Australian French Resistance fighter's ashes scattered in France

The ashes of Nancy Wake, a decorated Australian World War II servicewoman and former French Resistance fighter, have been scattered at a ceremony in central France.

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Wake, one of the most highly decorated secret agents of World War II, was credited with helping hundreds of Allied soldiers escape Nazi-occupied France.

She died in London in 2011 at the age of 98.

It was her wish that her ashes be scattered in the village of Verneix, near the town of Montluçon where she arrived on a parachute in 1944 to aid Resistance fighters hiding in the mountains.

Australian, British and French officials scattered her ashes on Sunday morning before gin and tonics were drunk in her honour.

Born in New Zealand and raised in Sydney, she moved to France in 1932 and joined the Resistance after the German invasion in 1940, and helped to shelter displaced jews fleeing the Nazi regime.

Because of this, the German Gestapo placed her at the top of their most wanted list and named her the "White Mouse" because she was so elusive.

In 1943, she fled for England on her husband's advice, and trained as a spy by Britain's Special Operations Executive.

She returned to Nazi-occupied France a year later to distribute weapons among Resistance fighters.

France awarded her the country's highest honour, the Légion d'honneur, as well as three Croix de Guerre and a French Resistance Medal.

She was also awarded Britain's George Medal and the US Medal of Freedom.