James Bond unveiled the secretive British MI6 spy agency

 

The secretive MI6 was unveiled by James Bond

The worst-kept espionage secret ever is the British spy agency MI6- James Bond, the most famous fictional spy ever, made it a household phrase the world over, despite the British government’s attempt to officially deny the agency’s existence until 1994. Not much of a secret for a Cloak & Dagger outfit!

     Yes, MI6 is quite an extraordinary intelligence agency that was unwillingly publicized by the James Bond franchise. I must admit, I enjoyed the Bond film Dr. No (1962) where there were several explicit references to James Bond working for MI6. One of the references was words spoken by “M”, who actually said the word “MI6”, but it was later dubbed to "MI7", even though “M’s” mouth clearly uttered "MI6".

     BTW, another name for MI6 is (unofficially) “The Circus”. In his espionage novels, another famed spy thriller author, John le Carré, placed the MI6 headquarters on Shaftesbury Avenue and Cambridge Circus in London. Thus, the nickname "The Circus".

 

Take a journey of espionage and intrigue with CIA Spymaster Corey Pearson in MISSION OF VENGEANCE!

 

     This super-secret British government spy agency collects, analyzes, and disseminates foreign intelligence to Britain’s top policy makers, including 10 Downing Street. It also conducts espionage activities outside British territory. The name "MI6" (meaning Military Intelligence, Section 6) originated during WWII when the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) had many different names, but they all faded away, and “MI6” seemed to catch on. Today, SIS and MI6 are used interchangeably in general conversation.

     James Bond is portrayed in books and movies as a first-class spymaster, notorious womanizer, and manly incarnation who is designated as agent 007. Unfortunately, no 00 agents exist in real life. Author Ian Fleming, who created “James Bond”, borrowed the “Double 0” designation from the Soviet NKVD, which was a cutthroat spy agency. It conducted massive political repression campaigns involving unauthorized murders of thousands of politicians and citizens, kidnappings, assassinations, and mass deportations.

    I don’t know why Fleming chose the NKVD 007 mark to promote James Bond since bona fide MI6 agents are intelligence operatives, not assassins. During WWII, that sort of business fell to Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE).

     Sorry, 007, but actual MI6 operatives rarely pack guns in shoulder holsters. They do receive extensive training in the use of firearms, including pistols and submachine guns, and will use them as a last resort. But they rarely carry a concealed weapon, for it would blow their cover and the entire operation if they got caught with one.

     Lastly, here’s the enlightening video Top 5 Facts About MI6 which reveals some secrets about this hush-hush British intelligence agency.

 

  

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), enjoys writing about the U.S. Intelligence Community, and relishes traveling to the Florida Keys and Key West, the Bahamas and Caribbean. He combines both passions in his Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster series. Check out his latest spy thriller: MISSION OF VENGEANCE.