A Suspicion of Spies

1916, Russia. A 16-year-old Wilfred 'Biffy' Dunderdale is working for his father, taking submarines from Vladivostok to St Petersburg for the Russian Imperial Navy. Wanting to take his duties further he takes a submarine out for sea trials along with a Naval dockyard crew. Spotting a group of German ships, he gives the order to attack, sinking four of them. On returning to Kronstadt, breaking free from an anti-submarine net after 18 hours on the ocean's floor with just 30 minutes of oxygen left, he opens the hatch to find every gun in the port facing him and his crew. Fluent in Russian, he quickly defuses the situation. For this action he is awarded, by Tsar Nicholas II, the Order of St. Stanislav and the Order of St. Anne, imperial Russia's highest knighthood for military valour and 'bravery in battle'.Born in Odessa on Christmas Eve 1899, Biffy was destined from the outset for the world of intelligence. Engaged by Naval Intelligence aged 18 as an interpreter on account of his language skills - English, Russian, French, Polish and German, he would grow into everyone's image of a buccaneering member of the British Secret Intelligence Service, in a career spanning forty years which Biffy described as '40 years of licensed thuggery.' Biffy appears in over 60 books and websites and yet no one has ever written the whole story of his life. 'He was rather like a ghost one knew was there but the apparition never stood still long enough for a clear view.' Biffy was a lifelong friend of Ian Fleming and many have considered him to be the blueprint for Bond. There is likely some truth in this. The tales of action and intrigue found in this comprehensive biography could be taken straight from the pages of From Russia with Love, which Biffy acted as 'consultant' for.This is the true story of the complicated intrigues of the world of intelligence. It is what the British are good at and Biffy was one of the best.