BOND, JAMES• 63Americans were General R. H. McClure, Colonel H. G. Sheen, and
R. D. Coe from the U.S. Embassy. Thebolerosecretariat consisted
of Brigadier Gurney and L. Petch.BOND, JAMES.The most famous, if fictional, British Intelligence of-
ficer, James Bond, codenamed 007, first appeared inIan Fleming’s
Casino Royale. Over the years, there has been speculation about who
Fleming used as a model for Bond, assuming the character was not
based on himself or his brotherPeter Fleming,The Timesjournalist
and travel writer who joinedMI(R)in 1940 to advise on guerrilla
tactics. One suggestion isSir Fitzroy Maclean, a young diplomat in
Moscow when Peter introduced him to his younger brother. Another
possibility is CommanderWilfred ‘‘Biffy’’ Dunderdale, RNVR, for
14 years theSecret Intelligence Service(SIS) head of station in
Paris, who had plenty of official contact with Fleming at the Admi-
ralty.
A Yugoslavdouble agent,Dusko Popov, also has been men-
tioned as a candidate for Bond, primarily because of his renown as a
wartime playboy and his adventures in neutral Lisbon and at the Es-
toril Casino, where he gambled against Axis agents and diplomats in
scenes reminiscent ofCasino RoyaleandGoldfinger.Popov’s en-
counter with Fleming took place in late July 1941 and involved the
transfer of $80,000 from theAbwehrto anotherMI5double agent,
tate, in London, who had run low on funds. MI5 pretendedtate
had received the money, leaving the Abwehr in Lisbon to employ
Popov to pay a similar amount into what was purported to be Glass’s
bank account in New York. Popov was handed the bundle of notes by
his German contact one evening, too late to hand it over as arranged
to his SIS handler, so instead he carried it to dinner and, watched by
Fleming, then brandished it at the baccarat table in the Estoril Casino
while calling the bluff of a wealthy Lithuanian player who, when
passed the bank, invariably called for a no-limit game. Infuriated at
his arrogance, Popov had suggested a bet of $40,000, causing his
rival to withdraw and Fleming to gasp. As the Yugoslav recalled,
‘‘Even for the Estoril Casino in the fever of war, it was a lot of
money. The chatter stopped. Somehow the wager communicated it-
self to the other tables in the room, and all became silent. I glanced
at Fleming. His face turned bile green.’’