Indeed, bidders at the auction came from around the world, including from the USA, Italy, Spain and Canada. The media coverage of the auction created much interest, both in the UK and internationally. The gadgets were distributed during the war by MI9, the secret British government department that specialised in helping stranded or escaping British services personnel to get out of enemy occupied Europe. Secret spy gadgets sent to British soldiers trapped in France during the Second World War sold for the princely sum of £17,000 at an auction held in Bristol this month and, inevitably, the British media gave the news some very ‘Bondian’ coverage.Ī pair of game-playing dominos, concealing a map, and a tiny camera hidden in a pocket-watch, were among the fascinating items sold in the auction, together with a smoking pipe which contained a hidden dagger.
Gadgets have always been a beloved part of the James Bond universe, in both book and film, and the blur between fact and fiction is often commented on.
