Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn (12 September 1914 – 19 December 1999) was a Welsh actor, famous for playing Q in 17 of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1999. Llewelyn was born in Newport, Wales, the son of Mia (née Wilkinson) and Ivor Llewelyn, who was a coal mining engineer. He originally wanted to be a minister, but during his education at Radley public school, he worked as a stagehand in the school's productions and occasionally picked up small roles. He was brought up in Blan-y-Pant house situated on Bettws Lane, Bettws. The house is now used as a care home for the elderly. The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 halted his acting career; Llewelyn was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the British army, serving with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. In 1940, he was captured by the German army in France, and was held as a POW for five years. Llewelyn was chosen for the role of Q because of his work with director Terence Young in the 1950 war film They Were Not Divided, in which he played a tank gunner.