As we drove to the north of france we met belgian refugees streaming down the highways on their way south. In midseptember, she and other members of the freelance team, their job completed, returned to great britain. Nancy wake, an australian who became one of the most highly decorated women of world war ii, here tells her own story. Winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comic con sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. New zealand, england, america, france, australia nancy wake was working as a journalist in france when world war ii broke out. Filming was completed within 11 weeks around melbourne and involved the construction of two french towns, the. The white mouse who became australias most decorated. Also featuring patrick ryecart, shane briant, alan andres, luciano marutcci, frank gallacher, pamela rabe, sean myers, chris hallam, john mcternan, william upjohn, kevin miles, tiriel mora and vincent gil, nancy wake is a gripping miniseries presentation, revealing the dangerous escapades and achievements of a wellrespected and recognized. At one time she was on the top of the gestapos most wanted list. Nancy grace augusta wake, ac, gm 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 was a new. Convivial, and not averse to a drink, nancy wake could often be found cheering up a cocktail bar. Also featuring patrick ryecart, shane briant, alan andres, luciano martucci, frank gallacher, pamela rabe, sean myers, chris hallam, john mcternan, william upjohn, kevin miles, tiriel mora and vincent gil, nancy wake is a gripping miniseries presentation, revealing the dangerous escapades and achievements of a wellrespected and recognised. Nancy never believed that women should just stay at home or stand on the sidelines while men went to war and proved herself to be a fantastic leader during the french resistance, in which pockets.
Nancy wake 1945 nancy grace augusta wake 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 known as the white mouse, was an australian who worked as a spy for the british in world war ii. Nancy wake by russell braddon is much the same with perhaps more clinical details, as russells book was originally published in 1985, and told to him by nancy herself. Nancy wake was a woman of exceptional courage and resourcefulness whose daring exploits saved the lives of hundreds of allied personnel and. She was known as the white mouse for her uncanny ability to run rings around the gestapo in occupied france, in spite of a 5m franc price on. Nancy wake, a top figure in the french resistance, was the gestapos most wanted person of all, with a reward for her capture of 5 million francs. Instead of doing this breezy infocomic style, im doing a fullon graphic novellength comic on the life of nancy wake. Tells the story of the australian who, after engineering the escape of hundreds of allied servicemen from occupied france during the second.
Nancy grace augusta wake was a special operations executive agent of the british at the time of the second world war. This showcase documentarydrama follows nancy wakes life from becoming a vital link in the french resistance, to fleeing from nazi spies, before returning as a. The thrilling true story of nancy wake, the french wartime agent who lived a life of adventure. Wakes dramatic life story and her feisty, courageous personality made her the ideal subject for documentaries and dramatisations. In 1939 nancy married french industrialist henri fiocca who was killed during the war. The thrilling true story of a nzborn heroine who became the gestapos most wanted woman in world war ii. In film documentaries and in her 1985 autobiography, the white mouse. This ww2 undercover agent revisits europe and tells her story of escaping the gestapo. Nancy wake, a french resistance hero of world war ii, in 2004. Filming was completed within 11 weeks around melbourne and involved the construction of two french towns, the forest battle scenes were shot near harcourt in an oak forest, and included a 2week shoot in france in marseilles and paris, nancy was not sent to france to consult. Nancy grace augusta wake 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 known as the white mouse, was an australian who worked as a spy for the british in world war ii.
Nancy wake tells the true story of australias greatest war heroine the woman the gestapo dubbed the white mouse. Once she is a member she helps hundreds of escaped prisoners, political refugees, survivors of the dunkerque evacuation of allied troops and downed allied fliers seeking a safe passage out of france and into spain. A saboteur who went on to lead 7,000 resistance members and rescued over 200 allied airmen, the white mouse was also a woman. World war two heroine and french resistance fighter, nancy wake, has died in london at age 98.
Nancy grace augusta wake new zealandborn intelligence. Nancy grace augusta wake the australian war memorial. Nancy wake was given the moniker, the white mouse by the germans during world war ii, for her uncanny ability to escape out of any trap. Nancy wake tells the true story of australias greatest war heroine the woman the gestapo. Her family moved to sydney, where she grew up, when nancy was just 20 months old. Nancy wake was an amazing woman, one whose courage and tenacity is legendary. Living in marseille with her french industrialist husband when the war broke out, wake slowly became enmeshed with french efforts against the germans, and worked to get people out of france. Overall nancy wake had more of an immediate impact on the war efforts, but it could be argued that her impact was also long term due to the many lives she saved. Nancy wake was born in new zealand but her family moved to australia when she was 2. Ill be releasing it in installments, divided out into different chapters of her life, as i complete it. I have previously read the autobiography of the woman the gestapo called the white mouse, of which i have an autographed copy. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, achievements and timeline.
As the tide of the war finally turns against the germans, all nancy wants to discover is what has happened to henri. Nancy wake had ordered her first bloody good drink there in 1946, lured to the bar, like many former secret agents, by the hotels then general manager, louis burdet, who had himself also worked for the resistance in and around marseilles. Of course, nancy wake didnt begin her life as a secret agent throughout europe in fact, the years before world war ii exploded the international community into chaos, she was living in australia. The gestapo called her the white mouse for the way she deftly avoided their traps.
