New Zealand-born Nancy Wake was a prominent figure in the French Resistance and became the most decorated servicewoman of World War II.
During the Second World War, Wake worked as a journalist who eventually joined the French Resistance after witnessing the brutality of the Nazi regime.
She became well known for establishing escape routes for Jewish people, allied soldiers and pilots who had been shot down over France.
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Pretty bada** we say.
Wake was so good at helping allied troops that she earned the codename 'The White Mouse' by the Gestapo.
They were unable to catch her and it caused her to become one of the most wanted people in France with a 5 million franc (NZD $8.7M) bounty on her head!
In April 1944, Wake parachuted back into France, after being ordered to flee a couple of years prior, as part of a team of SOE agents.
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She worked with the French Resistance to organise sabotage operations and help prepare for the D-Day landings.
Nancy Wake was extremely resilient as she once cycled close to 500 kms in 72 hours to organise replacement codes when radio codes were lost during a sabotage against German installations.
Her work didn’t go unseen as she was awarded the George Medal by the British government and the Médaille de la Résistance by the French government for her bravery and service to the Allied cause.
Words by Millie Hinchliffe.
Featured Image Credit: UtCon Collection / Alamy Stock Photo