▁Bon isseur ▁de ▁La ▁Bath ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁being ▁an ▁American ▁Colonel ▁from ▁Louisiana ▁of ▁French ▁descent . ▁After ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Str ateg ic ▁Services ▁( O SS ), ▁de ▁La ▁Bath ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency ▁( CI A ), ▁then ▁the ▁National ▁Security ▁Council ▁( NS C ). ▁ ▁In ▁Michel ▁Haz an av ici us ' s ▁films ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁the ▁character ▁is ▁a ▁French ▁citiz en ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁Service ▁de ▁Document ation ▁Ext érieure ▁et ▁de ▁Cont re - Esp ion n age , ▁the ▁French ▁intelligence ▁ag ency ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁( now ▁D G SE ). ▁ ▁In ▁real - life , ▁O SS ▁code ▁number ▁ 1 1 7 ▁was ▁allocated ▁to ▁William ▁L . ▁L anger , ▁who ▁was ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁Research ▁and ▁Analysis ▁Branch ▁of ▁the ▁O SS . ▁ ▁Nov els ▁and ▁films ▁Bruce ▁wrote ▁ 8 8 ▁O SS ▁ 1 1 7 ▁nov els ▁for ▁the ▁French ▁publishing ▁house ▁Fle uve ▁No ir ▁Esp ion n age ▁series ▁beginning ▁with ▁Tu ▁par les ▁d ' une ▁ing én ue ▁( I ci ▁O SS ▁ 1 1 7 ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁pred ating ▁Ian ▁F lem ing ' s ▁James ▁Bond ▁ 0 0 7 ▁by ▁four ▁years . ▁After ▁Jean ▁Bruce ▁died ▁in ▁a ▁car ▁accident ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3