Wilfred Dunderdale


Wilfred Albert “Biffy” Dunderdale was a British spy and intelligence officer. It has been suggested that Dunderdale was used by Ian Fleming as a basis for the character of James Bond.

Life

Wilfred Dunderdale was born in Odessa, son of Richard Albert Dunderdale, a shipping magnate.
Dunderdale served in the Royal Navy during the First World War, despite his thick accent.
He worked for the British Secret Intelligence Service between 1921 and 1959. His work involved liaison with French intelligence and Polish intelligence.
Bill "Biffy" Dunderdale, was station head of MI6 in Paris, wore cufflinks and handmade suits and was chauffeured around Paris in a Rolls-Royce. After his retirement from SIS in 1959 he was appointed British Consul-General in Chicago.
Later moving to New York, he died there in November 1990. According to notes compiled by Stephen Dorril for his 1989 book, A Who's Who of the British State, Dunderdale was a member of Boodle's.