World War II Italian Auxiliary Ship Olterra and Thunderball's Disco Volante

Ian Fleming, a Naval Intelligence Commander in World War II, would constantly dream up plots to defeat the Nazis.  Many of his efforts ended up in his "spy story to end all spy stories".   When Fleming was writing Thunderball, he turned to a real life enemy operation in World War II as a way for the Disco Volante to operate.

In world War II, an Italian Auxiliary ship off the coast of Gibraltar was said to be a staging area for Italian Frogmen acting as human torpedoes.  The Olterra, to the plain eye, was just a civilian ship with civilian crew.  Underneath, however, a trap door entering into the water would open and the Italians would swim and place limpet mines on Allied Ships undetected.  The Olterra would also act as a observation post.

In Thunderball the novel, Ian Fleming needed Emilio Largo to have a way for the Disco Volante to be docked so close the the Nassau harbour, yet a way to get the bombs to the USA undetected.  The Olterra was the perfect fit so like all good fiction writers he nicked the idea and wrote about what he knew.

13 /  'My Name Is Emilio Largo'

'Same as you.  There's at least half of that ship we didn't see.  But then again there's a perfectly good answer to that.  He may have got a stack of secret treasure-hunting gear down there he doesn't want anyone to see.  Remember that merchant ship off Gibraltar during the war?  The Italian frogmen used it as a base.  Big sort of trapdoor affair cut in the hull below the waterline.  I suppose he hasn't got something life the?'

Bond looked sharply at Leiter. 'The Olterra.  On the the blackest marks against Intelligence during the whole war.'

14 / 'Sour Martinis'

Now Bond's mind was made up.  It was the hull of the ship he wanted to have a look at.  Leiter's mention of the Olterra had been a long shot, but it just might pay off.

The Olterra

James Bond Locations - Thunderball - Ian Fleming

During a recent visit to Nassau I was able to track down some literary 007 locations. It's always great to travel to the places that 007 has been.  Look for more posts on 007 Travel in the future here on Station C Canada.  Nassau is loaded with Thunderball film sites but it also has many literary sites.

Thunderball
Chapter 11 / Domino

Bay Street and Parliament Street, Nassau

"The girl in the sapphire blue MG two-seater shot down the slope of Parliament Street and at the junction with Bay Street executed an admirable racing change through third into second." 

Frederick Street, Nassau

"Bond caught hold of the leather-bound safety grip on the dashboard as the girl did a sharp turn up Frederick Street and another one on to Shirley Street. "  

Government  House is featured in Thunderball where he has a meeting along as in For Your Eyes Only where Bond attends a dinner party and is told a story about the Quantum of Solace from the Governor.  This is where Bond remarks that he wouldn't mind marrying a air hostess.    

Thunderball
Chapter 12 / The Man from the CIA

Government House

"After a shower and a tepid, touristy breakfast on his balcony overlooking the beautiful beach, he had gone up to the Government House at nine o'clock for a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, the Chief of Immigration and Customs, and the Deputy Governor."

Government House

Later on in the literary world of 007, Bond returns to Nassau in Raymond Benson's High Time To Kill where the he revisits the Governor before Union Assassins have him killed.

A Quantum of Solace

Lastly, west on Bay Street, before Love Beach, (where Vargas got the point in the film) my travelling companion noticed a sign while we were speeding by.  Lucky for me I keep observant company and a house had this unusual sign out front letting everyone know that Mr. Fleming brought 007 to the island.  

View Station C Canada's 007 James Bond Locations.