Peter LUNN

Peter Lunn was the son of the travel agent, skiing journalist, and founder of the Alpine and Kandahar Ski Clubs, Arnold Lunn. Not surprisingly, Lunn Jr. started skiing at the age of two, and as a youngster took part in races at Mürren, often beating men much older than him. He won the slalom and combined at the Kandahar Club Under-18 Junior Championships at the age of 11.

Lunn was educated at Eton and later worked for the Standard Motor Company before joining the family travel agency that was started by his grandfather Sir Henry Lunn at the end of the 19th century. They were pioneers of British winter skiing tourism to the Alps. Peter was a member of the British ski team from 1931-37 and, at the age of 21, was captain of the British team at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Olympics in 1936.

Lunn joined the Royal Artillery in 1940 and was posted to Malta and then co-opted into MI5, from where he was transferred to the Special Intelligent Service (SIS), who he went on to serve for over 40 years, seeing service in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England and Beirut. He retired in 1972, but was re-employed by the SIS as a lecturer, researcher and counsellor. He finally retired in 1986 after an horrific car accident the previous year. Despite being told he would probably never walk again, Lunn became president of the Kandahar Club, started skiing again, and continued skiing into his 90s. He wrote several skiing manuals, and also a thriller. Lunn was awarded the OBE in 1951 and the CMG (Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George) in 1957.