Nancy Wake

Nancy Wake, born on August thirtieth, nineteen twelve, in Wellington, New Zealand, was a remarkable figure whose life was marked by courage and resilience. Growing up in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, she found herself in Marseille by the 1930s, living with her French industrialist husband, Henri Fiocca. As World War II erupted, Wake's life took a dramatic turn, leading her to become a vital courier for the Pat O'Leary escape network, aiding Allied airmen in evading capture by the Germans.

After the fall of France in nineteen forty, Wake's involvement in the escape network intensified. She played a crucial role in helping many airmen reach safety in neutral Spain. However, as the Germans closed in on her activities, she was forced to flee to Spain and subsequently to the United Kingdom, where she learned of her husband's tragic execution.

In Britain, Wake joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) under the code name 'Hélène'. In April nineteen forty-four, she parachuted into occupied France as part of a three-person SOE team, tasked with liaising between the SOE and various Maquis groups. Her bravery was evident during a fierce battle in June nineteen forty-four, where she claimed to have bicycled five hundred kilometers to report back to SOE in London after a defeat for the Maquis.

Throughout her life, Wake received numerous accolades for her extraordinary contributions during the war, including the George Medal from the United Kingdom in July nineteen forty-five, the Medal of Freedom from the United States in nineteen forty-seven, and the Légion d'honneur from France, awarded in two stages. In her later years, she was honored as a Companion of the Order of Australia in February two thousand four and received the Badge in Gold from New Zealand in two thousand six.