How an Australian journalist became one of the Gestapo's biggest enemies: The Elusive White Mouse Ensie Wake

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Nancy Wake is practically unknown to a wide circle of Russians, but for the British her name is a symbol of courage and heroism, and Nancy herself has become a national hero. In 1943, Nancy Wake topped the list of the Gestapo's most wanted leaders of the French Resistance. It was after her that the French partisans followed, as after the new Jeanne d'Arc. And the Nazis called her the elusive "White Mouse".

The path from journalist to agent

She grew up in a very poor family in New Zealand, and at the age of 16 she ran away from home in search of herself. She was working as a nurse at a Sydney hospital when she received word of an inheritance left by a wealthy relative. Soon Nancy ended up in America, from where she moved to Europe.

Nancy White was self-confident, had a very tough character and had a special penchant for adventures. As a result, all this helped the girl become a reporter for a British newspaper owned by the Hearst media moguls. At that time, she actually lived in two countries, then in Great Britain, then in France, and after that she managed to interview Hitler himself. The publication was an overwhelming success, and Nancy White at that time already understood: all the ideas of the new chancellor terrify her. The non-professional journalist had already decided to resist Nazism. In pre-war Austria, she saw scenes of mockery of Jews and gypsies. They haunted her until the end of the war.

When World War II began, Nancy was already living in France. She managed to marry the French entrepreneur Henri Fokk and immediately after the marriage, together with her husband, joined the ranks of the French Resistance. They used every opportunity to rescue Jews by helping them escape from the ghetto.

For a while, Nancy was either a signalman or a courier, and after that her colleagues drew attention to the girl's talent to remain unnoticed in any situation. She began to receive much more serious and dangerous assignments, penetrated into the territories controlled by the Vichy government, ensured communication of the rebels with the government of Charles de Gaulle, participated in the rescue of prisoners of war and refugees. Then, in 1942, the White Mouse agent became an object of interest from the Gestapo.

The Nazis did not know what the "White Mouse" looked like, and were only amazed at its ability to always remain unnoticed. Even when they went to Nancy Wake, they could not bring charges against her. Already under the supervision of the Gestapo, Nancy continued to do her job. Henri Fock, concerned about the Nazis' interest in his wife, nevertheless insisted on her escape to Italy. But during another attempt to cross the border, Nancy was arrested.

Jeanne d'Arc XX century

In the cell, Nancy Wake was preparing for death, but with the help of one of her underground comrades, she managed to convince the police that she was not fleeing from reprisals, but from a jealous husband. The underground man, for his part, introduced himself as Nancy's lover and at the same time as a friend of one of the high-ranking officials. As a result, Nancy was released, she was able to flee the country and reach the UK. The police never found out that in their hands was the same "White Mouse", for whose head a reward of five million francs was assigned.

In the UK, Nancy Wake underwent special training, became a professional intelligence officer and was engaged in coordinating the work of the British intelligence services in France. She returned to this country in 1944 to prepare for the Allied landings in Normandy.

Together with Major John Farmer, she landed by parachute somewhere in central France. The agents then contacted the guerrilla groups and were able to organize them into a real underground army of seven thousand fighters. For a year, this army was able to inflict huge losses on the Germans, physically destroying about one and a half thousand soldiers.

Nancy Wake became a real leader, she was able to cover a distance of 500 km on a bicycle in 72 hours to obtain a new encryption code. Except for her, no one simply had the opportunity, having misled the Germans, to get to the radio station, and then return back.

In addition, she could destroy the enemy with her bare hands. She herself admitted that she once strangled a German sentry. Remembering the war, Nancy Wake said: she destroyed many fascists and does not regret it at all.

The fate of the spouse of the brave scout remained unknown for a long time. The fact that he was arrested in 1943 and shot after numerous tortures, Nancy learned only in the post-war years. Henri Fock never revealed the secret of his wife.

Post-war time

After the end of the war, Nancy Wake received many awards for her exploits, including three French Military Crosses, the George Medal, the Freedom Medal, the French Resistance Medal. Unfortunately, in peacetime, her skills in conducting an underground war were no longer needed. Nancy Wake was never able to find herself in the post-war period. She tried to get involved in politics, returning to Australia, but could not even get into the local parliament, losing elections over and over again.

The legendary White Mouse returned to the UK in 1951 and was recruited into Air Force Headquarters as an Intelligence Officer. Six years later, she married an Air Force officer and retired from service. Together with her husband in the early 1960s, she again arrived in Australia, once again trying to get involved in politics at home. She never achieved success, but in 1985 she published her own autobiography "White Mouse", which became a real bestseller. True, this did not add weight to Australia's political arena.

The spouse of the scout John Forward died in 1997, and in 2001 she again went to the UK, where she lived until her death in 2011. The brave scout was buried with all the military honors due.

Nadezhda Troyan at the age of 22 became a Hero of the Soviet Union, taking part in the preparation and conduct of the operation to destroy Hitler's governor in occupied Belarus, Gauleiter Wilhelm Cuba. Nadezhda Troyan became a living legend of Soviet intelligence, and Hitler declared the girl his personal enemy.