Well, ever since Goldeneye, and until last November, M stood for Mom. Moma.
Stop! Or My M. Will Shoot.
The top 7 Bond films: 1) Dr No. 2) From Russia With Love. 3) Thunderball. 4) On Her Majesty's Secret Service. 5) For Your Eyes Only. 6) The Living Daylights. 7) Licence to Kill.
Captain Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming, KCMG CB (1 April 1859 – 14 June 1923) was the first director of what would become the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as MI6. In this role he was particularly successful in building a post-imperial intelligence service.
In 1914, he was involved in a serious road accident in France, in which his son was killed. Legend has it that in order to escape the car wreck he was forced to amputate his own leg using a pen knife. Hospital records have shown however that while both his legs were broken, his left foot was only amputated the day after the accident. Later he often told all sorts of fantastic stories as to how he lost his leg, and would shock people by interrupting meetings in his office by suddenly stabbing his artificial leg with a knife, letter opener or fountain pen
At the start of WW1, the offices were renamed: the Home Section became MI5 or Security Service, while Smith-Cumming's Foreign Section became MI6 or the Secret Intelligence Service. Agents who worked for MI6 during the war included Augustus Agar, Paul Dukes, John Buchan, Compton Mackenzie and W. Somerset Maugham.
When SSB discovered that semen made a good invisible ink his agents adopted the motto "Every man his own stylo".
Thought this might be of interest. The first M. )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
I seem to recall in one of the books that "M" signed a telegram with the code name "MAILEDFIST"
Poster correct. "M" does indeed stand for "MAILEDFIST". Simples.
From TMWTGG, Ch.17
"Why in hell does he always have to sign himself "Mailedfist" for "M."? There's a perfectly good Englsih word "Em". It's a measure used by printers*. But of course it's not dashing enough for the Chief. He's a romantic at heart"
So "Mailedfist" is what M signs telegrams with. As has been said, the first head of the "Secret Service" was Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming* who became known as "C", a designation which subsequent heads of the organisation have continued to be known as. Fleming was of course aware of this (being deeply involved in Naval Intelligence during WW2) and simply chose another of Smith-Cumming's initials- as well as his habit of writing in green ink.
Comments
You sexist, misogynist dinosaur! :007)
Stop! Or My M. Will Shoot.
Am I missing something here?? ?:)
Captain Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming, KCMG CB (1 April 1859 – 14 June 1923) was the first director of what would become the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as MI6. In this role he was particularly successful in building a post-imperial intelligence service.
In 1914, he was involved in a serious road accident in France, in which his son was killed. Legend has it that in order to escape the car wreck he was forced to amputate his own leg using a pen knife. Hospital records have shown however that while both his legs were broken, his left foot was only amputated the day after the accident. Later he often told all sorts of fantastic stories as to how he lost his leg, and would shock people by interrupting meetings in his office by suddenly stabbing his artificial leg with a knife, letter opener or fountain pen
At the start of WW1, the offices were renamed: the Home Section became MI5 or Security Service, while Smith-Cumming's Foreign Section became MI6 or the Secret Intelligence Service. Agents who worked for MI6 during the war included Augustus Agar, Paul Dukes, John Buchan, Compton Mackenzie and W. Somerset Maugham.
When SSB discovered that semen made a good invisible ink his agents adopted the motto "Every man his own stylo".
Thought this might be of interest. The first M.
Poster correct. "M" does indeed stand for "MAILEDFIST". Simples.
mailfist job, is a term for an assassination in spook language
and not many people know that
From TMWTGG, Ch.17
"Why in hell does he always have to sign himself "Mailedfist" for "M."? There's a perfectly good Englsih word "Em". It's a measure used by printers*. But of course it's not dashing enough for the Chief. He's a romantic at heart"
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Em_(typography)
So "Mailedfist" is what M signs telegrams with. As has been said, the first head of the "Secret Service" was Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming* who became known as "C", a designation which subsequent heads of the organisation have continued to be known as. Fleming was of course aware of this (being deeply involved in Naval Intelligence during WW2) and simply chose another of Smith-Cumming's initials- as well as his habit of writing in green ink.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansfield_Smith-Cumming
Interesting fact. I guess it's very appropriate for the Head of the British Secret Service, then.
General Gogol calls M "Miles" in The Spy Who Loved Me.
"You must give me the name of your oculist."
Yes! I'd forgotten that. {[]