Clement-Jones family 12/22 - Person Sheet
Clement-Jones family 12/22 - Person Sheet
NameSir Fitzroy MACLEAN, 2299
Birth1911
Notes for Sir Fitzroy MACLEAN
Sir Fitzroy, the original James Bond, is dead
By Claire White

Obituary: Sir Fitzroy Maclean

Sir Fitzroy Maclean, the former diplomat, soldier and Conservative MP widely believed to have been the role model for James Bond, has died aged 85.
He was staying with friends in Hertfordshire when he suffered a heart attack on Saturday, his family said. Sir Fitzroy was most famous for his secret wartime mission into Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, when he was parachuted in to help Tito, leader of the partisans.
Sir Winston Churchill briefed him for the task, which was, as Sir Fitzroy later wrote, "simply to find out who was killing the most Germans and suggest means by which we could help them kill more." The link-up with Tito and his forces was highly successful and Sir Fitzroy maintained a life-long affection for the partisans. He had been planning to visit the region later this year with a television crew.
Sir Fitzroy, educated at Eton and Cambridge, was in the Diplomatic Service when war broke out but he joined the Cameron Highlanders as a private in 1941. He was rapidly promoted to Second Lieutenant and joined the SAS in 1942, where he was involved in daring raids behind enemy lines.
He had become friends with the author Ian Fleming before the war and, during the conflict, their paths crossed on several occasions. Sir Fitzroy was elected MP for Lancaster in 1941 while on active service and was MP for Bute and North Ayrshire from 1959 until 1974.
Yesterday his son Charles, 49, said: "My father's passing was unexpected and a great shock to us all. He led a marvellous life, for which we will all remember him. He did not tolerate illness, so we should be glad that he went so suddenly. "Living out his years in a wheelchair, or confined indoors, would have been a far more cruel end to his remarkable life."
Sir Fizroy will be buried at the village church in Strachur, Argyll.
Last Modified 9 Nov 2008Created 4 Mar 2023 using Reunion for Macintosh