Major Boothroyd (Q)

Quartermaster of the Secret Services

Major Boothroyd, described by M as ‘the greatest small-arms expert in the world’, is the head of Q Branch, the research and development division of the Secret Service. Responsible for equipping agents with kit to use on their missions, Boothroyd and his team play a vital role in maintaining the high standards of efficiency demanded by M.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ian Fleming based this character on Geoffrey Boothroyd, a real life firearms expert from Glasgow. Boothroyd had written to the author criticising Bond’s use of the Beretta 418 pistol, which he claimed was not the best for the job. Fleming phased out the Beretta and added the character of Boothroyd to his next work, Dr. No.