Nancy Wake was born in New Zealand, but moved to France shortly before World War II after marrying a French businessman. She joined the French Resistance against the Nazis in 1940. She acted as a courier and also manned escape routes, helping save the lives of hundreds of allied servicemen. So adept was she at eluding capture, the Gestapo dubbed her "The White Mouse." Wake was number 1 on the Gestapo's most wanted list, and they even placed a five-million price on her head. On one occasion she rode a bicycle about 500 kilometers in order to replace codes her wireless operator had been forced to destroy in a German raid. She risked her life every day, and her selfless actions helped save the lives of thousands of allied soldiers. As a result, she is the most decorated female servicewoman of WWII.
I sent this to her nearly five years ago when she was 93. No one else who had written to her had gotten a reply, but for some reason she signed this for me and sent it back.
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