AT the 188th luncheon meeting at the Swan Hotel there were 44 members present.

Four visitors were welcomed; Dick Cheetham and the Rev Lionel Deffurn, the guests of Ken Dudley; and Mr Jim Hutchinson the guest of Tony Homer, and Mr Oakley.

The President gave news of members. Derek Turner has shingles but there was better news from Mac as he was back home and Steve Jones reported that he was managing very well. Previous member Terry Scott was also welcomed back.

The Rev John Stanfield gave a talk on The Special Operations Executive (SOE) in China.

The Rev Stanfield explained he was attached to the SOE during the Second World War. His military career started almost the day war was declared as he left university the day before the declaration.

He was sent to a signals office in Deli. He spoke Chinese as he was born in China and was therefore flown from Calcutta over the Himalayas into China, at that time at war with Japan.

He was first in Qualin, 500 miles north of Hong Kong, but was forced to evacuate in front of the advancing Japanese. The Americans blew up the airfield and travel was in very old trucks that used wood alcohol as no petrol was available.

Eventually, they made wireless stations by the side of the Yellow River. There was no electricity so batteries were charged with steam generators. From these stations 4,000 troops were sent behind Japanese lines but before they engaged the enemy, the atomic bomb was dropped and Japan surrendered.

This finished their work and they were flown by the Americans to the Forbidden City of Peking but found Japanese still in charge. He was then one of the only Englishmen to witness the surrender of the Japanese following their 10 year occupation of China.

The next meeting will be on March 26 when the speaker will be member John Puzey on The Manhattan Project.