These clandestine spy wireless sets , the Whaddon Mk VII, were originally hand built , beginning in 1941, by a team of people working for MI6 . MI6, was also known as the Secret Intelligence Service ( SIS) , the intelligence gathering service.
SOE was a different organization, mainly interested in blowing things up ! Later in the war, the ubiquitous B2 set was manufactured in large numbers ( around 7000) and the main user was the SOE.
The paraset replica has become a popular project , many have been reproduced around the globe .Being simple ,a easy Winter project .
http://www.sm7eql.se/paraset/
Canadian Paraset build
http://members.shaw.ca/ve7sl/paraset.html
Another site
http://www.paraset.nl/index.htm