Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn (1914 - 1999)

Ancestors

Biography

Welsh-born Desmond Llewelyn was an actor; and is best known for his role as Q in 17 of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1999.

Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn was born on the 12th September 1914, in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, the son of Ivor Llewelyn, a coal mining engineer, and his wife Mia Wilkinson.^[1]

Desmond went to school at Radley College, Oxfordshire, where he worked as a stagehand—also occasionally taking on small roles—in the school's productions. Perhaps being bitten with "stage fever" as a result of those times, he put aside his original dreams of becoming a minister and became an actor.

Desmond married Pamela Mary Pantlin in May 1938, the marriage being registered in the 2nd Quarter at Kensington, London.^[2]

Desmond and Pamela had two known children, both sons : Charles Ivor (1949), and Justin Cather (1953).

During the Second World War Desmond served as a lieutenant in the Royal Welch Fusiliers (known from 1881 to 1920 as the Royal Welsh Fusiliers). He was captured in the aftermath of the retreat to Dunkirk, in France, thereafter being held as a prisoner of war for the remainder of the war; at Oflag VII-C, and also at the notorious Colditz Castle (aka Oflag IV-C) in Germany.

Post-war he became a noted character actor, particularly for his role as Major Boothroyd, aka "Q", in the James Bond series, appearing in all but two of them.

In 1968 Desmond was cast in the musical adaptation of Ian (James Bond) Fleming's classic children's story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – in which he plays the local scrap merchant Mr. Coggins, who sells the Potts family their classic motorcar. Chitty was produced by Albert R. Broccoli, the producer of the Bond films.

Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn died on the 19th December 1999, at the Eastbourne District General Hospital, East Sussex, having been helicopter lifted in after a head-on motor vehicle crash on the A27 near the village of Berwick.^[3]

Desmond was cremated, with his cremains being given to the family.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales births, deaths and marriages registrations, General Register Office United Kingdom, Southport, England, HM Passport Office online search Births: Name: LLEWELYN, DESMOND WILKINSON, Mother's Maiden Surname: WILKINSON, GRO Reference: 1914 D Quarter in NEWPORT (MON.) Volume 11A Page 490
2. ↑ FreeBMD online search Marriages Jun 1938: Surname: Llewelyn, First name(s): Desmond W., Spouse: Pantlin, District: Westminster, Vol: 1a, Page: 1161|Surname: Pantlin, First name(s): Pamela M, Spouse: Llewelyn, District: Westminster, Vol: 1a, Page: 1161
3. ↑ England & Wales births, deaths and marriages registrations, General Register Office United Kingdom, Southport, England, HM Passport Office online search Deaths: Name: LLEWELYN, DESMOND WILKINSON, Year of Birth: 1914, GRO Reference: DOR Q2/2000 in Eastbourne (4541A) Reg A78E Entry Number 247
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8354/desmond-llewelyn: accessed 10 November 2022), memorial page for Desmond Llewelyn (12 Sep 1914–19 Dec 1999), Find A Grave: Memorial #8354 ; Maintained by Find a Grave Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend

• Wikipedia:Desmond_Llewelyn
• Wikidata: Item Q29092

• Newspaper obituaries.

• UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

• UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.