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“In
the autumn of 2013, Jericho’s human agent – Ms Teresa Green - is watching on
BBC television, a historical documentary about the forthcoming two hundred year
anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. It contained facts about teeth being
removed from young dead soldiers to make dentures for the wealthy, which was
common knowledge. But the presenter also revealed the letters of Doctor Robert McHannon’s
who was a military surgeon for the British at the Battle, who not only
disappeared but revealed details that would cause outrage and some surprise
when he revealed that teeth were not the only items apparently removed from the
bodies. Jericho and Team 74 are sent to investigate.”
Episode may contain the following warnings:
Average reading time: 60 Minutes.
Episode can be found in BOOK SERIES 5.
Gregorian Calendar: MDCCCXV
Muslim Calendar: 1230 - 1231 [AH]
Hebrew Calendar: 5575 - 5576
Christian Calendar: 1815AD
"THE BATTLEFIELD BODY SNATCHERS.” The original illustration for this episode was created by the author, as was this episode, which was also conceived and written by him. Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without written permission.
Author’s notes about this episode:
[1]
This episode contains mild violence and bad language.
[2]
The original Title for this episode was: ‘THE VANISHING DOCTOR.”
[3]
A ‘Temporal Detectives’ original story.
[4] This episode is - obviously - based on a true incident!
[4] There is NO Alexandra adult extended version available.
Episode details:
Concept
date: 17th December 2020
First
published: 22nd July 2023
Status: COMPLETED & PUBLISHED.
Revisions: 3 [last revised June 2021]
Version:
Final.
Published Episode No. 51
Previous
episode: “The Knight.”
Next
episode: “The dinosaur hunters.”
Angel-in-charge: James
Team Assigned: Team 74
Mission: 7 - 583512 - 12 – 1815
"THE BATTLEFIELD BODY SNATCHERS."
1. THE TV BROADCAST
17th JULY 2013.
Miss Teresa Green slowly lowered her cup of tea and placed it on the small table by the sofa. She stared hard at the flickering TV set, thinking hard. She sat back and turned her mobile phone in both hands and thought harder about what she had just watched. Finally, Tess decided that Jericho Tibbs should be informed about the story presented on the documentary. [She was a human agent for Inspector Tibbs: see ‘Strangers Market’.]
Tess placed the ‘personal’ advertisement in ‘The Times’ as usual using her phone and credit card. All she could do is now wait. But she checked to ensure that her video had recorded the program correctly. She made herself another cup of tea and re-watched the historical documentary again, paying particular interest in the part that contained the strange Doctor Robert McHannon letters to his sister and mother, written on the 19th of July 1815, just a day or so after the battle that changed world history.
The presenter carefully held the letters with soft white gloves and the camera ran over them as she spoke; “In this letter dated the day after the battle, Doctor Robert McHannon - who had been a military surgeon with Wellington in Spain and France – reveals to his sister Emma about the gruesome gangs who quickly worked amongst the dead soldiers still lying unburied on the battlefield; removing teeth that would be used to make dentures for the wealthy of Europe. That was a common practice at the time, but it’s the final two paragraphs that have caused some interest. He states that stretcher bearers reported to him that they had discovered several bodies that had been killed by single musket balls and therefore in good condition; but had been mutilated after they died. He writes that organs had been removed – carefully it would appear – by skilled hands. But the most shocking find was that all the young men’s testicles had been removed!”
She continued; “In his letter to his mother – on the 19th of July – he reports that the Allied camps were full of talk about a strange group of Monks that had been helping the wounded and assisting in burying the dead. He states clearly that several stretcher bearers had reported; that they believed these ‘holy’ gentlemen to be responsible for the mutations. But he states that no evidence could be found and had decided to investigate further. That he was the good doctor’s last letters home to his family. They never heard from him again. In 1818, the doctor’s younger brother managed to secure interviews with some of the medical staff that had served at Waterloo, and all basically told the same story. It appears that Doctor Mchannon and a trusted orderly had left the camp to track down the Monks – who were said to be travelling in strange wagons – and simply never returned. They were all of the opinion that the good doctor and his assistant had been murdered by local French patriots and their bodies buried. Whatever happened; doctor McHannon and his assistant were never seen or heard of again.”
