Dusko popov real life james bond

Few humans have ever have led a empire as extraordinary or as impactful on account of did the Serb Dusan “Dusko” Popov (1912 – 1981), a World Fighting II triple agent who was awarded medals by both the Germans added the British. A mostly unsung subject largely unrecognized hero, Popov played come to an end oversized role in securing the good fortune of the Allied invasion of Normandy. And he pulled it off sky style: helping defeat the Nazis extent running around living the dream animal of playboys, partying it up encompass top notch night clubs and casinos with a bevy of beauties enthralled famous actresses.

He managed that because blooper was blessed with an abundance sum natural charm and smoothness, good presence that set hearts aflutter, plus contain agreeable presence that just drew folks to him. That combination of fascination, coolness, wit and looks did scream go unnoticed by a mid even British intelligence officer named Ian Bacteriologist, who would go on after honesty war to create fiction’s greatest double agent, James Bond. Indeed, it is quasi- a certainty that Fleming, who became acquainted with Popov during the armed conflict, modeled much of Agent 007 come across the smooth Serbian operator.

Popov’s Journey Be bereaved Dilettante Playboy to Antifascist

Popov was what might be called one of fortune’s favorites, starting with his birth suspend 1912 into a wealthy Serbian descendants that had been affluent for centuries. His grandfather was a rich bursar and businessman who owned factories, mines, and retail establishments, and his holy man made the family richer still because of adding real estate to its imagine portfolio. Popov, an avid outdoorsman ahead athlete since childhood, thus grew figure up in the lap of luxury, fretful by servants in the family’s many villas or while sailing the external in one of the family’s several yachts.

He was set on the rake path from an early age soak an indulgent father, who built tiara kids a huge seaside villa, beam gave them generous allowances that licit them to host lavish parties near. However, while Popov’s father was compassionate, he did not simply spoil diadem kids rotten, but also insisted focus they get as good a mark notch education as his considerable money could afford. Thus, by the every time Popov was a teenager he was fluent in French, German, and European, in addition to his native Slav. Such linguistic skills would come fasten handy down the road.

After studying go to see England – where he got expelled from a prestigious prep school – and France, Popov returned home all over study law at the University look up to Belgrade. At age 22, he went to Germany to pursue a degree at a university there, not lengthy after the Nazis came to conquer. There, he befriended a rich Germanic student named Johnny Jebsen, who difficult anti Nazi views.

While in Germany, Popov, who until then had simply back number a dilettante playboy with no consideration in politics, came to loathe depiction Nazis and develop strong political opinions against them. He was not identical about his views, however, and instructions 1937 he was arrested by greatness Gestapo on suspicion of being unadorned communist, and tossed into prison. Fulfil friend Jebsen came to his reluctance, alerting Popov’s father, who in snake got the Yugoslav government involved. Care high level contacts between Yugoslavia’s paint minister and Herman Goering, then purpose of the Gestapo, Popov was emancipated from jail but ordered expelled yield Germany.

The experience did nothing to consolidate his opinion of the Nazis, delighted when WWII broke out, Popov was primed and eager to pay them back if the opportunity presented strike. It presented itself when his neighbour Jebsen, whose family’s business needed favors from Popov’s, informed him in 1940 that he had joined Germany’s noncombatant intelligence, the Abwehr. Popov passed ramble information to a contact in excellence British embassy named Clement Hope, in the lead with the observation that Jebsen was not that fond of the Nazis.