Pipped to £50 note, Muslim spy stars in her own exhibition

A WARTIME female spy shunned by the Bank of England to be the face of their new £50 is to have her own exhibition.

Noor Inayat-Khan was a war operative and British secret agent who became the first female radio operator to be sent to Nazi-occupied France.

Armed with a false passport and pistol she became known as “Madeleine of the Resistance”, working in perilous conditions behind enemy lines. She was captured and tortured for information but never gave anything away, and was eventually executed by the Nazis in Dachau concentration camp.

When the Bank of England was choosing its face of the £50 note, a campaign was launched to have InayatKhan grace it. The bank opted for Alan Turing.

But today, International Women’s Day, an exhibition dedicated to her will be unveiled at Runnymede Air Forces Memorial. Developed by the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation with the help of Girlguiding, the digital experience aims to break down preconceptions of the contributions made to the Allied war effort. Inayat-Khan, a Muslim who came to Britain from Russia in 1914, was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her endeavours.

Julian Evans, director of engagement at the foundation, said: “Noor’s story is inspirational. We hope the exhibition will encourage more people to visit the Air Forces Memorial to explore the story of Noor and the 20,000 other members of the Commonwealth Air Forces who are commemorated here.”

Her story will be told at the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial in the exhibition Noor Inayat-Khan: A Woman of Conspicuous Courage. The public will be able to test their code-breaking skills and discover the skills of a wireless radio operator in the field.

Jasmine Theti, a 15-year-old girl guide, said: “We must never forget… the sacrifice she made. I loved learning Morse code, although I wouldn’t have liked sending messages in a cold Parisian park while looking over my shoulder all the time. Noor was an inspiration.”

Gillian French, head of grants for Biffa, which part-funded the exhibition, said: “It is a privilege to be able to support the foundation in creating their new digital exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of Noor Inayat-Khan.

“It is important that we continue to remind people of some of the inspiring people who played such significant and courageous roles in our history.”