Here are some facts about
Special operations executive   Part 2

Its main experimental and research establishment was at Station X Aston, Knebworth, near Stevenage later to be renamed X11. Its day to day running was under the command of C.O, Lt Commander Arthur Langley, Royal Navy.   As father said," having two Arthur's in the same building did at times cause consternation". It was he who insisted dad signed the Official Secrets Act and a sentence of 60 years of silence.

Sir Colin Gubbins a Scot, joined Jo Holland .  Gubbins was well versed on the requirements of subversive warfare in fact had been thinking about it since the First World War.  So the rudimentary requirements of Special Operations Executive were in place before its inception.

On the 22nd July 1940 Special Operations Executive was given its Charter by the War Cabinet. It was still based at number 2 Caxton Street and room 055A at the War Office.

My father looking up at room 055a

The organisation was fast outstripping its allotted space, so new headquarters were required.  They first looked for offices in St James's to no avail, fortuitously at the same time the property at Baker Street became vacant.

Late in September 1940 it's headquarters were moved to 64 Baker St London. My father helped to set this up moving chairs and tables and all the trappings of office life. It initially started as just three floors at the side of a confectioners (bottom left where the posters are).  Father said the cakes were pretty good and the flowers in the isle in the middle of the road were just fading.

Baker Street

By 1946 the organisation occupied most of Baker St, this included part of Marks and Spencer's offices across the road at number 83.