular, Nancy Wake, I really liked because, unlike the others, she had a happy ending! Sadly, many of the women were killed by the Gestapo. But Nancy went on to live a long life and died at the age of 98 after an incredibly adventurous life!

Born in Wellington, New Zealand on August 30th, 1912, Nancy was the youngest of six children. Her family moved to Australia when she was 2. Her Father deserted the family leaving her Mother to rear them alone. After an impoverished childhood, Nancy ran away from home at the age of 16, and worked briefly as a Nurse. At 20, she was left a small inheritance from an Aunt which allowed her to leave Australia. She later took a course in journalism and travelled to London, New York, and Paris. She decided Paris suited her best and stayed there working as a freelance journalist. While in Paris, she met a wealthy playboy Industrialist, Henri Fiocca, whom she married when she was 24. His tastes, like hers, ran to caviar and champagne mid-morning and she enjoyed her life as a high-society hostess in the South of France.

After a visit to Vienna in the mid 1930s, Nancy witnessed roving Nazi gangs randomly beating Jewish men and women in the street. These attacks made her promise herself to do everything she could to stop the Nazi Movement. She said her hatred of the Nazis was “very very deep.” With the German invasion of France, her wealth and social standing gave her certain cover as she began helping members of the local resistance groups.

In 1943, when authorities became aware of her activities, she fled France. Her husband stayed behind and was later arrested, tortured, and when he refused to divulge any information on Nancy, was executed. Nancy did not hear about his death until after the War and had a terrible sense of guilt about it, blaming herself for his death. She did later marry a retired army man and enjoyed 40 years of marriage with him.

She was badass, gutsy, hilarious, and detested the Nazis! A woman of extremes.The Gestapo dubbed her the ‘white mouse’ for the way she deftly avoided their traps, despite many many close calls! She was the Allies’ most decorated service woman of WW2and the Gestapo’s most-wanted person. She had a 5 million franc bounty on her gorgeous socialite head.

Nancy transported over 1,000 escaped POW’s from France to Spain, led 7,000 troops in Guerilla warfare, rode 71 hours straight on a rickety bicycle to deliver wireless codes, blew up bridges, and if that’s not enough excitement – killed a Nazi SS guard with her bare hands to stop him raising the alarm. One badass woman! Yet, at the same time very feminine. One of her colleagues in the French resistance described her in these words “She is the most feminine woman I know until the fighting starts – then she is like five men!” She went nowhere without her Chanel lipstick, face cream, and a favourite red satin cushion.

Described by others as ‘blisteringly sexy’, she chomped on cigars while she bested Guerilla fighters. She said she loved nothing better than a good drink and handsome men, especially French men! She once told a newspaper reporter “I was not a very nice person, but it didn’t put me off my breakfast!” Later she sold all her many medals and lived out her old age on the proceeds. The way she put it “I’ll probably go to Hell anyway, and they will all melt there”.

What I absolutely loved about Nancy Wake is her lack of ego, her down-to-earth no- nonsense attitude to life. She described herself as “not very nice” yet considering all the lives she saved and the risks she took to save thousands of escaped POWs and do some good in her life, she certainly achieved a lot. Medals and accolades meant very little to her. Saving lives meant a lot. In many ways she reminded me of Mother Teresa. Both of them were pragmatic Virgos who worked tirelessly for the good of others. And that is why Nancy Wake, a truly fascinating character, is my Wednesday Wow Woman!

Patricia xxx