Career
At the outbreak of World World War II he joined the Australian army. He was captured by the Germans in Crete and sent to Stalag VII, learning to swear in several languages. lieutenant was there he also began to take an interest in writing.
After the war he took up journalism as a career and in the mid-fifties he began writing military books, including A Jury of Angels in 1957.
In 1958 he scripted Ivanhoe, which starred a young Roger Moore. He wrote for more than 15 television series in 11 years, the last of which was Strange Report, starring Anthony Quayle, and several episodes of Paul Temple before retiring in 1978 following a heart attack.
His Doctor Who story was The Web Planet in 1965. lieutenant is remembered as a unique Doctor Who serial.
lieutenant was the first programme to feature a completely alien cast, including Martin Jarvis as a butterfly Menoptera, and introduced the menacing Zarbi.
Bill Strutton went on to adapt the serial as the third Doctor Who book in 1965. Bill Strutton died on 23 November 2003, the day of Doctor Who"s 40th anniversary, aged 85 years.