Was WW2 veteran called James Bond who served under Ian Fleming inspiration for 007?
The grandson of army veteran Charles James Bond reckons Fleming named the fictional superspy after his relative after uncovering a cache of classified military documents
A REAL-life James Bond who served under Ian Fleming in World War II was the inspiration for 007, his family have claimed.
The grandson of army veteran Charles James Bond reckons Fleming named the fictional superspy after his relative after uncovering a cache of classified military documents.
Stephen Phillips, 52, recently unearthed his grandfather’s “On her Majesty’s secret service” records – which were previously guarded under the Official Secrets Act.
The papers reveal that Welsh soldier James, from Swansea, was a member of the elite Special Operations Executive – and served under Fleming towards the tail end of the war.
Greengrocer Stephen said: “There has always been a nagging curiosity within me and other members of my family about his name and possible links with Ian Fleming.
“As grandchildren we were always told never to ask about the army and what granddad did in the war or where he served. We never really knew why.
“It is only since the relaxing of Official Secrets Acts information in 2014 that grandad’s past in the military has been looked at.
“I have managed to retrieve files from archives in relation to my grandfather who served the whole duration of World War Two and for six years later.”
Mr Bond died in 1995, aged 89, without ever revealing his spy past to his family.
Stephen said: “One of the files I discovered was the Official Secrets Acts signed by my grandfather James Bond on June 3, 1944, three days before the D-Day landings.
“I can only assume that he was behind enemy lines during that time.”
“My grandad was an Special Operations Executive subject’s intelligence officer. Learning my grandfather was a spy and his name was James Bond did not take much of a nudge to get me motivated.
“Grandad was a spy working behind enemy lines and in 1942 that Ian Fleming put an elite team of SOEs together for a mission details of which have not been disclosed.
“My grandad was one of that team of six. It makes my chest pump with pride. Those guys were heroes.”
“He took my cousin Jenny when she was a teenager by the hand one day saying: ’Believe me when I tell you, I am the real James Bond.’ Nothing more was said and no questions were asked.”
Fleming, who died in 1964, had claimed James Bond was named after an American ornithologist – saying he wanted a “plain, simple name” for his superspy.
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