Sarah Jane exited the TARDIS and was arguing with the Doctor, "I thought you said I would enjoy visiting Peladon, Doctor. Well I can assure you I didn't!" Sarah said in a distinctly annoyed tone. "I thought you were dead and I thought I was at best going to be trapped there!"

The Doctor rubbed his chin and looked a little sheepish.

"Yes, well, I hadn't expected things to be like that! I thought... That's strange what's the Brigadier doing here wasn't he on holiday?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, Doctor, don't tell me you've brought us back at the wrong time! If I've missed Aunt Lavinia's Birthday, I'll never hear the end of it."

The Doctor strode back into the TARDIS then came out shaking his head. "No we are.."

Sargent Benton entered the lab, "Glad I caught you before you left," he said conspiratorially, "the Brig is back and he's not in a good mood! So best put your trip on hold for now!"

Sarah was about to say they had already been and come back but the Doctor got in first.

"When is he ever in a good mood!" the Doctor asked scathingly.

"Well, he was this morning, he was telling me he was taking his daughter, to Cromer for a week and was going to teach her to swim." Sarah told him.

The Doctor's face softened, he knew how much his friend missed his daughter. "So what's he doing back here in uniform and a foul mood."

"Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart hasn't brought Kate, she arranged for Kate to go on a school trip to France. Says she got the dates confused" Benton said quietly. "Of course that's a lie, the Brigadier knows that. But there's nothing he can do about it."

"That's an awful thing to do," Sarah said distressed.

The Doctor sat down on a stool and shook his head.

"Why does the woman hate him so much?" Sarah asked the Doctor quietly. "What has he done to deserve this."

The Doctor looked at Sarah sadly. "He's put defending the Earth before his family," the Doctor said resignedly. "He didn't have a choice about it, because if he hadn't UNIT wouldn't exist and the Earth would be defenceless."

"So why does his wife not appreciate that, I mean if I was married to a man like the Brigadier I would be supporting him not hurting him like this!" Sarah said angrily.

"Well, Miss," Benton said, "We aren't allowed to tell our families what we do. Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart, like all the families of the men who work here has been told we sort out payroll problems."

Sarah blinked, "You have a very high casualty rate for a payroll administration group!" she said disbelief in her voice.

Benton quirked a sad smile. "I think most families suspect it's a cover story, but Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart, doesn't have a military background and well, she has her suspicion that the Brig isn't telling her the truth, but she thinks it's because he's got another woman!"

Sarah laughed, when she'd first met the Brigadier she had tried flirting to get a pass to investigate a story. Although he had played along she knew he wasn't in the least bit interested.

"Stupid woman!" Sarah said.

"Well, Miss he has had to let her down a lot and he can't explain why." Benton said sadly.

The Doctor shook his head, "I suppose, she feels aggrieved, but I wish she didn't use Kate as a weapon to hurt Lethbridge-Stewart. I do worry that... Oh well I'll go and have a chat with him."

"Not now Sir he's got an old friend from the Scots Guards with him. Colonel Chenery-Wright, just turned up here this morning, hasn't got an appointment. Wanted an urgent discussion about the regiments VC winners."

"So does the Brig have the VC?" Sarah asked in amazement!

"No, Miss, one of the few medals he hasn't won, but probably for the best. Nearly 50% are awarded posthumously. Also, although he has been put forward twice, they are only awarded to people fighting in wars. What we do doesn't count." Sarah look startled.

Then smiled, "I wonder what Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart would think if he got the VC?"

Benton laughed "She'd probably think it must have been one hell of a payroll problem!"

Sarah and the Doctor went to the canteen, "Shepard's Pie!" Sarah said smiling widely, "I love Sargent Dodgson's Shepherd's Pie"

The Doctor nodded to the Brigadier who quirked a half smile and nodded back. The Doctor sat listening into the Brigadier's conversation.

"James, I know I was the first one to question Murray's capabilities and I know he was considered a fool, but there is no doubt it had to be him. Maybe that knock on the head instead of scattering his brain put it right. I don't know. Maybe he just got lucky." The Brigadier said exasperated.

The Colonel sat thinking, "But what if it wasn't him, Al, I mean, what if some other poor sod should have got the VC and Murray just got it by mistake."

Look, James, Murray was 6ft tall, built like an athlete, most men in the regiment, in the army during WW1 were 5ft 7inches and if stood side ways could hide behind a twig. Murray got his lance Sargent stripes because he was so imposing, a weak officer wasn't going to be defied if he had Murray backing him up. I know he wasn't thought capable of what he was credited with, but there was no one else in that area who could have been mistaken for Murray, besides he was the only Lance Sargent in the area. The others were acting Corporals at best. And the descriptions all say it was a Lance Sargent, 6ft tall and 'built like a brick privy!' so it was Murray!"

"But, Al, what about the three people who said he was shot as he was carrying the Major back to safety, when they were relived by the Coldstream Guards. Murray had nothing but a knock on the head when they found him." The Colonel stated. "The Duke is taking a personal interest in this, we won't be able to cover it up if it wasn't Murray!"

"James, on the Battlefield you, I and the Duke, know how confused things can get. They were obviously mistaken. Look I'm at a loose end for a few days, I'll do a bit more research into this for you. Let's have dinner at the club on Thursday and if I find anything we'll discuss it then." Both men shook hands. Chenery-Wright saluted the Brigadier who returned the salute.

The Doctor joined the Brigadier for coffee. "Sorry to hear about your holiday."

The Brigadier nodded. But made no comment so the Doctor changed subjects.

"Your friend seemed a bit upset about something."

"Yes, he's putting together a display for Windsor Castle, History of the Regiment and in particular the VC winners," The Brigadier said, "well there has always been one soldier, who won the VC, who the Regiment has always been sceptical of because his actions on the day went against what we know about him."

"So why is this such a problem if it was nearly sixty years ago?"

"Because if it is found out that another soldier should have been awarded it then it will dishonour the Regiment. Especially if he wasn't a member of the Scots Guards!"

"Is it likely?" the Doctor asked

The Brigadier shrugged. "I looked into it when there was first a query about it when I was CO of the second battalion and couldn't find anyone who it could have been. Lance Sargent Clifford Murray was a giant of a man, compared with his comrades. If there were two men his size in the whole of Passchendaele I'll eat your hat as well as mine."

Sarah came over to join them, "So what are we doing this afternoon Doctor?" she asked.

"You, the Brigadier and I are going to look into a 60 year old mystery!"

The Brigadier looked surprised, "It will just be reading through old reports at the Imperial War Museum, Doctor. I would have thought you and Miss Smith would have had more exciting things to do!"

"Nonsense, Brigadier, I will find it very interesting and Sarah as an investigative journalist will be a great help!"

Sarah shot the Doctor a withering glare.

"Plus doing a job like this with friends will be much more pleasant for you! Better to spend your leave with friends, rather then on your own! Plus I'm sure they have a nice cafe at the Museum so you can treat us both to a cream tea!"

Sarah realised the Doctor was trying to cheer the Brigadier up. So she smiled her own agreement to the Doctors suggestion.

The Brigadier smiled, "That would be my pleasure Doctor!"