Dear colleagues,
Patriotism. Here in the security services it is taken as given that we stand for something greater than ourselves. Call it a love of King and Country or a set of values that enshrine our democratic ideals. But where does such belief come from? How do we hold on to it as the very concept becomes ever more politically charged?
When I was young, I spent a lot of time in the library. No surprises there. It was here that I first came across a copy of Nelson by Richard Hough. If ever there was a story to instil a sense of patriotism in a young man, it was the heroic tale of our greatest naval officer. Yes, Nelson may have lost a few too many body parts along the way to said greatness, and his eye for the ladies – or one lady, in particular – may have seen him tarred and feathered in today’s age, but Nelson’s famous signal, sent just before the Battle of Trafalgar – namely: England expects that every man will do his duty – fired my imagination and, dare I say, the imagination of countless servicemen and women since.
Nelson lived up to his own expectations. The battle was won, securing Britain’s supremacy over the seas for a century. Nelson perished and ascended to the pantheon.
As most of you know, in my office hangs a reprint of The Death of Nelson by Benjamin West. It has long been taken as gospel that, as he lay dying, Nelson said to his flag captain, Vice-Admiral Thomas Hardy, ‘Kiss me, Hardy.’ Recent evidence suggests otherwise. Nelson’s parting words might actually have been ‘Thank God, I have done my duty.’ Frankly, this sounds far more likely. (I am fairly certain that should I be mortally wounded in action with the Double Os, my last words would not be ‘Kiss me, Bond.’)
At any rate, Nelson’s example inspired me to consider a career in the navy, but the fact that I tend to get nauseous in the bathtub ruled otherwise. (Fun fact: Nelson himself suffered terribly from seasickness.) Instead, I joined the army – the Royal Engineers – and from there MI6 and Q Branch.
More than two decades on, I still draw inspiration from Nelson’s example. He remains my greatest hero.
On another note, it will not have escaped your attention that several grey-suited individuals have taken up residence in the conference room. They represent an unwelcome follow-up to the recent Spending Review of the security services. Once again, we can expect to be given the third degree by the oversight committee’s grim-faced apparatchiks. I can only hope that our paperclip-obsessed guests might be imbued with the same sense of duty that propelled Nelson. England expects.
Finally, congratulations to RICHARD N. for correctly ascertaining the answer to the puzzle in my previous memo, and for being fortunate enough to be picked at random from all the correct entries. The answer, of course, was the NAUTILUS, Captain Nemo’s submarine from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. (The last line of the puzzle referred to the name given to Argonauts, an octopus species known as paper nautili). Below you will find this edition’s puzzle. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Major Boothroyd
Head of Q Branch
P.S. Here is this edition’s puzzle. One ‘winner’ shall be picked at random from all correct entries and will be mentioned in my following memo. MI6 Archives shall rustle up a book to send to you* Pot luck, I’m afraid! Fill in this form to enter . . . This month’s puzzle is as follows: To who am I referring below? Clue: the answer relates to Nelson and requires a four-pawed rearranging of these two words:
SUE LIN
*UK entrants only, alas!
NOTE FROM VASEEM KHAN
WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRE-ORDER QUANTUM OF MENACE – OUT ON 23 OCTOBER 2025?
This ‘memorandum’ is one of a series of 12 that we will be publishing, celebrating the launch of Quantum of Menace, the first mystery featuring Major Boothroyd, Head of Q Branch (aka Q) from the James Bond universe. Pre-orders are very important to a new series, so we would be immensely grateful if you considered pre-ordering the novel. Buy from bookshops big and small and online. Click here for some options.
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Vaseem Khan 