Well, Perhaps Partly: The WWII Spy Whose Ruthlessness With Enemies, And Charming Way With Women Inspired Author To Create James Bond

Bob Pressce at the British newspaper the Daily Mail reports on yet another claim that a real-life WWII spy/commando influenced Ian Fleming, a British Royal Navy Commander and naval intelligence officer in WWII, in his creation the iconic secret agent character James Bond..

His identity has remained a secret for decades, as one would expect of an international man of mystery.

But after years of speculation, the debate over who it was that Ian Fleming based his character James Bond upon may finally have been resolved.

One of Britain's greatest spies of the Second World War, Wing Commander Forest 'Tommy' Yeo-Thomas, has been identified as the inspiration behind 007. 

A new biography of Yeo-Thomas claims that, like Bond, he surrounded himself with women and ruthlessly saw off his enemies. And it suggests that many of his rela-life adventures are recreated in Fleming's novels.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207357/Revealed-The-Second-World-War-spy-inspired-007-author-Ian-Fleming-create-James-Bond.html#ixzz27Iid4Fcm

Note: I don't completely buy into this story. I've no doubt that Yeo -Thomas is all that Sophie Jackson claims him to be, and I don't doubt that Commander Ian Fleming came across his file in WWII.

But this is perhaps the 20th WWII spy and/or commando that others have made claim to be the single source inspiration for the character of Bond.

As I've written here before, Fleming said he based Bond on the secret agents and commandos he knew in WWII (plural, not singular), yes, but he also added his own "quirks and peccadilloes" to the character. Bond was merely a "blunt instrument" for the government.

Bond film producer Cubby Broccoli said that Ian Fleming was James Bond.

I believe he meant in style and background. Fleming had an intelligence background like Bond, he was a great womanizer like Bond, he eat and drank like Bond, and in his youth he was as handsome as Bond.

And Fleming "borrowed" the fist and gun fights and other heroics from the background of the many secret agents and commandos he knew during the war.     

The top photo is of Yeo-Thomas and the bottom photo is of Fleming during WWII.