It is small enough to disappear in the palm of your hand but packs a real punch when fired. The personal pocket pistol of Britain's revered spy princess Noor Inayat Khan — an Indian princess who later became Winston Churchill's most daring spy, is on public display at the Imperial War Museum North (Manchester).
Noor — a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, the 18th century Muslim "Tiger of Mysore" who refused to submit to British rule was part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) — a British secret service set up to promote subversive warfare in enemy occupied territory.
Code named Madeleine, Noor was dropped into occupied France on Churchill's order with the instruction to set Europe ablaze. A hero of the World War II, her pistol has now become a major draw at the IWMN. Charlotte Czyzyk from the museum told the TOI that the Webley M1907 pocket pistol belonging to Noor has been a major draw ever since it has been displayed.
