Chocolate Chip Navy

Comments

• Asp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent

  March 2018

  Chocolate Sailor was the term. Anne and her friends unkindly referred to Fleming as one. It was/is a derogatory term implying that he was a pretend sailor and more fitting to be on a tin of chocolates than fighting aboard ships.

  .................................
• Silhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent

  March 2018

  Yes, you'll find the reference to a "chocolate sailor" in Fleming's Thunderball (1961) in the chapter where Bond boards the submarine and then recounts his past as a commander in the RNVR.

  "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
• superado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,656MI6 Agent

  March 2018

  Asp9mm wrote:

  Chocolate Sailor was the term. Anne and her friends unkindly referred to Fleming as one. It was/is a derogatory term implying that he was a pretend sailor and more fitting to be on a tin of chocolates than fighting aboard ships.

  
  Anne, and more so her clique, are now insignificant; had they never existed, Western Civilization would not be any worse for wear. The irony of their barbs is that from a practical and strategic consideration, IF was significantly indispensable compared to the general active duty personnel, though to not disparage their worth.

  "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
• Barbel ScotlandPosts: 37,868Chief of Staff

  March 2018

  SM is quite correct. Here's the quote:
  
  "[Commander Pedersen] Welcome aboard. Commander Bond, it's a pleasure to have a member of the Royal Navy visit the ship. Ever been in subs before?"
  "I have," said Bond, "but only as a supercargo. I was in intelligence- R.N.V.R. Special Branch. Strictly a chocolate sailor."
  The captain laughed. "That's good! And you, Mr Leiter?"
  "No, Captain. But I used to have one of my own. You operated it with a sort of rubber bulb and tube. Trouble was they'd never let me have enough depth of water in the bath to see what she could really do."
  
  Chapter 20, Thunderball by Ian Fleming, Jonathan Cape 1961. I am obliged to mention that the book is based on a screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham and Ian Fleming.
  
  
  This is one of the many times that Bond and Fleming's experiences blur together. Of course, one of the frequent criticisms of Fleming's novels is that they are humourless... 8-)
• __M__ Posts: 29MI6 Agent

  March 2018

  Thanks everyone. It was driving me a little mad that I could not remember for sure where I read it.
• Revelator Posts: 604MI6 Agent

  April 2018

  Barbel wrote:

  Chapter 20, Thunderball by Ian Fleming, Jonathan Cape 1961. I am obliged to mention that the book is based on a screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham and Ian Fleming.

  
  I applaud your attention to detail , though I suspect the dialogue in that scene was all pure Fleming. IIRC McClory was even against the idea of Bond tracking Largo in a sub.
  

  This is one of the many times that Bond and Fleming's experiences blur together. Of course, one of the frequent criticisms of Fleming's novels is that they are humourless... 8-)

  
  Yes, I always feel like strangling the folks who insist on that. True, the first three novels are short on humor, but afterward there are plenty of witticisms, wisecracks, aphorisms, etc. The "Bond is humorless" people are probably under the impression that humor consists of stupid puns, like in the movies.
• Barbel ScotlandPosts: 37,868Chief of Staff

  April 2018

  Yes, I'm sure that the dialogue is pure Fleming too.
  I'm glad you agree re the humour in Fleming's writing. It's not as obvious as in the films, but as you say there's plenty of it.