61 replies to this topic

[JohnB]

Thank you, ACE. Your friend's dry anecdotes on Fleming do not surprise me, as I have always seen him as something of an outsider. He reminds me more than a little of Dennis Wheatley, who was similarly employed by British Intelligence during WW2, mainly for his thinking 'out of the box' and his ability to write.

My family connection starts with greyhound racing. At the time, Fleming's best friend was i/c of PR for the Greyhound Racing Association's track in Paris and my uncle Lorne had given up being maritime correspondent for the Daily Express to become i/c of PR for White City (London). They were both Canadians (as was the owner of the Express and another member of their circle, William Stephenson - Intrepid).

(Actually, thinking about it as I write, Lorne probably already knew Fleming, while he worked for Reuters.)

For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of this mutual friend. But he is the key to the story. My records are in the same room as me, but still rather inaccessible - I will try and dig them out and check, later.

My father's family is Canadian and his father and some of his siblings moved to England in the '30s, all for different reasons. One of his sisters, however, married a Joe Stockhausen and after his qualifying as a doctor of medecine in Ottawa, they moved to Jamaica. It was through this aunt (Bertha) that Lorne and this other chap came to know Jamaica.

I have just read that Fleming knew Jamaica through a conference there, but my story is different: it was by visiting the house bought there by the mutual friend whilst staying at aunt Bertha's, with uncle Lorne.

Fleming and Lorne were close colleagues. Whereas it was Fleming who was chosen by Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence, to assist Colonel Donovan form the Office of Strategic Services, it was Lorne who played a similar role post-WW2, to assist in the formation of the CIA, where he became a close colleague of Kermit Roosevelt (grandson of Theodore Roosevelt and also ex-OSS).

If I may explain - and as some get confused by references in the Bond stories to the 'Secret Service', Britain's secret service disappeared into history a long time ago, as since did MI6 and MI5. Fleming and Bond were serving naval officers and 'M' was director of Naval Intelligence. Fleming had nothing to do with either the 'secret service' or the Secret Intelligence Service, which was something of a joke during WW2.

Having just slated the SIS, I must admit that two members of my family were in that branch of British Intelligence, from the start of WW2 until at least the 1960s. One was the equivalent of Q and the other forged documents (she was an artist/engraver). The former was based for a long time in a basement of a large house in Holland Park, owned by an Admiral...

The mutual friend of Fleming and Lorne, after the war, married the richest heiress in the USA. He bought a large estate in East Anglia. About ten years ago, long after I thought he'd died, a friend told me that his business venture was being financed by him. So he was very much alive in 1996.

I remember Fleming vividly, even though I was in my pre-teens when I last met him. He was above children, though, both literally and metaphorically. However, I was a good listener and observer. Fleming was somewhat aloof, or detached, from humanity in general. The sharp end of war came easily to him.

When he visited Camp X, in Ontario, where agents were trained in the 'black arts', one of the tests was to send an agent into a room to shoot dead the male occupant. The agent was given a revolver with live ammunition for the task. What the agent did not know was the target was an instructor who could dodge bullets. The objective was to see if the prospective agent had the stomach to kill a man. (Many a soldier cannot fire directly at another person.)

The other instructors were hidden in the house, using peepholes to watch the action. They decided to test Fleming.

Fleming was seen to climb the stairs to the target room, then pause for a while on the landing. He then descended the stairs and left the house without having even entered the room with the target. When confronted by the instructors, he told them that he personally knew the target, plus the fact that he could dodge bullets. Then he said:

"But I knew I could kill him."

Cheers!
John

PS
I'm writing this from memory, so apologies for errors.

PPS
One of the oddest incidents I know of concerns Goldeneye: after the Suez Crisis, Anthony Eden, the British Prime Minister, was invited by Fleming to 'recuperate' at Goldeneye. Eden went by ship. The chap who used to bring him his tea in the morning, in his cabin, was one John Prescott, now Deputy Prime Minister.

Edited by JohnB, 18 February 2006 - 03:50 AM.

[superado]

John, is this person whose name you can't remember, Ivar Bryce?

[JohnB]

superado: Yes, well done and thank you. That saved me some serious digging.

Just the mention of his name brings memories flooding back. Ivar Felix Brye - one half of Felix Leiter. The wife of Bryce lived near my aunt Bertha, in the Blue Mountains - I went to a grand party at Bellvue once - and Goldeneye is near the home of one of my (late) cousins, on the North Shore.

Brye was also in the intel business.

Cheers!
John

PS
i. Just looked him up: as he died in 1985, my date is wrong.
ii. He claimed to have seen a telex, from (I think) Stephenson to Churchill, saying that he had told Roosevelt Japan was about to attack the USA. This was dated about 48 hours before Pearl Harbour.

