This is a story of an incredibly brave and courageous lady. She was born Nora Inayat-Khan 1st January 1014 in Moscow. Her father was Inayat Khan, born in Bombay Presidency, India. Her mother was Ora Ray Baker, an American from Albuquerque, who had met Inayat Khan during his travels in the United States. They were a very artistic and musical family. In 1914, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, the family left Russia for Britain and lived in London. However, by 1920, the family had moved to France, settling near Paris. As a young girl, Noor was described as quiet, shy, sensitive, and dreamy. Sadly her father died in 1927, and 13-year-old Noor had to take on the responsibility for her younger siblings from her grief-stricken mother. She studied child psychology at the Sorbonne university, and also music at the Paris Conservatory, composing for both harp and piano. As war spread in Europe the family fled France and settled again in England in June 1940.
Although Noor was deeply influenced by pacifist ideals, she wanted to help defeat Nazi tyranny. So she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and was sent to be trained as a wireless operator. Later, Noor was recruited to join F (France) Section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE); and was sent for special training as a wireless operator in occupied territory. Having had previous wireless telegraphy training, Noor had an edge on those who were just beginning their radio training and was considered both fast and accurate, finally she was sent for security training. Noor was fluent in French and so was a perfect agent to be sent behind the lines into occupied France. Thus, as an SOE agent under the codename Madeleine she became the first female wireless operator to be sent from the UK into occupied France to aid the French Resistance during the Second World War.
Noor’s mission was an especially dangerous one, as by 1943, an operator’s life expectancy was only six weeks. The job of the operator was to maintain a link between the circuit in the field and London, sending and receiving messages about planned sabotage operations or about where arms were needed for resistance fighters. Without such communication it was almost impossible for any resistance strategy to be co-ordinated, but the operators were highly vulnerable to detection which was improving as the war progressed. In the middle of June 1943 Nora was dropped into occupied France along with several other agents under the code name Madeleine. Unfortunately, from 24th June 1943 the network, she had been sent to, began to be arrested by the Germans. Steadfastly Noor remained in radio contact with London turning down the opportunity to return to London, saying she preferred to remain, as she believed she was the only radio operator remaining in Paris.
After 3 months Noor Inayat Khan was betrayed to the Germans and on 13th October 1943, she was arrested and interrogated at the SD Headquarters, where she attempted to escape from twice. However, she did not give the Gestapo a single piece of information but lied consistently. She was seen as highly dangerous and so was the first enemy agent to be taken to Germany on 27th November 1943, where she was imprisoned at Pforzheim in solitary confinement. For ten months, she was kept there, shackled at her hands and feet. But on 12th September 1944 she was taken to the Dachau Concentration Camp with three other female prisoners. On her arrival, she was taken to the crematorium and shot dead. However, her courage and bravery was not forgotten as she was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her service, the highest civilian decoration for gallantry in the United Kingdom.
Today many Christian people face problems and difficulties the scriptures exhorts you to ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 6. No matter the problem or situation you face you are not alone for the living God is with you and he will help you.
P. Pilgrim pilgrimway101@yahoo.com
