24 Facts About Muriel Byck

Muriel Byck was an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive organization in France during World War II.

Muriel Tamara Byck was the daughter of French Jews, Luba Basia and Jacques Itzko Byck, who had both taken British nationality.

The family must have moved to France in 1926 as she went to school at the Lycee de Jeunes Filles, St Germain, France, before moving to England in 1930 as Byck attended the Lycee Francais in Kensington, London, SW7, where she took the Baccalaureate in 1935 and then proceeded to the University of Lille.

Muriel Byck worked as a secretary from 1936 to 1938 in London before becoming an Assistant Stage Manager at the Gate Theatre in 1937.

Muriel Byck moved to Torquay in 1941 where she worked as National Registration Clerk and was an ARP Warden.

Muriel Byck joined the WAAF in December 1942 as a General Duties clerk working in the records office, later being promoted to the rank of Section officer.

Muriel Byck began initial training in September 1943 at Winterfold House, Cranleigh, in Surrey.

Muriel Byck was chosen by French resistance leader Philippe de Vomecourt to be his wireless operator.

Muriel Byck was graded 'average' as a General Agent by her SOE instructors, but gained a high intelligence rating, and high grades for Morse and Mechanical Aptitude.

Muriel Byck was described by her instructors on her SOE file as:.

Muriel Byck is self-possessed, independent and persistent, and warm in her feelings for others.

Muriel Byck worked on the SOE Ventriloquist Circuit as the wireless operator and to train any wireless operators recruited locally and inform London with the details about these new recruits so they could be given code names and status.

Muriel Byck was additionally tasked with establishing post-boxes for contact should wireless transmission break down.

Muriel Byck lodged at a safe house in the town of Salbris owned by French Resistant Antoine Vincent.

Muriel Byck sent her transmissions back to England from a shed behind a garage in Limoges where German trucks and cars came in for repairs.

Muriel Byck changed her cover story, posing as a Parisian secretary on sick leave; to disguise her night time activities sending messages through to London, she said she had to take medicine every few hours even at night.

Muriel Byck later moved again to the home of a blacksmith in Vernou.

Muriel Byck worked long hours as a wireless operator, so fatigue was expected.

Muriel Byck was admitted to the hospital in Romorantin, now Romorantin-Lanthenay, which was run by nuns.

Muriel Byck was given a lumbar puncture, but died shortly afterward on 23 May 1944, aged 25.

Muriel Byck was buried in Romorantin and for many years her grave was tended by the local people.

Muriel Byck was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches for her conduct, and she is commemorated on the FANY St Paul's Knightsbridge Memorial and the Valencay SOE Memorial, as well as the war memorial at the Lycee Francais in Kensington.

Muriel Byck is named on the war memorial on Torquay promenade.

Apparently, Mrs Byck ordered Muriel's medals destroyed after her death; they have never been seen in any case.