Was James Bond from Pontypridd?

A 1937 photograph of secret service spy James Charles Bond

A granddad was found to be a real-life spy called James Bond who served under author Ian Fleming during the war, his family has discovered.

Mr Bond's "on her Majesty's secret service" past was uncovered through World War Two papers.

It showed that Pontypridd-born former metal worker Mr Bond worked on missions under Fleming, before he was an author.

Stephen Phillips, 52, said he always suspected his late granddad was hiding a secret from his army career.

"There has always been a nagging curiosity within me and other members of my family about his name and possible links with Ian Fleming," said Mr Phillips, from Llanelli in Carmarthenshire,

"As grandchildren we were always told never to ask about the army and what granddad did in the war or where he served. We never really knew why."

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But Mr Bond died aged 89 in 1995 without ever revealing his spy past to his family.

The war-time documents revealed that he was an intelligence officer in the elite and secretive Special Operations Executive (SOE) that led a guerrilla war against Hitler.

It was only since the relaxing of the Official Secrets Acts information in 2014, that Mr Phillips was able to retrieve archive files on Mr Bond's military past.

Mr Bond came from Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon TafF

Fleming, who died in 1964, had claimed James Bond was named after an American ornithologist - saying he wanted a "plain, simple name" for his superspy.

But Mr Phillips suspects it was a "classic red herring" by Fleming to protect his granddad's true identity under the Official Secrets Act.

He said: "Granddad was a spy working behind enemy lines and in 1942 Ian Fleming put an elite team of SOEs together for a mission, details of which have not been disclosed.

"Granddad was one of that team of six. It makes my chest pump with pride. Those guys were heroes.

"Only one SOE was called James Bond," he added.

Mr Phillips wants to know more about what his grandfather did in the war and to find more stories of the real James Bond.

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However, some details of Mr Bond's past are still protected by the Act.

Mr Phillips said: "I accept it is a long shot, but it would be great to learn where my grandfather was and who he met in the secret services."

Mr Bond was in the army for about 11 years but finished his career at a steelworks.

And in retirement he took a part-time job as a lollipop man at Loughor, Swansea, according to Mr Phillips, a greengrocer.

He is nonetheless convinced that his grandfather was the inspiration for Fleming's 007.

He said: "My grandfather took my cousin Jenny when she was a teenager by the hand one day saying: 'Believe me when I tell you, I am the real James Bond.'

"Nothing more was said and no questions were asked.

"He could have played Bond but didn't have to. He was James Bond."