Edited by JohnB, 18 February 2006 - 03:45 AM.

[superado]

Wow, John, I am in luck! The link below gives the behind-the-scenes history of James Bond's fictional Bentley, which was partially inspired by Ivar Bryce's Bentley that Fleming purchased on his behalf:

http://www.continental.org.uk/bond.htm

My question is, have you ever seen Bryce's Bentley? Though Bond's car differed dramatically as that article states, I'm curious about the little details like the car's paint finish, the leather work (if they were armed bucket seats in black leather), etc.

[Blofeld's Cat]

The tobacco was placed on a shaped piece of plastic-like material, rolled up and inserted into a tube, and then the ends trimmed with scissors. The tubes were pre-printed with the Morland's three gold bands. However, distinguished clients had theirs printed to choice. Examples I saw were family crests and insignia of military rank.

Very interesting read, John.

I thought I read somewhere that the "three bands" motif was a Fleming request to Morlands, not a Morlands standard. I thought the three bands reflected Fleming's rank stripes at the time.

[JohnB]

Blofeld's Cat:

I thought I read somewhere that the "three bands" motif was a Fleming request to Morlands, not a Morlands standard. I thought the three bands reflected Fleming's rank stripes at the time.


When I wrote that it was Morland's brand, I did have doubts. I had always understood that the three bands were rank insignia, but I have learned not to trust early memories, so when I read (here, I think) that it was Morland's own, I assumed that my memory was false. I remember gazing through the shop window at the display of cigarettes, tobaccos and smoking paraphernalia, and I think I saw reference to James Bond and his cigarettes (yes, they were famous even then), but I cannot swear to the position one way or another.

I do remember the price, though. I was paid in guineas, starting at 5 gns/week, rising each year by 1 gn. A box of 25 cost exactly 1/2gn - 10/6. As you can see, that was a significant slice of my income, so all I could afford was one box per week. With maths like that, the price is not a detail I could confuse, or forget.


superado:

My question is, have you ever seen Bryce's Bentley? Though Bond's car differed dramatically as that article states, I'm curious about the little details like the car's paint finish, the leather work (if they were armed bucket seats in black leather), etc.

I am pretty sure I saw it once, shortly after its arrival from RR. I have a memory of seeing red leather though the open doors and that's about it. Later, I heard that it went on a long drive and had a massive oil leak.


Though I met these two gentlemen a number of times, it was not often and most of my knowledge comes second hand, through family gossip. Also, I was a 'seen and not heard' child in the fifties and by the time I was mature enough to hold a conversation, Lorne was dead and the nature of his death caused his name to be dropped from conversation. I am in a position to talk about Fleming as long as I stay within the parameters of my limited experience.

An observation: in my family circle, neither Fleming, nor Bryce, were particularly highly regarded. The Fleming's bank was not a high-street bank and though they were wealthy, not fabulously so. All our friends were wealthy and some far more so than the Flemings. Same with Bryce, even with his wife's great wealth behind him. Their wartime experiences were nothing special in those days. We had family and friends who had been truly heroic and family who were professionals in the intelligence field. In the arts, we were close to many who are now in the history books. In saying this, I am not trying to build myself up, but trying to put these chaps into a perspective of their day.

I have far better memories of Terry Cooper, who played a Bond in Casino Royale (1967). Our mothers were life-long friends. He have me a chrome-plated, electric-powered Jaguar, which was joyful. His singing voice was fabulous and I last saw him in Auckland, where he was 'protected' from media intrusion by the actors of his restaurant-theatre.

I would say that Fleming became famous through Bond. Before that, though he was a colourful character, he was not especially significant, or even unique. Many avoided the likes of them, including Lorne, who were all seen as being rather outr

[superado]

John, could you confirm if Fleming personally performed any actual mission and if he actually was an agent and not just a desk jockey as head of 30 Asault Unit under Naval Intelligence?

[JohnB]

superado, six years of war without action would have been detrimental to Fleming's health A graduate of Sandhurst, reserve officer with the Black Watch, then lieutenant with the RNVR before joining intelligence, he was prepared for it and he certainly had a strong sense of adventure. Right from the start, he went on missions. A limiting factor later on was security: for a period leading up to D Day, he was not allowed to be in a position where he could be captured. After D Day, however, he was again free to put himself at risk.

You are right that he had to perform desk work for the Special Intelligence Unit, later 30 Commando (Special Engineering Unit), and later still, 30 AU - his "secret army". He was with this unit in the early days - on and off up until late 1943 - and post D Day, which in terms of British casualties, was probably the most dangerous period.

