Bloom was born in 1907 in Brick Lane, Whitechapel (as per his birth certificate) but the family later moved to Tottenham, London, the son of Harry Pizer Bloom and Anna Sadie Davidoff Bloom, in an orthodox Jewish home.[1] He helped out working at his father’s cinema in Wandsworth, their mail order textile firm, or in their restaurant business.[1]
In the 1930s his father sent him Paris to run the mail-order business, and he became fluent in French. The firm closed after five years and he returned to London and married in March 1938.[1]
He became wireless operator in the PRUNUS network organised by Maurice Pertschuk, with Philippe de Gunzbourg as courier.[1] Bloom 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. He also assisted in sending and receiving messages for Starr in the WHEELWRIGHT network.[1]
Philippe de Gunzbourg noted that Pertschuk had a reckless lack of security, with resistance leaders sharing tables in black-market restaurants in Toulouse and speaking in English, and on 12 April 1943 Pertschuk, Bloom, and several of their key colleagues were arrested. They were possibly betrayed by double agent Roger Bardet.[1] The network collapsed though de Gunzbourg escaped and transferred to the WHEELWRIGHT network. Pertschuk was deported to Buchenwald and executed.[4]
Bloom was taken to Fresnes prison and Avenue Foch in Paris and severely beaten but revealed nothing. In August 1944 he was deported to Mauthausen and executed on 6 November 1944.[1]
The risk of sending to the Field this officer with his imperfect French and his Anglo-Saxon Jewish appearance was only justified by an extreme penury of WT operators. He was very courageous and fought to the finish….it is clear he did a good job for many months.[2]
— The National Archives : HS 9/166/7 – Marcus BLOOM
Historical Marker on building he lived in before deployment.
"Lt Marcus R Bloom Mentioned in Despatches Jewish secret agent of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) lived at 9 Brownlow Court. Captured and murdered in Mauthausen Concentration Camp, 1944. Be Strong and of Good Courage (Joshua 1:9) Hebrew Text (Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation and AJEX U.K.)"
^ abThe National Archives : HS 9/166/7 – Marcus BLOOM
^Secret Flotillas: the Clandestine Sea Lines to France and French North Africa, Brooks Richards, HMSO, 1996.
^Das Reich: The March of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Through France. Max Hastings.
Further readingedit
MRD Foot, SOE in France an account of the work of the British Special Operations Executive in France, 1940–1944, HMSO, London, 1966.
Secret Flotillas: the Clandestine Sea Lines to France and French North Africa, Brooks Richards, HMSO, 1996.
Evelyn Le Chêne (1971). Mauthausen, The History of a Death Camp. London: Methuen. p. 296. ISBN0-416-07780-3.
Marcus Bloom, SOE agent, Jewish Virtual library, by Martin Sugarman, based on several interviews of witnesses; and same chapter in 'Fighting Back', by Martin Sugarman, 2017
April 12, 2024
marcus, bloom, marcus, reginald, bloom, september, 1907, november, 1944, british, special, operations, executive, agent, during, second, world, contents, early, life, world, recognition, awards, monuments, references, further, readingearly, life, editbloom, bo. Marcus Reginald Bloom 24 September 1907 6 November 1944 was a British Special Operations Executive agent during the Second World War Contents 1 Early life 2 World War II 3 Recognition 3 1 Awards 3 2 Monuments 4 References 5 Further readingEarly life editBloom was born in 1907 in Brick Lane Whitechapel as per his birth certificate but the family later moved to Tottenham London the son of Harry Pizer Bloom and Anna Sadie Davidoff Bloom in an orthodox Jewish home 1 He helped out working at his father s cinema in Wandsworth their mail order textile firm or in their restaurant business 1 In the 1930s his father sent him Paris to run the mail order business and he became fluent in French The firm closed after five years and he returned to London and married in March 1938 1 World War II editHe served in the Royal Artillery in 1941 and joined the Special Operations Executive 2 in February 1942 1 On the night of 3 4 November 1942 he was landed at Port Miou near Cassis in southern France with SOE agents George Starr organiser of WHEELWRIGHT Mary Herbert courier for SCIENTIST Marie Therese Le Chene courier for SPRUCE and Odette Sansom for SPINDLE 3 1 He became wireless operator in the PRUNUS network organised by Maurice Pertschuk with Philippe de Gunzbourg as courier 1 Bloom 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 He also assisted in sending and receiving messages for Starr in the WHEELWRIGHT network 1 Philippe de Gunzbourg noted that Pertschuk had a reckless lack of security with resistance leaders sharing tables in black market restaurants in Toulouse and speaking in English and on 12 April 1943 Pertschuk Bloom and several of their key colleagues were arrested They were possibly betrayed by double agent Roger Bardet 1 The network collapsed though de Gunzbourg escaped and transferred to the WHEELWRIGHT network Pertschuk was deported to Buchenwald and executed 4 Bloom was taken to Fresnes prison and Avenue Foch in Paris and severely beaten but revealed nothing In August 1944 he was deported to Mauthausen and executed on 6 November 1944 1 The risk of sending to the Field this officer with his imperfect French and his Anglo Saxon Jewish appearance was only justified by an extreme penury of WT operators He was very courageous and fought to the finish it is clear he did a good job for many months 2 The National Archives HS 9 166 7 Marcus BLOOM nbsp Historical Marker on building he lived in before deployment Lt Marcus R Bloom Mentioned in Despatches Jewish secret agent of the Special Operations Executive SOE lived at 9 Brownlow Court Captured and murdered in Mauthausen Concentration Camp 1944 Be Strong and of Good Courage Joshua 1 9 Hebrew Text Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation and AJEX U K Recognition editAwards edit United Kingdom Mentioned in DespatchesMonuments edit He is honoured at The Valencay SOE Memorial Indre as one of the 104 agents of section F who lost their lives for France s liberation Brookwood Memorial Surrey Panel 21 Column 3 1 On a plaque on his mother s grave at Edmonton Federation Synagogue cemetery Montague Road London 1 On the War Memorial of the St John s Wood Synagogue in Grove End Road London 1 Memorial at Mauthausen camp 1 A memorial plaque at Brownlow Court Hampstead erected in 2022 by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation and AJEX U K References edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m Marcus Bloom Jewish Virtual Library a b The National Archives HS 9 166 7 Marcus BLOOM Secret Flotillas the Clandestine Sea Lines to France and French North Africa Brooks Richards HMSO 1996 Das Reich The March of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Through France Max Hastings Further reading editMRD Foot SOE in France an account of the work of the British Special Operations Executive in France 1940 1944 HMSO London 1966 Secret Flotillas the Clandestine Sea Lines to France and French North Africa Brooks Richards HMSO 1996 Evelyn Le Chene 1971 Mauthausen The History of a Death Camp London Methuen p 296 ISBN 0 416 07780 3 Marcus Bloom SOE agent Jewish Virtual library by Martin Sugarman based on several interviews of witnesses and same chapter in Fighting Back by Martin Sugarman 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marcus Bloom amp oldid 1128414876, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
