Nancy Wake (1912-2011) defied Nazi forces and saved hundreds of lives during World War II. Her stealthy tactics and fierce bravery confounded enemy soldiers and earned her honors from several countries.
Nancy Wake (1912-2011) defied Nazi forces and saved hundreds of lives during World War II. Her stealthy tactics and fierce bravery confounded enemy soldiers and earned her honors from several countries.
This month, we’re highlighting Women of Resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills, these women created paths for change.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanica.
This month on Womanica, we’re highlighting women who led extraordinary lives of resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills we have faced throughout history, these women created paths for change that inspire us now more than ever.
Today, we’re talking about a woman who defied Nazi forces and saved hundreds of lives during World War II. Her stealthy tactics and fierce bravery confounded enemy soldiers and earned her honors from several countries.
Let’s meet Nancy Wake.
Nancy Wake was born on August 30, 1912, in Wellington, New Zealand. Before the age of two, her family moved to Sydney, Australia. Not long after, her father abandoned her mother and their six children.
When Nancy was 16, she left her childhood home and worked as a nurse for a short period. She later received a small inheritance from an aunt that allowed her to leave Australia at 20. She traveled around the world for a little while before moving to Paris, where she became a journalist.
Nancy didn’t have any reporting experience. But when she found out a newspaper executive loved Egyptian history, she fibbed her way into a job by pretending to be fluent in Egyptian.
While she was living and working in Paris, she fell in love with a wealthy French industrialist named Henri Fiocca. She later remembered, “He was tall. He could dance the tango. And if you dance the tango with a nice, tall man, you know what eventually will happen, don’t you?” They got married in 1939.
Around this same time, Nancy traveled to Vienna, Austria and witnessed firsthand how brutally Nazi officers treated Jewish citizens. She resolved to do everything she could to fight against the Nazi regime. As she explained, “More than hatred or anger, I felt a deep loathing for the Nazis.”
When fighting reached France in 1940, Nancy joined the war effort by driving an ambulance. But soon her resistance grew much riskier. She helped Jewish refugees and Allied soldiers flee occupied France into neutral Spain. She is credited with saving hundreds of lives this way.
In 1943, German forces became aware of Nancy’s resistance. She narrowly escaped arrest by sneaking out of France on the back of a coal truck. Henri stayed behind.
Nancy made her way to England, where she continued to fight against the Axis powers. She spent eight months learning guerilla warfare with the Special Operations Executive, a secret British organization. In 1944, in preparation for D-Day, Nancy parachuted into France in the middle of the night along with 38 other women and 430 men.
Nancy helped organize parachute drops of arms and equipment to prepare for the Allied invasion at Normandy. She also planned a successful raid on a Gestapo garrison and arms factory.
Once, Nancy traveled hundreds of kilometers alone on a bicycle to receive messages from Allied forces after communication lines were disrupted. She spent 72 hours in the French countryside, sleeping in haystacks at night to avoid capture. She eventually earned the nickname “White Mouse” from German soldiers because she always managed to sneak past them.
Despite the dangerous conditions of her life, Nancy was the picture of feminine charm and poise. She was known for never traveling without her Chanel lipstick, face cream and favorite red satin cushion. She also said that many resistance men asked to take her on dates, though she never took them up on it.
But Nancy’s outward appearance contradicted her sometimes ruthless nature. She reportedly killed a German soldier with her bare hands. She also ordered the execution of a woman she believed was secretly a spy. Nancy later said, “I was not a very nice person…and it didn’t put me off my breakfast.”
After the war was over, Nancy discovered her husband Henri had been executed by Nazi soldiers shortly after she left France. She decided to move back to Australia, where she tried unsuccessfully to launch a career in politics.
Nancy found it hard to return to normal life after her years of espionage. She once told an interviewer, “It’s dreadful because you’ve been so busy, and then it all just fizzles out.”
Eventually, she decided to go back to England, where she married retired British air force pilot John Forward in 1957.
Nancy died on August 7, 2011 in London. She was 98 years old. During her lifetime, she was widely recognized for her bravery in resisting the Nazi forces during World War II. Not only did her home country of Australia honor her service, but Great Britain, France and The United States all awarded Nancy some of their highest civilian honors.
All month we’re highlighting women who led lives of resistance. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!