Glancing at some of what has been written of him, it appears to me that some have got the wrong end of the stick: he wasn't trained by the instructors at Camp X, but rather the camp was created under his direction. He was the instructors' boss. Hence the joke played on him (the bullet dodger episode).

Cheers!
John

[icecold]

I doubt anyone has actually smoked Morland's here, but based off of their description is there any readily available in-store cigarettes in the US that are similar to how they're described? I'm looking to swap brands and something along the lines of what my favorite secret agent smokes would be ideal...unless I try them and they suck and I go back to the same I've been smoking all along lol

[superado]

I doubt anyone has actually smoked Morland's here, but based off of their description is there any readily available in-store cigarettes in the US that are similar to how they're described? I'm looking to swap brands and something along the lines of what my favorite secret agent smokes would be ideal...unless I try them and they suck and I go back to the same I've been smoking all along lol

I'm not sure if bladerunner_ozd is a member on CBN, but in AJB he posted the following:

"...Still, I am looking foreward to trying this real Turkish stuff, check out http://www.cigarettetobacco.com if you are an interested smoker. US company though, don't ship overseas..."

Blade actually works in a tobacco shop and knows his stuff, and the above is also from a Morlands thread on AJB, and according to him the tobacco commercially offered on that site is a close approximation of Bond's "special blend":

http://www.ajb007.co...c=22736&cpage=1

Edited by superado, 01 March 2006 - 05:34 PM.

[icecold]

Thanks! That's very helpful, I might buy the needed tobaccos, papers, a "gunmetal black" case and get a nice roller and have at it, it'd probly be cheaper in the long run anyway b/c as far as I know buying tobbaco alone is hella cheaper than prepackaged cigarettes.

[ctb3]

[font=Arial Black][font=Book Antiqua][size=5]

In the 1960's I ordered a box of Morland & Co cigarettes from London.
I found that box today while cleaning out the attic.It still contains over 30 cigarettes.It is a rather small cigarette by todays standards 21/2 inches long.It has 3 gold bands and states Hand Made James Bond Special No.1.

[Bon-san]

Fascinating discussion (how have I managed to miss it all this time?). Cheers to all who've contributed.

[Byron]

[font=Arial Black][font=Book Antiqua][size=5]

In the 1960's I ordered a box of Morland & Co cigarettes from London.
I found that box today while cleaning out the attic.It still contains over 30 cigarettes.It is a rather small cigarette by todays standards 21/2 inches long.It has 3 gold bands and states Hand Made James Bond Special No.1.

I know its usually Qwerty's job but welcome to CBN ctb3!

That's a very interesting find which brings up lots of questions.
Is the box anything special?
Can the cigarettes still be smoked today and what do they taste like?
Would you consider putting them on Ebay, i imagine they would be quite a rare find worth plenty of dough?

Perhaps you can even post a picture of them here on CBN. Your reply would be greatly appreciated

[ctb3]

[font=Arial Narrow][size=5]
Thanks Byron,

The box is dark blue with gold lettering..5 1/2" long 2 inches high.. 3"wide...
When I get a chance i'll post a picture.Ebay is an idea.You can't keep things forever...

[Sir Hugo]

Seems like Bond has very specific tastes. I do think they exist, but may not be "alive and kicking", as they say

He also always wore Sea-Island cotton, an expensive and soft type of cotton, and always had a Rolex.

[superado]

[font=Arial Narrow][size=5]
Thanks Byron,

The box is dark blue with gold lettering..5 1/2" long 2 inches high.. 3"wide...
When I get a chance i'll post a picture.Ebay is an idea.You can't keep things forever...

Wow! Please do post pics, and thanks for providing the measurements for the box and the cigarettes!

[Friend of Ian]

In Fall of 1965 I ordered 100 of the 'Three Gold Bands' cigarettes from Morlands. It was a trial order succeeded by a 1000 quantity. They were excellent. A dry but flavorful smoke well packed and clean burning. Small personal note was my Dad, who never smoked cigarettes asked to try them. He was ill and passed away later. I consider it a bonding experience, no pun intended. Sorry they don't exist anymore. What about Jockey Club and Diplomats? I know Balkan Sobranies are gone because of the Bosnian war. Another side note. The 'Turkish brands' are better smoking than the American. This is because they have pure tobacco opposed to the 'additives' in Camels etc. They would 'go out' whereas Camels etal kept burning. Yet another trivia. Morlands, ever proper, sent a note on engraved stationary as a receipt.

