The US "silent" toggle never really made its way to Europe.
We had near-equivalents in Britain. The old tumbler switches typical of the 1940s had the handle operate the sprung tumbler mechanism, so they had a quick make/break action making them suitable for AC or DC and they operated with a clunk.
Versions with a similar outward appearance but having a shorter travel on the handle which just operated the contacts directly appeared as AC-only models, and many would operate very quietly.
The standard single-gang (same size plate as the British rocker switch above) toggle switches which would become standard in the 1950s/60s varied a little. Some would operate almost silently by just pressing the handle up or down. Others would go with a noticeable click, but they were still non-sprung AC-only switches, and could be made to operate silently if you grasped the dolly and moved it slowly.
These traditional toggles pretty much fell out of favor by the late 1970s, the rocker style above becoming standard.
