In the latest 007 adventure, Spectre, Ben Whishaw, who plays Q, is the ingenious master of gadgets that get James Bond out of tight spots.
But the wartime exploits of his grandfather, Jean Stellmacher, were as amazing as any of Ian Fleming’s plots.
During the Second World War, Jean was a spy in the German Army risking his life to help the British win the war in North Africa, before he escaped to Cairo, joined the British Intelligence and changed his name to John Whishaw.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph about his grandfather, Ben Whishaw said: ‘Every step of my grandparents’ story is remarkable, including how they tried to get into the country.’
In May 1948, John rowed his girlfriend, Olga Bernard, from Normandy to Jersey, in rough seas, with no fancy gadgets or lifesaving aids.
The actor’s aunt, Ingrid Stellmacher, who has reverted to the old family surname, is writing a book about her parents’ remarkable story, and plans to visit Jersey soon to complete her research.
Miss Stellmacher told the JEP, as her parents were both stateless after the war, with no identification papers, that her father came up with a plan to get to the UK via Jersey.
‘They set off from Cherbourg in a little rowing boat and it took them 15 hours to get across to Gorey, but then they were pushed around the north-east coast by the wind and tide to Vicard Point,’ she said.
‘They scrambled up the cliff to the west of Bouley Bay, and walked to St Helier, where they found a room at the Dunraven Guest House in St Saviour’s Road.
‘It was their plan to find themselves jobs in the Island and save enough money to go to England, where my father wanted to marry my mother.’
Their hopes were dashed when they saw a story in the Evening Post, as the discovery of the abandoned boat had started a spy scare.
They gave themselves up to the police, were deported to France and banned from returning to the Island for five years.
However, there was a happy ending.
The pair eventually made it to the UK, where they married and raised a family.
They stayed together until Mr Whishaw’s death in 1994.
His wife died earlier this year, aged 90.
- Q stands for ‘Quartermaster’.
- He is the genius inventor behind James Bond’s gadgets.
- He runs the MI6 research and development department and supplies 007 with whatever equipment he will need for his missions – his gadgets have saved Bond’s life on many occassions.
- The character was originally referred to as ‘Major Boothroyd’.
- Q did not appear in Live And Let Die, nor did he feature in Daniel Craig’s first two Bond movies, Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace. He was reintroduced in Skyfall.
- The character has been played by four actors to date – Peter Burton, Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese and Ben Whishaw
