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S.O.,E. was a World War II British organization designed to “set Europe ablaze” by supporting resistance movements in occupied countries. It operated from 1940 to 1945. Agents were trained in special schools that were set up. One such school was in Canada, near Oshawa, Ontario.
Special Training School STS 103 was also known as “Project J”, “25-1-1” and commonly today, as “Camp X”. Nothing remains of this today. I Visited the site after it had been bulldozed.
Agents were recruited from among those who had avoided or had escaped from occupied countries, as well as from people in the UK, Canada etc. who had skills that were needed. A person who had been born in France, or spoke French fluently, might be recruited to serve in occupied France. Happily I interviewed two men who had been trained there. Surperintendent Ernest Bavin and a Canadian Army officer of the Van Doos (Royal 22nd Regiment) Guy d’Artois. About 300 Canadians of Chinese ancestry volunteered and were sent to India for specialized training.
Agents had to be able to communicate with headquarters and specially trained wireless operators were trained and were issued clandestine wireless sets.