[milomarch]

I read Bladerunner's theory of the actual Morlands Blend at the ALB forum:

"Here is my best extrapolation of what Bond (Fleming actually) smoked and I think this is pretty close. 50% Turkish (D&Rs Ramback), 40% Virginia (D&Rs)Windsail Platinum, and 10% halfzware like Stokkebyes Amsterdam shag. Other halfzwares will do but the Amerstdam is the only halfzware available today with the characteristics of the incredible halfzwares available back then. There is no other source for the Turkish strains other than D&R). D&Rs new Ramback Gold is a mixture I recommended of Ramback and the high quality Virginia so by buying it you need only add 10% of halfzware. The resultant blend is very close to those custom (usually characterized as Egyptian)
blends of old."

my comments: Fleming never mentioned a Virginia Blend, nor an Amsterdam halfwarze shag. But the greatest omission is any mention of a balkan tobacco. Thus I would disagree strongly with the comparison of the Morlands Specials with the above mixtures. BTW, I have yet to find a source for any balkan cigarette tobacco. If anyone knows of any, please let me know.

[milomarch]

Just a follow up on the Morland's blend. Another clue that might nail down the Balkan blend a bit more is in Moonraker, where it is mentioned that Bond smokes a 'Macedonian' Blend. Since Macedonia is in fact, one of the Balkan countries, I suppose we could conclude that he smokes a Turkish and Macedonian blend of tobacco.

Other cigarette brands that Bond has smoked:
1) Chesterfields (in the USA)
2) Diplomates (in Turkey)
3) Royal Blend (in Jamaica)
4) Laurens Jaune (in France)
5) Shinsei (in Japan)
6) Duke of Durham (in GB, after he gave up Morlands)
7) he once smoked a Parliament offered to him by Mr. Du Pont in
Goldfinger)
8) he smoked a thin black cheroot after dinner at Blades (Moonraker)

[Markus]

Hi,

i read this thread with big interest. Unfortunately the Morland shop has closed down. But I also read that - after the demise of that firm - Bond smoked other cigarettes of similar blend, Senior Service for example. A few days ago I ordered one carton of them. I tried one as i was in the U.K. and they tasted nice. But in germany, they are very hard to find, so I had to order the cigarettes at a online shop.

Greetz

Markus

[Markus]

Hi there,

I was always looking after a similar mixture like the original Morland Specials. I searched and searched the internet and at last I found something interesting. These cigarette brand is called "Dimitrino Botschafter" or in english "Diplomates" like mentioned in "From Russia with Love" I think. And now the interesting part: It's orient mixture with a little virginia tobacco in it. And that's very close to what Bond smoked - if I read this thread right. What do you mean? I haven't tried them yet but I think I will. This cigarettes sound very interesting to me. Here's a picture of a box.

[Mister Asterix]

[mra]It

[Markus]

Yes, that would be great. I found an online shope where I can order just one box of them. Because there very expensive. A box cost 5,80

[fleming_researcher]

Hello,

I am trying to track down a Morland's cigarette box- to buy or borrow - does anyone have one, or has ever seen one (in a private collection, museum or gallery, or for sale).

Very grateful for any leads!

Thanks

[Byron]

Hello,

I am trying to track down a Morland's cigarette box- to buy or borrow - does anyone have one, or has ever seen one (in a private collection, museum or gallery, or for sale).

Very grateful for any leads!

Thanks

Welcome Fleming Researcher! I started this thread a long time ago and i'm surprised its still going.

Personally i've never seen an actual box.

My question is - are you going to write a book on Fleming?

[Simon]

I am not sure of Graham Rye will have a box. I don't have the Bedside Companion to hand but I think he used a box to photograph for the cover design.

Might be worth sending him a mail via his 007online site.

[fleming_researcher]

Hello,

thank you for the welcome! I've been reading posts on this site for a while but this is the first time I've posted.

I am not writing a book, but am researching for a major exhibition on Fleming to be held at the Imperial War Museum in London from next April. A book will be coming out to accompany the exhibition, written by Ben Macintyre.

We have some great exhibits lined up but are keen to have something about Fleming (and Bond's) smoking too!

[Byron]

Hello,

thank you for the welcome! I've been reading posts on this site for a while but this is the first time I've posted.

I am not writing a book, but am researching for a major exhibition on Fleming to be held at the Imperial War Museum in London from next April. A book will be coming out to accompany the exhibition, written by Ben Macintyre.

We have some great exhibits lined up but are keen to have something about Fleming (and Bond's) smoking too!

I cannot wait for that exhibition! And the book purchase is compulsory.

If anyone can provide you with a picture of that box they will be here on CBN.

Keep up the excellent work mate!

[Red Barchetta]

Wow! Really great stuff here!

So, now my question is: What is Craig's Bond going to be smoking?

I hope EON doesn't make him pc with being a non-smoker!