grendel
03-02-2004, 08:40 PM
Finally, Nancy gets her gong
March 3, 2004
Nancy Wake - the "White Mouse" who fought the Nazis - was today finally given Australia's highest civilian award - three years after telling the government it "could stick their medals where the monkey stuck his nuts".
The allies' most decorated World War II servicewoman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia at a ceremony in Australia House in London, where she has lived for the last three years.
Wake, 91, left Australia in 2001 after falling out with the government.
But today, Governor-General Michael Jeffery gave Wake a peck on both cheeks and her proud wartime friends had tears in their eyes when he hung the medal around her neck as she sat in her wheelchair.
"I feel very honoured. I never thought that would happen to me. It's really a wonderful feeling, I can't really express it in so many words, except that I feel honoured by it," she said after the ceremony.
"I hope I'm worth it. I hope I will be able to live up to the oath that I have made to my country. And the people in it and those that will come after us.
"I'm 90 so I might only live for another 10 years so then you'll have to look after it."
Revered in France as a national heroine for her Resistance work and bravery, Wake was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre and French Resistance Medal, Britain's George Medal and the US Medal of Freedom.
But until now, the country where she grew up had not officially recognised her.
Her old Resistance colleague Sonya d'Artois flew in from Canada especially for today and was joined by other former Special Operations Executive spies and servicemen, including Air Chief Marshall Sir Lewis Hodges who was saved by Wake after being shot down over occupied France.
"Nobody can beat you Nancy, nobody," d'Artois said.
Dignitaries from the allied countries were also there to honour Wake, including the French ambassador to Britain Gerard Errera, Air Attache to the US Embassy Colonel Will Gildner and John Hawthorn-Thwaites from the Royal British Legion.
Frail since a heart attack early last year and now living in a nursing home for ex-servicemen and women, Wake was buoyed by the presence of her old friends and had a message for young Australians.
"To honour your mother and father, your family, to be truthful ... don't steal or get mixed up with drugs and things like that," she said.
"There's no point in doing anything like that. All this behaviour, doesn't mean you can't have fun.
"In fact, you can have more fun because the world is safer."
On his first visit to Britain since being appointed Governor-General last year, Mr Jeffery joined Wake in laying a wreath at the Australian War Memorial earlier today.
Tomorrow, he meets the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/03/1078191357342.html
Who is Nancy Wake?
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SOEwakebook.JPG
Nancy Wake was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1912. The family moved to Australia in 1914 and after being educated in Sydney she travelled to Europe where she worked as a journalist. In Nazi Germany she saw the rise of Adolf Hitler and Anti-Semitism. On one occasion in Vienna she witnessed Jews being whipped by members of the Sturm Abteilung (SA).
In 1939 Nancy married the wealthy French industrialist, Henri Fiocca, in Marseilles. Nancy was in France when the German Army invaded in May 1940. After the French government surrendered, Nancy joined the French Resistance. She worked with Ian Garrow's group helping British airmen shot down over France to escape back to Britain.
In December 1940 the network was betrayed and Nancy was forced to go into hiding. She continued to work for the French Resistance and was eventually arrested while in Toulouse. However, the authorities did not realize they had captured the woman known as the "White Mouse" and she was released after four days.
It was now too dangerous to remain in occupied France and Nancy crossed the Pyrenees into Spain before travelling to Britain. She now joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and agreed to become a British special agent.
On 29th April 1944, Nancy was parachuted into the Auvergne region of France. Her main objective was to locate local bands of the Maquis and to provide them with the ammunition and arms that were being dropped by parachute by the Royal Air Force four times a week.
Nancy had the task of helping the resistance to prepare for the armed uprising that was due to coincide with the D-Day landings. She also led a raid against the Gestapo headquarters in Mountucon and a German gun factory. Henri Tardivat, one of her comrades in the resistance later said that: "She is the most feminine woman I know, until the fighting starts. Then she is like five men."
After the war, Nancy worked for the Intelligence Department at the British Air Ministry. In 1960 she married John Forward and returned to Australia to live.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SOEwake.htm
Her previous awards:
Code-named the "White Mouse" by the Gestapo, Nancy Wake is one of the most decorated women of the Second World War. She received the George Medal, 1939–45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, British War Medal 1939–45, French Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, French Croix de Guerre with Star and two Palms, US Medal for Freedom with Palm and French Medaille de la Resistance for her courageous endeavours. Wakes' medals are on display in the Second World War gallery at the Australian War Memorial.
http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/wake.htm
March 3, 2004
Nancy Wake - the "White Mouse" who fought the Nazis - was today finally given Australia's highest civilian award - three years after telling the government it "could stick their medals where the monkey stuck his nuts".
