William Stephenson

Sir William Samuel Stephenson CC MC DFC (born William Samuel Clouston Stanger, 23 January 1897 – 31 January 1989) was a Canadian soldier, fighter pilot, businessman and spymaster who served as the senior representative of the British Security Coordination (BSC) for the western allies during World War II. He is best known by his wartime intelligence code name, Intrepid. Many people consider him to be one of the real-life inspirations for James Bond.

Quotes

• After one conference with the U.S. War Plans Division, he heard Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff, tell a Senate committee there was "absolutely no intention that America should enter the war." Nonetheless, that day’s secret discussions centered on a projected American army of five million troops within two years. Marshall dared not disclose this. Nor could the president announce a "Germany first" policy.
  • Quoted in William Stevenson, A Man Called Intrepid (1976), ch. 21

External links

• Encyclopedic article on William Stephenson on Wikipedia