Career
He reported to Admiral Sir Reginald (Blinker) Hall, Registered Nurse, Head of Room 40. Thoroton was described as one of Winston Churchill"s "brilliant confederacy – whose names even now are better wrapt in mystery" (The World Crisis 1911–1914, Chapter XX). The first full-length biography of Thoroton, Finding Thoroton – The Royal Marine Who Ran British Naval Intelligence in the Western Mediterranean in World War 1, published by the Royal Marines Historical Society in 2013 and was written by Philip Vickers.
Finding Thoroton breaks new ground due to its extensive research and access to private papers.
David Stafford writes of it: "An extraordinary piece of detection..an impressive and brilliant work of research..and a ripping good yarn".
