Noor Inayat Khan was in the midst of a desperate escape.

She had been imprisoned for her activities as an Allied spy, but with the help of a screwdriver and two other prisoners,she was back under the Parisian stars.

As she began to run, her thoughts leapt to the whirlwind of events that had brought her here… Born in Moscow in 1914 to an Indian Muslim father and an American mother,Noor was raised in a profoundly peaceful home.

Her parents were Sufi pacifists, who put their faith in the power of music and compassion.

They moved to Paris,where Noor studied child psychology and published children's books.

But all this changed with the advent of the Second World War.

In May 1940,with the German army ready to occupy Paris, Noor and her brother were faced with a difficult choice.

As pacifists,they believed that all disputes should be settled non-violently.

But witnessing the devastation across Europe, they decided that standing on the sidelines was not an option.

Traveling to England, Noor volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and trained as a radio operator.