The allies' most decorated World War II servicewoman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia at a ceremony in Australia House in London, where she has lived for the last three years.
Wake, 91, left Australia in 2001 after falling out with the government.
But today, Governor-General Michael Jeffery gave Wake a peck on both cheeks and her proud wartime friends had tears in their eyes when he hung the medal around her neck as she sat in her wheelchair.
"I feel very honoured. I never thought that would happen to me. It's really a wonderful feeling, I can't really express it in so many words, except that I feel honoured by it," she said after the ceremony.
"I hope I'm worth it. I hope I will be able to live up to the oath that I have made to my country. And the people in it and those that will come after us.
"I'm 90 so I might only live for another 10 years so then you'll have to look after it."
Revered in France as a national heroine for her Resistance work and bravery, Wake was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre and French Resistance Medal, Britain's George Medal and the US Medal of Freedom.
But until now, the country where she grew up had not officially recognised her.
Her old Resistance colleague Sonya d'Artois flew in from Canada especially for today and was joined by other former Special Operations Executive spies and servicemen, including Air Chief Marshall Sir Lewis Hodges who was saved by Wake after being shot down over occupied France.
"Nobody can beat you Nancy, nobody," d'Artois said.
Dignitaries from the allied countries were also there to honour Wake, including the French ambassador to Britain Gerard Errera, Air Attache to the US Embassy Colonel Will Gildner and John Hawthorn-Thwaites from the Royal British Legion.
Frail since a heart attack early last year and now living in a nursing home for ex-servicemen and women, Wake was buoyed by the presence of her old friends and had a message for young Australians.
"To honour your mother and father, your family, to be truthful ... don't steal or get mixed up with drugs and things like that," she said.
"There's no point in doing anything like that. All this behaviour, doesn't mean you can't have fun.
"In fact, you can have more fun because the world is safer."
On his first visit to Britain since being appointed Governor-General last year, Mr Jeffery joined Wake in laying a wreath at the Australian War Memorial earlier today.
Tomorrow, he meets the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/03/1078191357342.html
Who is Nancy Wake?
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SOEwakebook.JPG
Nancy Wake was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1912. The family moved to Australia in 1914 and after being educated in Sydney she travelled to Europe where she worked as a journalist. In Nazi Germany she saw the rise of Adolf Hitler and Anti-Semitism. On one occasion in Vienna she witnessed Jews being whipped by members of the Sturm Abteilung (SA).
In 1939 Nancy married the wealthy French industrialist, Henri Fiocca, in Marseilles. Nancy was in France when the German Army invaded in May 1940. After the French government surrendered, Nancy joined the French Resistance. She worked with Ian Garrow's group helping British airmen shot down over France to escape back to Britain.
In December 1940 the network was betrayed and Nancy was forced to go into hiding. She continued to work for the French Resistance and was eventually arrested while in Toulouse. However, the authorities did not realize they had captured the woman known as the "White Mouse" and she was released after four days.
It was now too dangerous to remain in occupied France and Nancy crossed the Pyrenees into Spain before travelling to Britain. She now joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and agreed to become a British special agent.
On 29th April 1944, Nancy was parachuted into the Auvergne region of France. Her main objective was to locate local bands of the Maquis and to provide them with the ammunition and arms that were being dropped by parachute by the Royal Air Force four times a week.
Nancy had the task of helping the resistance to prepare for the armed uprising that was due to coincide with the D-Day landings. She also led a raid against the Gestapo headquarters in Mountucon and a German gun factory. Henri Tardivat, one of her comrades in the resistance later said that: "She is the most feminine woman I know, until the fighting starts. Then she is like five men."
After the war, Nancy worked for the Intelligence Department at the British Air Ministry. In 1960 she married John Forward and returned to Australia to live.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SOEwake.htm
Her previous awards:
Code-named the "White Mouse" by the Gestapo, Nancy Wake is one of the most decorated women of the Second World War. She received the George Medal, 1939–45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, British War Medal 1939–45, French Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, French Croix de Guerre with Star and two Palms, US Medal for Freedom with Palm and French Medaille de la Resistance for her courageous endeavours. Wakes' medals are on display in the Second World War gallery at the Australian War Memorial.
http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/wake.htm