Nancy Wake, WWII Heroine Dies at 98

August 18, 2011

Nancy Wake, nicknamed the White Mouse by the Nazis, recently passed away after a long and very eventful life. Her exploits against the Germans during the war became the stuff of legend. Born in Australia, she later moved to England where she married a wealthy businessman. When the conflict erupted she could have remained on the sidelines in relative safety, but she chose to work as a courier for the Allies.

Her remarkable life was the basis for the film Charlotte Gray, which is available in CCS. (See this link for an article and interesting photos and video clips of Wake with the queen and Cate Blanchett, who played her in Charlotte Gray.)

A couple more resources: EPL has a new book for young adults on women heroes of WWII with a section on Wake. Also, I found a related book at EPL, The Women Who Lived for Danger, about Special Operations Executive agents.

Shira S.


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