James Albert Bond was sent to Poland on an espionage mission in 1964.
James Albert Bond was sent to Poland on an espionage mission in 1964.
James Albert Bond was sent to Poland on an espionage mission in 1964.
James Albert Bond was sent to Poland on an espionage mission in 1964.

How Britain sent the real-life James Bond to communist Poland


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“The name’s Bond, James Bond” is a salutation synonymous with Ian Fleming’s world-renowned fictional spy. Yet, in a bizarre blend of fact and fiction, it has emerged that a real-life British agent could well have used the same greeting.

The discovery of the namesake was revealed by Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance which chronicles the country’s communist past.

It prompted the institute to speculate on Twitter as to whether any Polish spies could be compared to 007.

Unlike Mr Fleming’s Scottish-born Bond, the real-life Bond heralded from Bideford, Devon, in 1928.

He was “talkative, but cautious” according to the Poles, not attributes readily associated with the fictional Bond. They did share at least one trait in common, however: a keen interest in women.

Keeping a low profile is an integral responsibility for any spy so Britain’s decision to send James Bond to Poland was somewhat misjudged.

He arrived in Warsaw on February 18 1964, INR archives reveal, where he took up a low ranking position in the British embassy as a military attaché. The institute said that this was a ruse to “penetrate military facilities”.

By this stage the fictional Bond was already a global phenomenon. Mr Fleming had published 11 novels and Dr No had been released in cinemas two years prior.

“The arrival of such a famous agent did not go unnoticed by the officers of Department II (counterintelligence) of the Ministry of the Interior,” the INR said. “An operational surveillance case code-named “Samek” was established and he was placed under strict surveillance.”

Under such scrutiny, Mr Bond’s spell in Poland was not a success. He left the Eastern Bloc territory on January 21 1965, leaving Polish authorities neither shaken nor stirred.

The IPN archivist who discovered the Bond files, Wlodzimierz Lechnio, said the agent was sent back home by the British secret service.

“This case mainly shows that after one year in communist-era Poland, Bond was effectively discouraged from staying on,” he  said. “It was common practice for diplomats to cover up their real profession and purpose.”

Mr Bond’s background didn’t mark him out as a likely intelligence officer. He was the son of a farm labourer and rabbit trapper, and married Janette Tacchi in Taunton in June 1954. They had a one son together, born the following year.

James Albert Bond was a little less successful as a spy than his fictional namesake. Getty Images
James Albert Bond was a little less successful as a spy than his fictional namesake. Getty Images

Ms Tacchi confirmed to The Telegraph that Mr Bond was a spy and that she and their son had gone with him to Poland.

The true nature of his work was a mystery to her at the time she told The Telegraph although she "knew it was dodgy and he was doing things he shouldn't have been doing."

Ms Tacchi is now widowed following her husband’s death in 2005, after he spent most of his life in the British military.

Next time the UK wishes to recruit a secret agent named after a fictional character, it would be well advised to steer clear of any creation from Mr Fleming’s tales of seduction and espionage.

This gallery depicts some more noteworthy real-life spies:

11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi

Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)

Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)

Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)

Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).

Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)

Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)

Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)

Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)

Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia

Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)

Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)

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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

FIXTURES

Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)

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EXPATS
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SPEC%20SHEET
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