The Doctor was quite interested in the Earths history. The thought of war on a global scale both appalled him and in some ways fascinated him.
"What I don't understand, Lethbridge-Stewart, is why this war wasn't prevented. I mean there must have been ample opportunities to prevent killing on such a global scale, 40 million people died!"
Sarah Jane who was sitting in Bessie's rear seat just sighed. It just snowballed Doctor, mass hysteria was whipped up by people who were unwilling to back down.
The Brigadier looked sadly at The Doctor. "Also there are always people who want wars, the people who profit from them. The First World War Doctor was about countries wanting to build empires and other countries not wanting to lose dominance."
Sarah blinked and looked at the Brigadier in surprise. She had heard this view from some of her more liberal friends at university but never expected it from a senior army officer.
The Brigadier went on, "The Second World War, was about stopping atrocities and I would say it was a 'just war' because of that. But those who carried out those atrocities only got to power because of the turmoil left by the First War."
"If that's the case, Brigadier, why are you and people like you so proud of the men who fought in this war. Surely if they had refused to fight then there wouldn't have been a war!"
Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart snorted, "If soldiers refuse to follow orders Doctor they are called cowards, then they are shot by there own side. I'm not proud of these men because they fought in a war. I'm proud of them because, once in such a terrible situation they did outstanding things to help each other survive."
The Doctor nodded.
The Brigadier had a haunted look cross his face, " I hope, Doctor, that you and Miss Smith, never find yourselves in the middle of a war, but if you do then I hope you find yourself in the company of men like those who I feel so proud of. Because if you do, they will do their best to keep you alive."
They arrived at the Imperial War Museum and Alistair was welcomed by the senior archivist. They were taken down the stairs to the main archive and found all the records for the siege of the village of Villeani, a small village on the edge of the river Selle.
"So why did Lance Sargent Murray get the VC?" Sarah asked.
Before the Brigadier could reply the Archivist told them.
"Lance Sargent Clifford Murray took command of the forces on the left flank of the attack on Villeani, after all the offices and the last two senior NCOs were kill. He realised that the German forces where making a push on the left flank. The Germans had a machine gun keeping troops of the Scots Guards pinned down while the German troops circled around the main force. Lance Sargent Murray organised the troops on the flank. Then led the charge to capture the machine gun. After all the troops with him had been killed he single-handedly captured the machine gun, then turned it on the Germans. Thus stopping their counter attack. When reinforcements arrived, Murray then went forward and rescued Major Fox the company commander and carried him back towards the dressing station. Before they reached it Murray collapsed from a head injury sustained earlier in the day."
Sarah looked impressed, "Sounds like he deserved the VC." Sarah said.
As the Archivist left them to their studies the Doctor asked "So, Brigadier, why the doubts?"
Alistair looked down and grimaced. "Clifford Murray made Lance Sargent, or Corporal as it would be in a Non Guards Regiment, simply because of his size. He was a bully and not considered very bright. He was also known to avoid work. But there were too many young inexperienced offices, all frightened that their troops would do the same as the Russian troops had done in 1917 and mutinied."
The Doctor and Sarah nodded.
"So having a man like Murray who was powerfully built and wasn't averse to bullying the lower ranks was their answer. He knew nothing about tactics, was known to be lazy and would have been deemed unsuitable for the army today. I would certainly not tolerate a man like that in any Regiment I commanded."
"Mmmm," the Doctor said and rubbed his chin. "So either the man had hidden depths or.."
"It was someone else who did all those things!" Sarah said.
"Exactly," the Brigadier said unhappily, "but Murray was 6ft tall had a 40 inch chest and was physically fit. Unlike nearly all of the other men, who ranged from 5ft to 5ft 9inches tall and at best what we would class medium build. He also had an offices type moustache, and was physically fit. He had been a heavy for one of the rent collectors in the Glasgow Gorbals. He'd got conscripted in 1916. Until then, he'd done his best to avoid the war."
"I see why you have doubts Brigadier!" the Doctor said.
"Yes, well!" the Brigadier muttered, "I decided to see if there was anyone in the area who could have been mistaken for Murray!"
Sarah nodded her approval at this line of thought.
"I had the Regimental records and there was certainly no other member of the Scots Guards it could have been. So.." he indicated to the files on the desk, "here are the documents relating to all other personnel known to be in the area that day."
Sarah blanched at the sight of the piles of folders.
"Six days? It'll take months, Brigadier, to go through this lot!"
The Brigadier smiled. " That's were the military mind and their love of new inventions comes to our rescue!" he said ignoring the Doctor's snort of amusement at his words.
"By 1918 most companies were photographed a day or so before going into battle. This was to aid identifying the dead and injured and also to help identify deserters! So Miss Smith if you start by going through those photos and just shouting out the names and companies of the men who are about a head taller then the majority of the men and in the photos. The Doctor and I can collect their files."
Sarah realised the Brigadier had found an effective way of whittling down the possible candidates. After three hours there were left with just fourteen possible soldiers. The Brigadier asked the Archivist for copies of the folders.
"Right Miss Smith, Doctor I think I owe you both that cream tea." The Brigadier said smiling.
The Cafė at the Museum did an excellent cream tea and they had a pleasant hour chatting catching up while they waited for the folders to be copied.
As it was getting late they took the folders back to UNIT HQ. The Brigadier was heading for his office, but the Doctor grabbed his arm.
"Let's do this in the Lab Lethbridge-Stewart," he said smiling. "You are on leave still, let's not make it too easy for problems to find you. Besides I have a rather interesting Brandy I would like your opinion on!"
After trawling through the folders all three of them agreed there was no one other than Murray it could have been. Two of the possible soldiers were already dead before the action started. Ten more were accounted for on other parts of the battlefield the last two after checking up on the records were too short and neither had a moustache.
"Well, as far as we can find out, as much as it is unbelievable, it has to have been Murray!" the Brigadier said as he finished his fourth Brandy.
It was now midnight, Sarah had already had five Brandies, but as the Brigadier reminded himself, she was a journalist so that wasn't surprising. She had headed for her bed in the TARDIS about half an hour before.
"Well, there is nothing else we can do to check this thing out."
The Doctor, grinned in a slightly tipsy manner, there is one thing!
That was how they had found themselves in this mess!