Major-General Billy Rutlidge, also known as William Routledge, (PROSE: The Invasion) was an old friend of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's at Sandhurst Military School.
Biography[]
In later years, Rutlidge got "a nice cushy job" (as the Brigadier described it) at the Ministry of Defence. He ended up as the Brigadier's immediate superior but, due to their long ties, Lethbridge-Stewart called him "Billy" in meetings.
Unknown to UNIT, Rutlidge had been taken over by Tobias Vaughn, who used him to obstruct UNIT's investigation into International Electromatics. After a fruitless meeting, the Brigadier coldly called him "sir" before announcing he was going over Rutlidge's head to Geneva. (TV: The Invasion)
Rutlidge was present to witness Vaughn converse with the Cybermen about their plans to take over Earth. His mind breaking free of the hypnosis, he pulled his revolver on Vaughn. However, Vaughn, who could still control Rutlidge's body even while his mind was free, forced him to turn the gun around and shoot himself in the chest, killing him. (PROSE: The Invasion) Major-General Scobie replaced him. (PROSE: The Scales of Injustice)
Behind the scenes[]
- In the novelisation, Billy Rutlidge is renamed William Routledge.
- In a scene later in the novelisation, Routledge attempts to shoot Vaughn, but Vaughn convinces Routledge to shoot himself. This scene was filmed, but was cut before transmission, and is now lost. (INFO: The Invasion)