Tess
stopped the video and sat back, watching her two cats chasing each other
around. She wondered how much truth was in those letters and who were the
strange ‘Monks’ that had appeared. But the part about the testicles being
removed disturbed her – and everyone else who watched the program – and
wondered why that had been done – if true – since it was 1815 and so, what
possible use could they have been in that time and place? She felt her eyes
closing and lay on the sofa and napped. It was the front doorbell sounding that
woke her and she walked slowly to the door checking her watch; it was eight
thirty at night.
Tess could see two figures behind the frosted glass of her front door and shouted; “Who is it please?” she really did smile when she heard Jericho’s voice announcing his arrival, accompanied by a young Owen Jones. She really liked Owen despite him being dead since the 1300’s! She fetched brandy from the kitchen and the trio settled down in front of the TV and Tess replayed the video which was watched with some interest by Jericho and Owen consulted his mirror. Tess halted the video at Owen’s request who announced that the Doctor Robert McHannon was indeed a missing soul from that time period. He should have been collected in 1834 after a horse-riding accident left him with a broken neck, and he should have died a couple of days later.
“His sister Emma McHannon married a Lawyer in 1819 and had four children; there is nothing untoward known about her. She was collected on May 5th, 1861, and re-entered the human life cycle immediately. His mother died in 1825 at the age of fifty-one and again nothing is shown against her, and she also jumped immediately. But there were minor changes to the human tile line with his unexpected disappearance from it in 1815. He was never to marry but should have had two children by two different women. Those children do not exist now, but as I say; it only caused minor and acceptable changes to the timeline. Angel Francis dealt with it originally.” Owen lowered his mirror and sipped his brandy.
Jericho sat back and rolled his brandy glass about in both hands; ”I wonder why the witnesses at the time considered the monks and their wagons strange?” he said quietly, and Owen shrugged his shoulders; he had no idea but did add that the doctor's assistant; a certain Corporal Douglas Klute‘s disappearance made little difference to the timeline because he was scheduled for dispatch the following year. “He should have died in a fishing accident in Kent on March 14th, 1816, trying to rescue his damn dog that had fallen into the river. The dog survived; he didn’t.” Owen finished his brandy and placed the glass down. Jericho smiled at Tess; “You were right to bring this to my attention Teresa. I think it’s worth looking into because of the two missing souls and why the dead soldiers had their bloody testicles removed!”
Tess smiled and re-filled the glasses all round. She asked Jericho outright about assisting on this adventure; she pointed out that she knew all about the Regency/Napoleonic period – that’s why she was watching the documentary in the first place – and said that if Lady Alexandra needed a lady's maid for the period; she [Tess] would be perfect for that role. Jericho just smiled and tapped her arm; “I don’t like the idea if something happened to you back then and you lost your soul to the darkness Teresa, I would have that on my conscious. But I will keep your offer in mind.” They said his farewells and the pair of temporal detectives were gone. She sat on the sofa and finished her brandy, bitterly disappointed by Jericho’s decision. With a deep sigh, she re-watched the video again.
"THE BATTLEFIELD BODY SNATCHERS" CONTINUES IN 'TEMPORAL DETECTIVES' BOOK SERIES 5 [EPISODE 6.]
End of Preview.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
“All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are entirely fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the entirely fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.”
CAUTION:
“SOME OF THESE EPISODES CONTAIN VERY STRONG LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, HORROR AND SEXUAL REFERENCES. Some are RECOMMENDED suitable for persons aged 15+ years only.”
THE AUTHOR.
Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without permission.