大象传媒

25/10/02

Lt. Marcus Bloom ("Urbain"/Bishop), MiD - A Jewish hero of the SOE

Part 1

By Martin Sugarman, BA (Hons), Cert.Ed., Archivist, Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX) Jewish Military Museum

Early Life

Marcus Reginald Bloom was born in Tottenham, North London, on 24th September 1907, into an orthodox Jewish home, the second of four brothers (Alex, Marcus, Bernard and Jenice). He was the son of Harry Pizer (Percy) Bloom, born in East London in 1882, of poor Polish Jewish immigrants, and Anna Sadie Davidoff, born in Russia around 1882 and brought to England the same year. Anna's family were small shopkeepers also in the East End and soon Anna and Harry met and were married in the early 1900's. The newlyweds moved from a Brick Lane "over the shop address" and rented a house in Tottenham where Alex and then Marcus were born. From a very young age, Harry (who died in 1949 - Anna died in 1946) had been a successful small businessman so when the Zeppelin raids hit the East End during World War 1, Harry had by then earned enough to move his family away to the safety of Hove (in Sussex) at 13, Medina Villas where the family lived until 1929. As a young man, and after attending Hove High School, Marcus often helped out working at his father's cinema in Wandsworth, South London, their mail order textile firm, or in their restaurant business in Hove. Just before the Second World War, when his parents separated, and the family - now quite well-off - were living in various hotels around London, Marcus moved to Paris.

Bernard Bloom describes his brother Marcus as having a great sense of humour and a love of good food and the cinema. He was by far the most adventurous of the brothers and it was thus he whom their father sent to Paris in the 1930's to run the mail order business (called "Sterling Textiles"). He took an office in the Boulevard Haussman and learnt French. He employed Baron Michel de Tavenau as his manager and it was he who taught Marcus how to ride, play polo and shoot. As the business prospered, Marcus took an expensively furnished apartment in Clichy. His life changed and he mixed with the wealthy French minor aristocracy. He owned a white Arab pony called Rajah, a GreatDane dog called Sphinx and a pale blue convertible Delage car which he drove wearing a white flying helmet! With his girl friend Germaine Fevrier (who was from Village du Tot, Barneville-sur-Mer in Manche, Normandy), he and the Baron were often seen at race meetings. He was always generous to his friends in France and England and adored his mother for whom he always bought expensive gifts. However after 5 years the firm closed following a court case in England when the "News of the World" newspaper questioned the morality of mail=order as a means of selling to the public.

Marcus returned to London and married Germaine in March 1938 in St Marylebone Registry office, and they took a flat in North West London. However, Germaine was unhappy in England and went back and forth to France, where she happened to be and was trapped when the Maginot Line collapsed before the German Blitzkrieg in 1940 .

SOE

Marcus had originally volunteered within 48 hours of the outbreak of war on Sept 3rd 1939 and he was interviewed at Clapham Junction recruiting office by a Staff Sergeant. Marcus told him he spoke fluent French and wished to use it in the service of his country. Three weeks later he was summoned to the War Office with Bernard accompanying him. He was interviewed by a Major - but turned down! They had not tested his French or knowledge of France and only asked about his religion, job and the birth place of his parents. They then said that as his mother had not been born in England he could not be recruited for the use of his French, and hence the rejection. Angry but undeterred, in mid 1941 Marcus enlisted as a private in the Royal Artillery and by December 1941 was an officer! However he was soon summoned to SOE offices at Norgeby House in Baker Street. Met by Vera Atkins (the formidable PA to Col. Maurice Buckmaster, the leader of the French Section of SOE) he was brought before the Colonel who - to Marcus' surprise - was wearing a casual sports jacket and trousers!

Marcus' file was lying unopened on Buckmaster's desk; he stared for a few moments at Marcus and then said, "Tell me fully what you were doing in France for five years". Marcus explained in detail and the interview continued half in French, half in English, when finally Buckmaster said, "...........I must tell you that the people who work for us are taking on a dangerous job .....and it is not for the faint hearted. You should now return to your unit and in the meantime I will consider whether we can use you. If you have second thoughts about it please advise your Commanding Officer".

