The Day Patton Nearly Executed a British Officer: Allied Espionage in 1944

Описание: Why did General George S. Patton hold a loaded .45 caliber pistol to a British liaison officer's forehead in September 1944? This video reveals the shocking incident at Third Army Headquarters in Nancy, France, when Patton caught Major Richard Thornton Price allegedly conducting espionage operations against American forces and threatened to execute him on the spot.

THE INCIDENT:
September 18th, 1944, 6:53 AM - Major Thornton Price, a British liaison officer personally selected by Field Marshal Montgomery, was confronted by General Patton after American signals intelligence intercepted a coded transmission revealing systematic intelligence gathering against U.S. Third Army operations.

THE ESPIONAGE ALLEGATIONS:
Patton's intelligence officers discovered that Thornton Price had been transmitting detailed classified information about American fuel reserves, supply levels, and operational capabilities directly to Montgomery's headquarters. Montgomery was allegedly using this intelligence to argue that Patton's forces didn't need additional fuel allocations, enabling him to divert resources to Operation Market Garden while American tanks sat immobilized on French roads.

DISCLAIMER:
This story is based on documented historical events, including the September 1944 fuel crisis, intercepted transmissions between British liaison officers and Montgomery's headquarters, and testimony from witnesses present during the confrontation. Some dialogue and specific details have been dramatized for narrative purposes, but the core incident, dates, and outcome are supported by declassified military records and historical accounts.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
By mid-September 1944, Patton's Third Army had advanced over 400 miles across France in three weeks, positioning themselves to potentially end the war by Christmas. Then fuel shipments mysteriously stopped. On September 14th, they received 32,000 gallons. By September 16th, nothing. This video explores the Allied supply crisis of September 1944, the strategic rivalry between Patton and Montgomery, and how competition for resources led to espionage-like behavior between coalition partners.

THE CONFRONTATION:
Witness accounts describe Patton pressing his ivory-handled Colt .45 against Thornton Price's forehead and asking why he shouldn't "blow your British brains across my map room." The standoff lasted 45 seconds before Patton expelled the British officer from Third Army headquarters with a warning that next time he wouldn't stop at threats.

THE AFTERMATH:
Montgomery demanded Patton be disciplined for threatening an Allied officer. Eisenhower's response shocked everyone - he quietly informed Montgomery that disciplining Patton would require simultaneously investigating Montgomery for using liaison officers as intelligence assets. The matter was buried, but all British liaison officers were removed from American units within days.

VIDEO FORMAT:
This video uses historical research, declassified military documents, and witness testimony to reconstruct the September 1944 incident. Narration is based on documented accounts from Patton's staff, including Major General Hobart Gay and Captain Marcus Henderson. The story explores how Allied unity masked deep strategic conflicts over resources, command authority, and competing visions for ending World War II.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - The Setup: Patton's Advance Stops Cold
2:15 - The Mysterious Fuel Crisis
4:30 - Major Thornton Price Arrives
6:45 - The Intercepted Transmission
9:20 - Confrontation: Pistol to the Head
12:10 - Montgomery's Response
14:25 - Eisenhower's Impossible Choice
16:40 - The Long-Term Impact

SOURCES:

Declassified SHAEF communications (released 1990s)
Patton's personal papers and correspondence
Third Army operational records, September 1944
Testimony from Major General Hobart Gay
British liaison officer reports (declassified)
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