James Bond was born on 15 March 1885 at Gosport, the eldest of six children of John James Bond, a labourer, and his wife Sarah (née  Attrill). His birth was registered with the name James John Bond.

He attested for the 3rd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment on 21 January 1902, during the Boer War, using his full name and stating his occupation as blacksmith.  He undertook a month’s militia training in June 1902 and again in May 1903, but then joined the Royal Navy on 15 March 1904 as a Stoker 2nd Class, giving his occupation as labourer and omitting his middle name.  His date of birth was recorded in his service documents as 15 March 1884,

After various short drafts in Portsmouth, in November 1904 he joined the armoured cruiser HMS SUTLEJ deployed to the China station and remained in her until May 1906 when he returned to Portsmouth. From October 1906 to January 1908 he served in the submarine depot ship HMS THAMES but seems to have been borne for depot ship propulsion duties. During 1908 he alternated between the cruisers HMS EDGAR and HMS ROYAL ARTHUR and the following year joined their sister ship HMS CRESCENT.

In April 1909 he joined the submarine depot ship HMS MERCURY, moving in 1911 to the Hong Kong Submarine Flotilla based on the depot ship HMS ROSARIO and comprising the coastal submarines C36, C37 and C38. In April 1913 he returned to HMS DOLPHIN. In September 1913 he transferred to HMS ADAMANT and was rated Acting Leading Stoker in November that year. Later in November he transferred to the submarine depot ship HMS MAIDSTONE.  In June 1914, he joined HMS FISGARD, the boy artificers’ training ship, but at the start of August 1914 he was back at DOLPHIN, transferring in November to HMS MAIDSTONE, by then the principal depot ship for the large Eighth Submarine Flotilla at Harwich. HMS E15 had been recently commissioned and it is possible that he joined E15 at this point.

On 27 March 1915, the depot ship HMS ADAMANT left Harwich in company with HMS E11, E14 and E15 to join the Mediterranean Submarine Flotilla. E15 was the first submarine to attempt to penetrate the Dardanelles in order to be able to disrupt the Turkish supply lines to the Gallipoli peninsula.  The attempt failed when unexpected currents forced the boat aground, and she came under Turkish attack. The Commanding Officer and five of the crew were killed on 17 April 1915 and the remainder of the crew, including Leading Stoker Bond, were taken prisoner. His service record notes that he died on 2 February 1917 at Afion Karahissar ‘from Paludism’ (an archaic word for malaria). 

He was buried locally, but was subsequently re-interred at Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery.

He left a widow, Annie Jane (née Sheppard), whom he had married in December 1909, and two daughters.