**Talk**
Tim Spicer OBE
Wilfred "Biffy" Dunderdale - A Spy that Informed Bond's Character.
Tim Spicer, the former Scotts Guards officer, Sandline CEO and Aegis founder and now author, discusses his book A Suspicion of Spies.It's about Wilfred "Biffy" Dunderdale. Amongst many ingenious feats, he smuggled the ENIGMA machine into Britain from under the Nazi's nose.
​
As General Petraeus wrote in the foreword "Dunderdale was an intrepid, diabolically creative, and exceedingly effective intelligence officer whose contribution to winning World War II is often overlooked and underestimated."
Monday 9th June 2025
Upstairs, Hollywood Arms
45 Hollywood Rd, London SW10 9HX
Arrive 7 pm - Drinks at the bar
Talk starts at 7.30 pm.
Optional is at dinner 8.30 pm.
​£26 Early Bird before 23rd May, then £36
Tough, Rich and Critical to Allied Victory in 1945
Serious spy writers tend to say that spies, unlike Bond, are dull; they blend in. Not so with Wilfred “Biffy” Dunderdale. ​ ​Biffy drank Dry Martinis in Paris bars whilst building spy networks, gathering intelligence from the Russian emigre agents he recruited. He loved women and they him. He was rich and tough.
In 1916, aged 17, Biffy sank four German battleships on a submarine sales demo. He was instrumental in defeating the Nazis, both by building spy networks in France, and through the ingenious smuggling of the ENIGMA machine to Britain on a train from Paris.
Fleming knew him. Not only did the ENIGMA story inform From Russia With Love, but Biffy was likely one of a handful spies upon whom the Bond character was based. ​
As an Amazon Five Star reviewer describes it:
This book provides a riveting account of the real people, places, and moments that informed the character and adventures of ‘James Bond.’ It also offers a fascinating insight into the worlds of intelligence, pre-war Paris, and the daring, intelligent, tenacious men and women who helped to secure our freedom. It’s an enthralling read that you will not want to put down (and cannot avoid re-reading!).
Tim will be discussing:
​​* How did Biffy’s rich lifestyle help his cover as an SIS agent?
* Why, aged 17, did Biffy sink 4 German boats during a demo of submarines his father had sold to the Russians?
​
* Why did Paris, in the 1920s, with its grand brothels, cabaret clubs and fabulously louche restaurants such as Le Chabanais and Le Sphinx, become such a valuable source of intelligence? ​
​* How a contraband smuggling actor helped Biffy hide the ENIGMA machine on a train from Paris to London, evading customs and countless German spies. (Had the operation failed, Bletchley would have never broken Nazi codes and may have lost WWII.)​
​​
* Why was Polish Intelligence probably the best secret service in the world, what was its connection to Biffy, and how did it contribute towards victory in 1945? ​
​
* Biffy's role in helping establish the OSS, the precursor to the CIA, and how Biffy's relationship with the Americans led to the Special Relationship between the US and Britain despite the Cambridge Five scandal. ​​​​​​​
​
Chatham House rules apply.
Monday 9th June 2025
Upstairs, Hollywood Arms
45 Hollywood Rd, London SW10 9HX
Arrive 7pm - Drinks at the bar
Talk starts at 7.30 pm.
Optional is at dinner 8.30 pm.
​£26 Early Bird before 23rd May, then £36
About Tim Spicer
Tim Spicer OBE, a former Scots Guards officer, built his reputation as CEO of Sandline International and founder of Aegis Defence Services. From Sierra Leone's diamond wars to Iraq's insurgency, his career spans the secretive and dangerous world of private military contracting - which also involved matters of secret intelligence. Now turned author, Spicer's latest work, "A Suspicion of Spies," uncovers Wilfred "Biffy" Dunderdale— a tough, multi-lingual, good-looking, Martini-drinking intelligence officer whose exploits helped shape the James Bond legend and, crucially, turned the tide of World War II.
Monday 9th June 2025
Upstairs, Hollywood Arms
45 Hollywood Rd, London SW10 9HX
Arrive 7pm - Drinks at the bar
Talk starts at 7.30 pm.
Optional is at dinner 8.30 pm..
​£26 Early Bird before 23rd May, then £36.
Cancellation Policy
If we must cancel the event or you (with at least five days' notice) can't make it, you will receive a complimentary ticket to another Revellers' Club-organised event. If there isn't one that you wish or can attend, you will receive a refund. Tickets are not transferable unless you are an annual "Roaring Reveller" member.