Tributes for British WW2 ‘spy trainer’ who lived in France for 70 years
Noreen Riols helped prepare secret agents for resistance and intelligence missions and died earlier this month
Noreen Riols, pictured celebrating her 96th birthday, received an MBE for her work. On the right is the cover of her memoir
Noreen Riols
Tributes have been made to a British woman who helped train spies to conduct missions in France during World War Two..
Noreen Riols, who died at the age of 98 earlier this month, was awarded an MBE in 2023 for her work with the ‘Special Operations Executive’ (SOE) during the conflict.
Her upbringing studying at the Lycée Français in London and her fluency in French helped make her perfect for the role.
She originally applied to join the Women’s Royal Naval Service, the ‘Wrens’, as her father worked in the Royal Navy.
However, her talents were quickly uncovered and she was enlisted into the ‘F’ (for France) section of the SOE where she was asked to undertake work in a top-secret role, details of which she hid from everyone including her own family.
She did not reveal the nature of her work during the war for nearly 60 years, until files on her unit were declassified in 2000.
After the war she worked as a nurse, a journalist – including for the BBC French section during which time she met her husband, fellow journalist Frenchman Jacques Riols – and eventually as a writer.
They lived in France where Ms Riols stayed until her death. Mr Riols died seven years ago.
Adding to her impressive repertoire of skills, she published four fiction books based on her time working for the SOE, as well as a memoir of her life.
You can read our previous interview with Ms Riols from 2023 soon after she was awarded her MBE, below.
Read more: MBE awarded to British woman who trained WW2 spies for French missions
Fondly remembered by the Royal British Legion
In the latter years of her life, Ms Riols lived in the Île-de-France region and often visited the Royal British Legion branch in Paris where she often attended the group’s lunches and events, including those hosted by the British Ambassador.
Several members of the branch are among those who paid tribute to her.
In June 2024, she attended the branch’s D-Day commemorations where she met Prince William.
Her final appearance at the branch was for the November 2024 Remembrance Sunday commemoration.
An obituary for Ms Riols has been published in the January edition of the branch’s monthly magazine.
