White Mouse

Archival Summary & Scope

Nancy Wake, nicknamed "the White Mouse" for her ability to evade capture, recounts her own extraordinary story as one of World War II's most decorated servicewomen and the Gestapo's most wanted person. After her idyllic pre-war life in Marseilles was shattered by the French invasion, Wake joined the Resistance, organizing escape routes for Allied soldiers. Forced to flee to London, she trained as a secret agent and saboteur with the Special Operations Executive before parachuting back into France. There, she became a pivotal leader of the Auvergne Maquis, managing finances, obtaining arms, and forging the group into a formidable fighting force. This autobiography captures the legend's firsthand account of her courageous and pivotal wartime experiences.