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France. She was one part of a three-person SOE team code-named
FREELANCE, Her role was to liaise between the SOE and the Maquis
groups in the Auvergne region, which were loosely overseen by Émile
Coulaudon (code name “Gaspard”) and consisted of some 7000 men.
Her landing was not entirely successful and she was found by Resistance
leader Henri Tardivat hanging from a tree in the silk stockings and high
heels she had dropped in.. Struck by her looks, he made a smart remark
about French trees bearing beautiful fruit, to which Nancy replied in her
typical style “Cut out that bullshit and get me out of this tree!”.
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Later
when working with the Maquis she insisted that amongst the weapons
and ammunition dropped to her were silk stockings and Elizabeth Arden
face cream, and she also tried to ensure every night she was able to
change into a nightdress. This attention to her appearance made it
harder for the Nazi’s to nd her, as they could not believe someone as
elegant as Nancy would endure living in the countryside on the run in
terrible conditions.
The relationship with Gaspard and Nancy’s FREELANCE network was
strained at the outset. Although keen for supplies and money, Gaspard
had to be persuaded by the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) in
London to cooperate with the team, and he resented working under a
woman. Apparently at one point he was plotting to kill Nancy, forcing
her to ee. She insisted however that she would not distribute the much
needed supplies unless the leaders listened to her and respected her
decisions. SOE then began to send large amounts of arms, equipment,
and money to support the marquis. Nancy supervised the parachute
drops of these vital supplies and then allocate them to the marquis
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