Three weeks later Marcus was summoned again to see Buckmaster, who was this time in uniform. "Since I have not heard from your CO, I must assume you still wish to join our organisation". Marcus said he did. "I have decided that you are suitable material..you must not discuss your activities with anyone. All your work will be top secret". The Colonel stood up and in a complete change of tone, put out his hand to Marcus and said, " Welcome to the Firm. I wish you every success in your training."

Marcus was formally accepted into SOE F (French) Section on February 24th 1942 and was sent to Scotland for his initial assault course training, which must have been particularly hard for a man of his age (he was then 35 years old). An excerpt from his Training Report by his instructor says, "Hardly the build for hard work on the hills, but always gets there with a smile on his face although completely done in. He has plenty of 'guts' and is an extremely able man. He has a very sound knowledge on all branches of the training , and has done exceptionally well ". The Commandant's report (dated May 15th and 17th 1942) went on to say, "MICHEL has done very well indeed. His willingness to try anything has been an excellent example to the others. Possessed of a keen sense of humour, he has been the life and soul of the party. He is a very nice fellow who has plenty of intelligence and 'guts'. Company seems to stimulate him to greater efforts, so he should work very well with others. Seems very English ".

Marcus then continued to Wanborugh Manor in Surrey to train as a wireless operator in morse code, decoding and repairs of equipment. After this he was sent to Ringway near Manchester for parachute training and was then recalled by Buckmaster, who told him he was needed in the field urgently. What he did not say was that SOE were losing WO's at an alarming rate.

"Urbain"

Marcus was given a short leave; his mother was no fool and realised there was some French connection and that this meant dangerous work somewhere behind enemy lines. He consoled her with the fact that there were plenty of escape routes if things went wrong. Back at Baker Street he was given the code name "Urbain" and like all agents, a fictitious new background. Dressed in authentic all-French clothes and personal items, with his false papers in the name of Michel Boileau, money and briefcase wireless set, he was embarked on a troop ship - much to his surprise - to Gibraltar in August 1942. There he was joined by another SOE agent. It was from here he sent a telegram to his brother Bernard,who was in a military hospital in Ranchi, India, saying, "Many Happy returns of the day, get well soon, I salute you. Marcus". This in fact was the last time Bernard Bloom ever heard from his brother.

According to Bernard Bloom's research, one morning some weeks later, Marcus was warned to prepare himself and that night was put aboard a naval motor torpedo boat with his colleague, and taken in darkness to a submarine lying offshore, which they boarded. Travelling all night, the submarine surfaced in the early dark morning and Marcus and his colleague, with the Captain and two sailors, went onto the conning tower. Then they launched a small rubber dinghy tied to the submarine and peered out to the nearby, dim coastline. Suddenly, from slightly inland, a light flashed the code letter "Q",the arranged signal, and the two agents and two sailors embarked on the dinghy and rowed towards the shore.

There is, however, a different official version of this. Richards says that Marcus was inserted after an eight day journey by the Polish SOE felucca "Seadog", commanded by Capt. Buchowski in operation Watchman III, Overgrow and Dubonnet on the night of Nov. 3/4th 1942 at Port Miou near Cassis in southern France. With him were SOE agents Lt. Col. George Starr (DSO, MC), Mary Herbert, Mme. M T Le Chene and the famous Odette Sansom, GC.
Into France

Whatever the truth, on reaching the beach near Cassis, two men appeared from behind a hut and told the SOE agents to follow them. According to Tickell the reception party was headed by Resistance leader Marsac, of the nearby Marseilles Group. After a night in a safe house nearby, they continued their journey next day by train to Toulouse, where the other agents left Marcus for different assignments. Marcus was to work with the Resistance Circuit named "Pimento".

M R D Foot (SOE's official historian) describes Marcus' arrival less flatteringly. He alleges that Marcus arrived at Toulouse railway station wearing a conspicuous, loud check coat and smoking a pipe He made contact correctly in a warehouse - as arranged - with his control, Tony Brooks. When they met, Marcus held out his hand and with a broad grin and in his cockney voice allegedly said, "Ow are yer mate?". Brooks thought this a breach of security - using English in a place where informers may be listening. In addition, Marcus had already spent 24 hours in Toulouse chatting in the flat of Maurice Pertschuk (he and Pertschuck - another Jewish agent - had trained together in England) and in fact had allegedly - against all security rules - made this rendezvous arrangement in England before they left for France! As a result, Brooks passed Marcus on to Pertschuck, whose WO he then became (see below). However, Foot gives his source (in a footnote) for this information as "private" and there is no way this can ever now be confirmed or denied, therefore - especially as Marcus and Pertschuck did not survive to respond to the truth or otherwise of this anecdote.

