The French Connection: Stories of the Occupied South of France, 1942-1945

This evening talk by Jasper Humphreys focuses on the fascinating story of Nancy Wake - known to the Gestapo as ‘The White Mouse’ - to explore stories of the Occupied South of France, 1942-1945.

Against the beguiling backdrop of Provence’s lavender fields and the beaches of the Cote d’Azur, WW2 crashed into the South of France to create a distinctive identity of brutality, destruction and fighting. While the landings of the combined Free French and Americans in Operation Dragoon was a total triumph compared to the near disasters of Anzio and Salerno, collaborators with the Vichy government and German occupiers set up vicious gangs connected to heroin-smuggling syndicates; opposing them were the brave members of the Resistance whose activities included organising ‘escape lines’ for Allied airmen and an exotic cast of painters and writers that included Thomas Mann.

Many owed their lives to Nancy Wake, the fearless and intrepid ‘White Mouse’ who in her latter years could be found sipping Gin and Tonics at the end of The American Bar in Mayfair’s Stafford Hotel. In this talk, Jasper Humphreys expertly explores these and other stories of the occupied South of France, 1942-1945.

Tickets are available for in-person attendance, or live online attendance. Doors open at 17.45 for light refreshments.