James Bond and The Rock

Fleming planned a series of sabotage operations against key targets in Spain and on the African coast, where the Germans were planning to install sophisticated surveillance operations to keep an eye, day and night, on Gibraltar and on British movements in and out of Gibraltar.

Among the books and films on James Bond there was that named ‘Goldeneye’. But the real ‘Goldeneye’ came into existence, with personnel, stores and operation orders prepared for carrying out demolitions in a number of Andalusian and Portuguese cities.

It was thought at the time that the Germans could invade Spain at short notice and the ‘Goldeneye’ operation, based in Gibraltar, would have to be mobilised and completed within a day.

Meetings took place at the Joint Intelligence Centre in Gibraltar. It was said that in southern Spain alone there were 13 major and 20 minor aerodromes - and there were aerodromes in Spanish Morocco believed to be manned “at least to some extent, already, by German ground staff. These aerodromes dominated the strategic Strait of Gibraltar, which the Germans wanted to control.”

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17-08-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR