In February 2016 we read Nancy Wake
In the early 1930s, Nancy Wake was a
young woman enjoying a bohemian life in Paris. By the end of the
second world war she was the Gestapo's most wanted person. As a
naïve, young journalist, Nancy Wake witnessed a horrific scene of
Nazi violence in a Viennese street. From that moment, she declared
that she would do everything in her power to rid Europe of the Nazi
presence. What began as a career job here and there, became a highly
successful escape network for allied soldiers, perfectly camouflaged
by Nancy’s high society life in Marseille. Her network was soon so
successful – and so notorious – that she had to flee France to
escape the Gestapo who had dubbed her 'the White Mouse' for her knack
of slipping through its traps.
But Nancy was a passionate enemy of the
Nazis and refused to stay away. She trained with the British Special
Operators Executive and parachuted back into France behind enemy
lines. Again, this singular woman rallied to the cause, helping to
lead a powerful underground fighting force, the Maquis. Supplying
weapons and training the civilian Maquis, organising allied parachute
drops, cycling four hundred kilometres across a mountain range to
find a new transmitting radio – nothing seemed to difficult in her
fight against the Nazis.
Peter FitzSimons reveals Nancy Wake's
compelling story, a tale of an ordinary woman doing extraordinary
things.
In a Few Words: A Fearless Woman; Compassionate; Educational; Enlightening; Freedom is the Only Thing Worth Fighting For; Historical; Unemotional
Our Star Rating:
A Delightful Morning Tea with a French theme was provided by our Hostess Marion for this occasion. The menu included: Croissants with cheese or ham, Cheese roll and dip, Camembert cheese and crackers, red wine, grapes, French sticks, French orange marmalade from St Dalfour and French Gateau. Magnifique!
