Nancy Wake: The “White Mouse” Who Fought the Nazis and Led the French Resistance

Nancy Wake, known as the “White Mouse,” was one of the most daring Allied agents of World War II and a key figure in the French Resistance against Nazi Germany. Nancy Wake, known to the Gestapo as the “White Mouse,” was one of the most daring and decorated Allied agents of the Second World War. Born in 1912 in Wellington, New Zealand, and raised in Australia, she left home at a young age and eventually built a career as a journalist in Europe. In the 1930s, she witnessed the rise of Nazism firsthand, including the violent antisemitism unleashed during the annexation of Austria. These experiences shaped her deep hatred of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. After the German invasion of France in 1940 and the fall of the country, Wake joined the French Resistance alongside her husband, Henri Fiocca. Working with the Pat O’Leary escape line, she helped smuggle Allied airmen and Jewish refugees out of occupied France into Spain. Her ability to evade capture earned her the nickname “White Mouse,” as the Gestapo repeatedly failed to arrest her. By 1943, after the network was betrayed and her husband was later executed by the Nazis, Wake escaped to Britain. In England, she joined the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), undergoing rigorous training in sabotage, weapons handling, parachuting, and covert communications. In 1944, she was parachuted back into France to support the Resistance ahead of the D-Day landings. She organized arms drops, led attacks against German positions, and famously cycled hundreds of kilometers through enemy checkpoints to restore vital radio codes. She even personally killed an SS officer during a raid to prevent him from raising the alarm. After the war, Wake received numerous honors, including the George Medal and the U.S. Medal of Freedom. Her life remains a powerful example of courage, resistance, and determination in the fight against Nazi Germany.This episode is part of the series The Anti-Fascist Heroes.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv