Fun Fact #472

 Fun Fact #473

In 1927 Ian Fleming had just been thrown out of Eaton College and his future was uncertain. His mother Eve was discussing the matter with her late husband’s friend, Winston Churchill. It was here that Churchill suggested sending the man to a colleague of his in Austria, Former British Spy Ernan Dennis. While under Dennis’ care Ian Flemming learned much about the languages of Europe, networked with many groups in central Europe and even passed his foreign office exam. However he was denied a position for his history of wooing women.

 Instead his mother helped him get a job using his language skills working for The Forbes News Agency in Moscow.  While there he became one of the first to cover the Metrovick Trials in which 6 British engineers were put on trial. Fleming's coverage helped expose the trials as a sham, and public outcry from Europe got the engineers not to be Executed but only imprisoned. After the trials Fleming tried to get an interview with Stalin, who sent him a written apology. Forbes fired him soon after at Stalin’s request.
Thus began the career of the man who would forever change the Intelligence community, from the Twenty commission to the creation of the CIA.