Nancy wake is a gripping miniseries presentation, revealing the dangerous escapades and achievements of a wellrespected and recognized wartime hero. Move to sydney the wake family moves to sydney for her fathers editing job on a local newspaper sep 11, 1928. Nancy grace augusta wake, ac, gm 30 august 1912 7 august 2011 was a secret agent during the second world war. A leading figure in the french resistance, she was deemed the white mouse by the gestapo due to her uncanny ability to elude capture. Nancy wake was the allies most decorated servicewoman of the second world war. Ever the courageous portrait of strength, humility, and fiery personality, wake welcomed the opportunity to speak about all shed seen.
A novel by sebastian faulks based on her life called charlotte gray, was later made into a movie starring cate blanchett. Her mother was a dogmatically strict religious woman. The action scenes are quite well done and entertaining. She was born in wellington, new zealand in 1912, but her family moved to sydney, australia when she was almost two and she grew up there. Nancy wake, who fled australia to see the world at 16, ended up at the top of the gestapos mostwanted list. Despite her future successes, nancy wake had humble beginnings. This miniseries event begins in 1939 when nancy meets henri fiocca, while she is working on assignment as a journalist in marseilles. Wake herself shared her lifes work with the public when she took part in the film nancy wake code name. Nancy wake, in wwii freedom fighter, allied agent and.
At the outbreak of war she was an attractive young woman, married to a wealthy frenchman in marseilles, but soon. It was an extraordinary story and an extraordinary life. This is the incredible true story of nancy wake, the daring allied spy who became the gestapos most wanted woman in wwii. Born on august 30, 1912, wake spent her earliest years growing up in roseneath, wellington, new zealand with her parents and five older siblings. The white mouse was at one point top of the gestapos most wanted list in france. In short, not a bad effort and to be fair, i suspect, on a nominal budget. Ms wake, who has died in london just before her 99th birthday, was a. With europe on the brink of war, they fall desperately in love and are married.
Nancy grace augusta wake, the white mouse, new zealandborn intelligence agent born aug. Nzedge legends nancy wake, resistance fighter warriors. After living and working in paris in the 1930s, nancy married a wealthy frenchman and settled in marseilles. On imdb tv, you can catch hollywood hits and popular tv series at no cost. The white mouse who became australias most decorated wwii servicewoman. The white mouse, which told her story through interviews, story retellings, and old film footage. Henri nancys french husband received his callup papers and left for an unknown destination in early 1940. Nancy becomes increasingly involved in the war effort by taking advantage of her social position as a courier and then she became a member of the allied escape route organisation aero. Nancy wake, a prominent figure in the french resistance during the second world war, was born in wellington, new zealand, on 30 august 1912. Father rupert mayer full movie, history drama, english, ww2, naziresistance watchfree duration.
This miniseries event begins in 1939 when nancy meets henri fiocca. Born 30 august 1912 in wellington, new zealand, wake grew up in sydney, australia. Reads like a thriller my heart was pounding as nancy set up links with resistance workers, drove ambulances, transported black market goods, exchanged messages, came face to face with the gestapo and was placed under arrest. Nancy wake and members of the french resistance on september 14, 1944. Farewell to nancy wake, the mouse who ran rings around the. Wake was disappointed that the film was changed from an 8hour resistance story to a 4hour love story. Nancy grace augusta wake is born in roseneath, wellington, new zealand oct 26, 1914.
Nancy wake was the allies most decorated servicewoman of wwii, and the gestapos mostwanted person. Nancy wake, the white mouse and the most decorated woman of the 193945 war, disliked people messing around with her life story. Her short term impact was that she was an amazing spy and helped lead the french resistance into many successful attacks on germany. Well done to amazon prime for bringing this film to life in 2019. Her father was a journalist who went to live in new zealand to make a movie about maoris. He sold the family home and never came back, resulting in his family being evicted.
Nancy wake 1945 nancy grace augusta wake 30 august 1911 7 august 2011 known as the white mouse, was an australian who worked as a spy for the british in world war ii. Nancy wake simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In old age nancy wake was to be found on a leather stool in the hotel bar most mornings, nursing the. I joined a small voluntary ambulance unit, driving an ambulance henri had provided. Nancy wake had a difficult childhood growing up in sydney. During the second world war, the servicewoman nancy wake, who has died aged 98, became known as the white mouse, a nickname given to her by the gestapo for her elusiveness. In the late 1940s, and again towards the end of her life, it might have been the american bar of. Nancy wake was a crusading journalist who became one of the most respected and feared secret agents during the german invasion of france. One of the allies most decorated servicewomen of world war ii, nancy wake was a key figure in the french resistance.
Nancy wake had ordered her first bloody good drink there in 1946, lured to the bar, like many former secret agents, by the hotels then general manager, louis burdet, who had himself also. She spent her childhood in sydney and after her studies she traveled to europe where she worked as a journalist. Running away from home at the age of 16 nancy ran away from home to work as a nurse in the country. Jul 20, 2014 she parachuted out airplanes, bicycled 500 km. They codenamed her the white mouse because of her ability to elude capture. Wwii super spy nancy wake could kill with her bare hands, drink you under the table, and was a notorious flirt with a filthy mouth. Nancy wake, was one of the most effective and cunning british agents working in germanoccupied france during world war ii. So im doing something a little different for this entry. A truelife account of soe nancy wake, aka the white mouse. She tells her own story with interviews, reconstructions, stills and film footage in nancy wake code name.