World War II: Starting with the defeat of the Desert Fox

Chapter 33 Battlefield Punishment No. 2

Thorne's work was the same as always: first, he would go to the Industrial Liaison Bureau to organize documents and send them to Montgomery for signature, and then go to the command headquarters to organize documents and data.

He was still in charge of logistics.

Unlike the Industrial Liaison Bureau, which has an external interface, the headquarters' logistics are managed internally.

For example, data on troop supplies, transportation, and maintenance needs to be updated almost every moment.

In addition, Thorne also had to track the production of "German-style oil drums" and deal with interviews from reporters, leaving him almost too busy to turn around.

Gray, who was in charge of intelligence classification, was much more relaxed. After all, newspapers were also considered "intelligence," and even if he was staring at gossip, no one would dare say he wasn't working.

"You don't need to do that, Captain." Gray said with a smug smile.

"You can let go of the industrial liaison officer's job."

"What I mean is, everyone knows it's just a shell, a way to let you do business!"

The key point wasn't "to enable Thorne to do business," but rather "to trick Thorne into joining the army."

"I know," Thorne replied while filling in data in his notebook.

"But the general gave me two salaries, so I think I should at least do my job."

"Don't worry, it's nothing at the Industrial Liaison Bureau, it'll be easy to get it done."

Seeing Thorne's insistence, Gray shook his head and stopped talking, seemingly unable to understand why anyone would be willing to "voluntarily participate."

Thorne's motivation wasn't dedication, nor was it for the salary.

A British Army captain's monthly allowance is only £26.80.

The 8 shillings consist of 5 shillings overseas plus 3 shillings in the desert, with an additional 2 shillings if the enemy is on the front lines.

Even if such income were doubled, it wouldn't be enough to keep Thorne running around, even though he was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Thorne made things difficult for himself because he knew that the Industrial Liaison Bureau was a treasure trove for him as a businessman, where he could obtain "trade secrets" that ordinary people could not access.

Therefore, he needs to maintain constant contact with the Industrial Liaison Bureau.

Not only must you not cut off contact, you also need to maintain good relationships with people in the bureau.

Thorne generously returned the seat to Lieutenant Evans.

"I don't need it anyway," he said to Lieutenant Evans. "I usually work in headquarters, so give me that sunny spot!"

For example, knowing that Major Scott wanted his autograph because of his parents, he wrote them a thank-you letter.

"If this can bring any comfort to your parents, I would be honored," Thorne said. "Also, I'm currently in charge of a project to replicate oil drums, and I happen to know the head of the drum manufacturing plant. I wonder if you would be interested in investing in it?"

Major Scott's eyes lit up instantly.

The biggest drawback of a fallen nobleman is that he has no money.

They held vast tracts of land that were neither cultivated nor productive, yet they were unable to sell them but still had to pay monthly loans. In addition, the luxurious lifestyle of the nobility had already depleted their wealth.

At this time, Thorne was willing to give him a way to make money, which was like being given a second chance by his benefactors.

"Of course, Captain," Major Scott said, his eyes gleaming with urgency. "Thank you very much!"

As the Director of the Industrial Liaison Bureau, how could he not know that "imitating German-style oil drums" was a highly profitable business?

Therefore, he agreed without even asking about the share price.

Of course, others also received some.

Before long, Thorne walked through the Industrial Liaison Bureau's archives as naturally as if he were walking into his own kitchen, and even files beyond his authority were treated as if no one saw them.

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During a break from work, Thorne relaxed and took a sip of coffee, his gaze casually drifting to the person across from him. Gray's search for "intelligence" had shifted to Parade, and a lewd smile unconsciously crept onto his face.

(Note: Parade means "troop formation" or "military parade". British soldiers commonly refer to it as the "barracks weekly". Although the newspaper is supposed to be about war news, it includes a lot of suggestive and vulgar short articles to attract readers.)

Thorne casually picked up a few newspapers and glanced at them, then suddenly asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why aren't there any reports about other people?"

"Who?" Gray asked back.

He calmly pulled the Al-Ahram newspaper over Parade, his movements so natural and smooth that it was clear he was very experienced.

"Captain Thea, and Ferguson," Thorne said. "I mean the repairmen who fought alongside me; they were also involved in this project, but..."

He waved the newspaper in his hand; it contained no information about them whatsoever.

Gray laughed. "So, you think they'll get rewarded? Like you, getting interviewed by reporters and then promoted?"

"Isn't that right?" Thorne sensed something was amiss.

"No, Thorne." Gray stared intently at Thorne:

"They are soldiers, and they acted on their own initiative without following the general's orders."

"Especially..."

"Back then, you were just an oil salesman, yet you easily took a whole team from us."

Thorne understood; they had disobeyed orders.

"But they did a good job," Thorne said indignantly. "That proves they were right."

Gray raised an eyebrow: "The army has its rules, Thorne. You'll learn more about them later, and then you'll understand."

Thorne nearly choked.

This isn't called "rules," it's rigidity, inflexibility, and dogmatism!

The army does need rules, but soldiers should also be encouraged to exercise their initiative and be given a certain degree of freedom. The German army on the other side was not so rigid.

However, this seems to be Montgomery's style of military discipline; he expects every soldier to follow his will and plans without any disobedience.

"What punishment will they receive?" Thorne asked.

"Battlefield Punishment No. 2." Gray said calmly, "Four to eight hours a day digging trenches or moving ammunition, up to 28 days."

Thorne breathed a sigh of relief; he had been worried they would be sent to a penal battalion or something similar.

"Thea is no exception?" Thorne asked again. "She's a female officer; she shouldn't be sent to the front lines."

"The quasi-front line." Gray curled his lip. "You know, the El Alamein Line is about 10 kilometers deep. So, they don't have any security issues."

Thorne didn't speak, a sense of guilt welling up within him; he felt that he had harmed them.

He glanced at Montgomery, who was sitting behind his desk reviewing documents a dozen meters away, and was about to get up when Gray stopped him.

"Don't do that." Gray's face was tense, his eyes carrying a warning: "No one can influence the general's decision, no one!"

Thorne sat back down in his chair.

Gray was right. Montgomery was notoriously stubborn and would not allow anyone to change his decisions, including the US military, his superiors, and even Churchill.

These are the people that Montgomery in history clashed with head-on, and they were completely unyielding.

It's easy to imagine that if he went up to speak for Thea and the others, he would only get a good scolding.

"It's not just yelling, Thorne," Gray added, seemingly guessing what Thorne was thinking. "There's also extra work, like cleaning the toilets, if you'd like."

The situation seems to have reached a dead end.

Suddenly, Thorne thought of Wells, who was equally stubborn and concerned with his image.

If you talk or make demands in your own way, you're bound to have an argument.

Why not use Emma's method?

Yes, think about this!

Come on, Thorne. If Emma were in this situation, what would she do?