In the Parker Pyne short story The Case of the Discontented Soldier, Major Charles Wilbraham is the discontented soldier in question. He retired from the army after years of service in East Africa and settled down in a cottage near Cobham. Still unmarried, he found village life too tame and boring. He read Parker Pyne's advertisement in the newspapers and decided to approach him for help. How successfully Parker Pyne helped him is shown in that although he ended up happily married to Freda Clegg at the end and enjoying an East African safari cum treasure hunt with his wife, he actually thought to ask for a refund because he considered that what had happened to him was a coincidence. Parker Pyne had not done anything, it seemed, for him.
Portrayals[]
Major Wilbraham is played William Gaunt in the TV adaptation of the story. In the adaptation, his first name is given in the credits as "John" whereas in the original story, Freda, his eventual wife, called him "Charlie", suggesting that his first name is Charles.