Cpt. Philip Lombard
In the 1939 novel And Then There Were None, Philip Lombard is a mercenary accused of causing the death of twenty-one African tribesmen. He is described as a "tall man with a brown face, light eyes set rather close together and an arrogant, almost cruel mouth" with a moustache.
Broke, Lombard is paid to go to Soldier Island by Isaac Morris who is acting on behalf of U. N. Owen. He is simply told to go to the island and put himself at Owen's disposal without being told exactly what is expected of him. He is the only guest who comes armed, equipped with a revolver, which adds to the tension when the other guests die one after the other.
When the gramophone record is played laying out the accusations against the guests, Lombard, unlike the others, makes no denial whatsoever: he admits that during a campaign in Africa, he abandoned his men when they were short of supplies and it was ‘every man for himself’.
He is shot out of panic by Vera Claythorne, after putting his gun down.
Portrayals[]
In the 1943 play And Then There Were None, Lombard reveals that he is in fact an imposter. The real Lombard died under mysterious circumstances and a friend assumes his identity, thinking that the invitation to the isolated location where the murders take place may be a factor in the death of the real Lombard. He ultimately survives the ordeal and it is hinted that he will marry fellow survivor Vera. This was the basis of many of the subsequent film adapations.
In the 2015 BBC miniseries, he was portrayed by actor Aidan Turner. The character is mostly faithful to the original novel with the addition of a sub-plot concerning a love affair between him and Vera Claythorne. He was also given an Irish accent, leading William Blore to suspect him of being a "Feinian", an Irish terrorist, given his mercenary background.