Who Was James Bond?

Bob Pearson

Hello, my name is Bob Pearson and I'm new to the forum.

I have a question which I think most people will have asked at some time...who was James Bond? The reason why I am asking is that I am currently researching for a book on a Royal Navy officer, Patrick Dalzel-Job. This officer worked closely with Ian Fleming whilst he was with 30 AU and is rumoured to be one of the main inspirations for Bond. There are other names of course, but I am hoping that someone out there would like to voice their opinions as to who Fleming modeled his character on.

Many thanks in advance

Bob Pearson

Ammo08

I seem to remember that Fleming based a lot of Bond on a British spy by the name of Sidney Reilly, who was killed by the Bolsheviks.

The Domino Effect

There have been many names cited as the inspiration for the charcter of James Bond. Fleming himself once said that Bond was everyone he had worked with during the war, or something to that effect.

Patrick Dalzel-Job was certainly a leading candidate both because of his extraordinary exploits during the war and because of his close proximity to Fleming. Others that are often cited include Sir Fitzroy Maclean and Merlin Minshall, both of whom Fleming knew. Sidney Reilly and William Stephenson are both intelligence legends. And then there are longer-shots like Dusko Popov and Biffy Dunderdale. In all likelihood, like most literary characters, Bond was probably an amalgam of people Fleming knew and had worked with, and others that he had read of or heard about.

I tend to believe that much of what Bond is was indeed based on Dalzel-Job and likewise I believe that Dalzel-Job is the closest there has ever been to a real James Bond.

Regardless of the true source though, Dalzel-Job was a truly brave and remarkable man and I look forward to your book!

Bob Pearson

Many thanks for the replies and kind words - much appreciated. The replies also mean I have to dig a little deeper! Other names that I have come across are Andrew Croft and Quintin Riley - both worked in Norway and were close to Dalzel-Job as well as Fleming. The theme of Arctic Explorers and ocean sailors seems to keep coming in to the equation with PDJ, Croft and Riley fitting the bill. However, I am also investigating an incident in Norway - I am not that sure yet, but there are indications to think that the Bond idea could have been born in Norway. On the other hand I could be totally wrong, but it will be interesting to find out one way or the other.

I agree with the comments that Fleming's character was based on many varied personalities with PDJ perhaps being a lead inspiration. I now need to prove it! I envisage two years to completion of the book. Already there is some very interesting information coming to the fore, but I need to 100% sure of the info of course.

One other question I am trying to resolve is the use of the figures - 007. I have read various opinions on this,such as the spies of the Elizabethan age as well as some odd ideas, but I would warmly welcome other view points.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Kind regards

Bob

Hardyboy

I tend to side with the people who knew Fleming well and who said that James Bond was Fleming's fantasy version of himself. While some of his adventures and maybe a few characteristics might have been inspired by other people, there is no one other than Fleming who can claim to be THE model for Bond.

Bob Pearson

Yes, almost certainly Fleming was part of Bond - perhaps living out a fantasy that he would have liked to have been. However, there are aspects of the character that one could argue was not Fleming. Having said that I don't think there is a definitive answer to this question, but perhaps more one of logical possibilities.

PDJ offers some very strong characteristic possibilities, as do of course others such as Reilly, Crioft etc. It is also difficult to dismiss Peter Fleming as clearly he was an adventurer in his own right including an unusual escapade to Norway just after the Germans had invaded - in fact he was the first Allied soldier to set on Norwegian soil after the invasion, although his stay was somewhat short. What is clear is that the subject is fascinating as it is absorbing - hopefully the research will allow me to highlight this question and encourage others to voice their opinions or indeed provide interesting supporting evidence.

Kind regards,

Bob

The Domino Effect

Unfortunately, I don't think there'll ever be a definitive answer unless some long-last Fleming letter surfaces in which he categorically states "James Bond was based on The Domino Effect..." (well, I can dream, can't I?).

There's unquestionably some Fleming in Bond as there is some of most authors in their characters - especially favourable characters. But from all I have read of Fleming, I don't believe that Bond was based on himself any more so than he was based on others like PDJ etc. Fleming had an interesting war, but didn't engage in the sort of derring-do that others he knew personally or heard about did. It is undeniable that Bond's taste in clothes, food, drink, women, sex and his view of the world around him in general were based on Fleming's own tastes and opinions...but I think when it came to the action he modelled the character on PDJ and others as he reaffirmed when he said that Bond was based on "...all the secret agents and commando types I met during the war." To the best of my knowledge, he never actually identified any of them by name.

As for the 007 question...Fleming did actually answer that question in an interview once: "When I was in the Admiralty during the war, all the Top Secret signals had the double-O prefix. Although this was later changed for security reasons, it stuck in my mind and I decided to borrow it for Bond..." I've heard the Elizabethan theory, but I have never heard of a direct connection between it and Fleming.

Bob Pearson

A long-lost letter originally penned by Fleming...I share that dream - perhaps one day that dream will become a reality!

I agree fully with your comments on the character make-up, and of course Fleming was never operational in the field, although interestingly he made a visit to Carteret (south of Cherbourg) after D-Day and met up with one of his 30 AU commanders, Lt Colonel Woolley who is reputed to have had an argument with Fleming, although I have no firm proof of this only rumour.

By chance, can anyone add detail to Fleming's visit and, aside from Col woolley, did he meet up with anyone else - perhaps with the French Resistance - FFI or similar?

Cheers

Bob