Ian Fleming
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Sir Ian Lancaster Flemming 28 May 1908 - 12 August 1964. Author, journalist and Commander in the Royal Navy.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Family
Flemming was born in Mayfair, London W1 of parents Valentine and Evelyn st. Criox Rose. He had an elder brother Richard and a half sister Amaryllis. Flemming Married Anne Geraldin Mary Charteris in 1952. They had a son Caspar robert Flemming.
[edit] Education
Flemming's education began at Sunningdale School, Berkshire, Eton Colledge and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, (RMAS) or informally Sandhurst, which he was not fond of. He left Sandhurst early and improved his languages at Kitzbühel, Austria, studying German mainly. In preperation for his Foreign offfice exams he also went to Munich University, and the University of Geneva where he Improved his French.
[edit] Work
After failing to join the Foreign Office Flemming managed to find work as a reporter and sub editor for Reuters news service. He spent some time in Moscow in 1933. Later he became a stock broker in Bishopsgate, London for Rowe Pitman including time in 1933 in Moscow, and then as a stockbroker with Rowe and Pitman, in Bishopsgate.
[edit] World War II
Flemming was already a reserve in the Black Watch. He was recruited in 1939 as personal assistant to Director of Navy Inteligence. His career moved through, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve lieutenant, to Lieutenant Commander and later became Commander (codename was 17F0) One of Flemming produced reports of geographical reports on countries engaged in military operations with Kenneth Mason, a Professor of Geography. He later developed a plan to maintain communication with Gibraltar. The plan was code named Goldeneye.
Fleming was given responsibility of planning for of 30 Assault Unit in 1944 which are specialist commandos, aka 30 Commando). They used the gathered intelligence to direct the commandos to targets predetermined in early campaigns. This included raids on enemy headquarters for intelligence. 30 Commando were seconded to other forces as opposed to independent activities. Later, due to it reliable information and efficiency it was given direct tasks under Flemming's control. He later had to make a case for the misuse of the Commandos for being the main force as opposed to intelligence gathering which was becoming less of a priority and would cause a loss of reporting which would have made other units less effective.
In 1944 Fleming became a member of Boodle's gentleman's club in St. James's Street, until his death in 1964.
[edit] Books
- Casino Royale 1953
- Live and Let Die 1954
- Moonraker 1955
- Diamonds Are Forever 1956
- From Russia with Love 1957
- Dr. No 1958
- Goldfinger 1959
- For Your Eyes Only 1960
- Thunderball 1961 4
- The Spy Who Loved Me 1962
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1963
- You Only Live Twice 1964 5
- The Man with the Golden Gun 1965
- Octopussy and The Living Daylights 1966
Also by Ian Flemming
- The Diamond Smugglers 1957
- Thrilling Cities 1963; American editions contain the short story "007 in New York"
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1964
