30 & 40.

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Bond! James Bond!

I can reasonably say and have been able to infer with a good degree of certainty that the so-called fictional character of James Bond as popularized by the British author Ian Fleming was indeed a troop serving with the Royal Navy [RN] 30 Commando [later designated 30 AU] during the Second World War [WW2].

Bond not only serving as a troop [Royal Marine] but presumably as an commander of some skill and daring, those mission of 30 AU requiring leadership of the highest ability and courage, men whose initiative, resourcefulness and trustworthiness allowing for delegated discretion in accomplishing a mission.

That RN 40 Commando as present at Dieppe having secretly embedded [that word would not have been used at the time] personnel of the Special Intelligence Unit, later to be designated 30 Commando [RN]. 40 Commando a unit consisting almost exclusively [?] of Royal Marines [RM] and operating under the auspices of the Royal Navy, their mission rather the traditional commando type combat, the raider, troops of the "hunter class" as called by Churchill!!

[when first formed, 40 Commando referred to as RM A Commando and known as such during the Dieppe raid]

30 Commando [later designated 30 AU] again a Royal Navy creation, Ian Fleming the operational chief, 30 a joint services unit of which Royal Marines formed a troop [a company sized unit] specifically organized for special intelligence gathering. Raiders but with a special twist!

30 seeing action in France and during the "North-West Europe Campaign of 1944–1945" teams advancing forward rapidly ahead of the main column capturing intact to the greatest extent possible top secret German military hardware, scientists, engineers, documentation, etc.

A mission for which required officers in command of the various teams to be men of the highest ability and courage, wide discretion in accomplishing a mission delegated in advance, and this understood by all to be the case. A man such as JAMES BOND ideally suited for the command role at some level!!

When James Bond describes hearing the rounds of a German Spandau machine gun being fired over his head in the Ardennes [1945], he is recalling a mission of 30 AU where the man came under enemy fire!!

"The Special Intelligence Unit was later renamed 30 RN Commando (Special Engineering Unit), and was re-designated 30 Assault Unit in December 1943.They were tasked to move ahead of advancing Allied forces, or to undertake covert infiltrations into enemy territory by land, sea or air, to capture much needed intelligence, in the form of codes, documents, equipment or enemy personnel . . . Individual troops were present in all operational theatres and usually operated independently, gathering information from captured facilities."

Indeed, it seems the British producer and writer Nicholas Rankin has also in advance of myself and independently also surmised with a degree of certainty that the so called [again] fictional character of James Bond as popularized by Ian Fleming was a troop [Royal Marine] - - presumably an officer, a team leader or junior commander in 30 AU.

See here and here the comments of Nicholas Rankin regarding Ian Fleming, 30 AU and James Bond.

Also if and when the land invasion of Japan had occurred, 30 AU would have been present and active, yet one more additional British contribution to the war effort in the Pacific against the Japanese outside of the C-B-I theatre [ China-Burma-India].

"A 30 Assault Unit Royal Marines detachment was sent to the Far East in 1945, but the Japanese surrender precluded operations."

30 AU and the mission ideally suited for a person with the character of a James Bond!! You the devoted reader to the blog decide for yourself fact or fiction!!

coolbert.