Ian Fleming is best known as the author of the James Bond novels but who was he and how much of James Bond was based on truth?
During WWII his work included the planning of operations against the Germans (i.e. Operation Ruthless: to obtain German Naval Enigma Information and Operation Goldeneye: a plan to communicate with Gibraltar and a defense strategy in the event Spain joined the Axis powers). He also controlled a specialist commando unit known as 30 Assault Unit (30AU). He participated on the committee selecting targets of the T-Force which secured targets of interest to the British military (including nuclear labs, gas research centers and rocket scientists).
Fleming was also involved in Camp X, a paramilitary and commando training installation. It is proposed that Bond is based on Sir William Stevenson (associated with Camp X) a Canadian soldier, airman, businessperson, inventor and spymaster as well as the senior representative of British intelligence for the western hemisphere during WWII as well as Patrick Dalzel-Job (British Naval Intelligence Officer and Commando) and his own brother Peter Fleming (Grenadier Guards and helped establish the Auxillary Units intended to be a secret army of civilian volunteers behind enemy lines).
Many of the stories, locations, and tidbits in the Bond novels were culled from Ian's real life experiences. So, while fiction, when reading his books, you are experiencing a little piece of life lived and places known.
Very good montage. We desperately need several real life Bonds now. I hope that we find them and give them free reign to destroy our enemies.
ReplyDeleteFact is - we are now in desperate need of fictional heroes because our real life ones are being destroyed by PC, no leadership and lack of funds. We need hollyweird to stop making anti-American films and start making films which show America as exceptional.
Papa Ray
I read somewhere, perhaps in Miles Copeland's "Without Cloak or Dagger", that the "real-life" model for Bond was a guy that the SIS used to send around to audit the expenses of the foreign stations. He liked to go out drinking when ovrseas and one night got into a fight with one of the locals in a bar. He killed the local, but got off scot-free because the local was a crime boss with a rap sheet as long as your arm, but the local pollis couldn't touch him. After that he started making up stories about his derring do on secrret missions. His fictional exploits inspired Fleming (who knew they were tall tales) to make up his own fictional tales about a certain Mr. Bond.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know that about Mr. Fleming. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteBut you forgot to include the story of how he tried to prevent a German operation by winning all their money gambling. In the process, he lost all of his money. The origin, they say, of the Casino Royal story.
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