Opposed to this view is that of French SOE agent Robert Martin, in his debrief in London, who described Marcus as "willing and courageous if temperamental, and anxious to do more important work than being a W/O".

Be that as it may, in the following months and beginning January 8th
1943, Marcus worked very successfully and sent and received many messages to and from London (estimated at over fifty), having to keep constantly on the move to avoid the German radio detection vans. Marcus also assisted in sending and receiving messages for Starr in Circuit Wheelwright One favourite ploy was to sit on a river bank pretending to fish whilst using the rod as an aerial! Another fellow agent described how Marcus also transmitted in open country using a long forked pole to tap the current from overhead cables. Although cars were often stopped by the Germans and Vichy French, and searched for black market goods, Marcus persisted bravely in using his "permis de circular" in the service of the Resistance group he worked in. He also organised receipt of four drops of stores for his Circuit which included much arms and explosives for the Resistanceas well as assisting RAF evaders to get to Spain on at least one occasion . Marcus also assisted in carrying out repeated acts of sabotage on telecommunications and railways. In late Spring, Pertschuck had to visit Marcus to repair his radio for him. Occasionally,Germaine would also visit Marcus from Normandy.

Marcus, now working comfortably in Circuit "Prunus" with Pertschuk, received instruction from London to plan to destroy the Toulouse Powder (explosives) factory that Pertschuk had been investigating. For this work, Marcus was Mentioned in Despatches.

Betrayal

Marcus was hiding out at the Chateau d'Equerre at Fonsorbs with the Vicomte d'Aligny , when at dawn one day in April 1943 (certainly before April 15th) , the villa hideout of Marcus and his comrades was betrayed and surrounded by SS troops. Although escape was attempted, they were all captured. In fact Marcus and a Spanish member of his group ran into the surrounding wood, firing pistols at the pursuing Germans, and made it to a local Gendamerie, but the French police handed them over to the Germans. One story is that the French police gave them away at their hideout, another that it was a local SOE double agent; nobody really knows to this day. According to Foot it may have been the Franco-German double agent Roger Bardet, known as "Le Boiteau".

Later that day Marcus was seen, his face covered in blood, being escorted to the military prison in Toulouse.

Foot argues that,again defying security training, Marcus and Pertschuck had previously held a meeting at a black market restaurant where all seven leaders of "Prunus" were sat at a single table, chattering in English over dinner.

Foot's assertion that security among "Prunus" agents was lax, was challenged after the war (according to Bernard Bloom) and some SOE agents successfully sued Foot for giving a misleading picture in his book; Marcus, of course, was dead and so could not speak out.

The SD (Sicherheitsdienst - or Nazi party Security Service) had arrested Marcus and found among his belongings a photo in British uniform of Pertschuck; somehow this had escaped security detection in England before he was inserted into France. This was disastrous as it not only blew Pertschuck's cover but the Germans could use it against other captured agents who knew Pertschuck. It could even be used to suggest that the Germans had a spy in Baker Street - also useful to get captured agents to confess!

Josef Goetz, the SD Section IV Paris wireless expert, was sent immediately to Toulouse to try to "play" Bloom's captured wireless and codes to the British (ie pretend he was Bloom). But Bloom behaved impeccably and gave no information to his torturers (see below). The British thus knew at once from Goetz's faulty messages that Marcus had been captured. Goetz did not know Marcus' security check and Baker Street sent one particular set of messages asking Marcus to meet them at "the Green pub" that only Marcus would know about (in fact it was the Manchester Arms in Baker Street itself, frequented by SOE personnel when at HQ). Goetz's puzzled replies to this request showed clearly that he was controlling the wireless and not Marcus .

Taken to Paris, Marcus was imprisoned at the notorious Fresnes prison in the suburbs of the French capital, a building that was host to many SOE agents during the "silent war". In his cell were two French Resistance workers, one Spanish passeur and a third Frenchman who was railway controller at Montparnasse and named Leopold Turcan; he was accused of passing information on railway movement to the Allies. All of them were demoralised and unkempt but Marcus struck up a friendship with Turcan who like Marcus, knew Paris well.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.