George Orwell Eric Blair , better known as George Orwell , was an English soldier and author . Biography . Orwell went to a private school where he received training as a soldier . He went to Spain to fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War . He signed up for service at the Lenin barracks as a member of the Partido Obero de Uniﬁcacion Marxista , a communist organisation . His wife , Eileen , joined him in a civilian capacity . Orwell went to Monte Oscuro and joined an ILP contingent just out from Barcelona . He took part in trench warfare , only a few hundred yards from the Nationalist line . He took a particular dislike to rat s during this time . Orwell was surprised to see deserters cross to their side . After four months , he left for Barcelona . While in the city , Orwell met with the Eighth Doctor and Anji Kapoor . They sat together in a café over drinks . Orwell saw the funeral of Buenaventura Durruti , as did most of the people in the city . Orwell again met with Anji and walked with her . Orwell managed to gain full contact with the Absolute - a being who was trying to change people ' s perspective on history . The being took on Orwell ' s form and so his conscience became part of an entity along with the others who had been possessed . He then took the name " Burton " and began working for the Republicans torturing prisoners . He was torturing Anji when he managed to regain control of his mind , the Doctor having freed his conscience from the Absolute . Orwell pretended to still be Burton and ordered Anji to be taken to his car . However , Pia Samscuro was unaware of Orwell ' s true allegiance and tried to help Anji escape , threatening Orwell with a gun . Orwell convinced Anji he was telling the truth and she gave him the gun she had taken . He then used it to kill a guard while assisting their escape . Once in a car , they were preparing to drive away when Orwell was shot in the neck and fell unconscious . Anji and Pia returned him to Barcelona and organised his exit from the country along with his wife . ( PROSE : " History 101 " ) Behind the scenes . References to Orwell ' s work . " History 101 " , the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures book in which Orwell appears , makes many references to the author ' s works . Most notable of these is the idea of the mutability of history , a central theme is Orwell ' s novel , . Other references made to this novel include the theme of always being watched and Orwell ' s supposed fear of rats , a characteristic shared by , the novel ' s protagonist . The torture and imprisonment scenes also share themes , with the torture room being reminiscent of . Politics were always central in Orwell ' s novels , particulary communism , the central ideology present in , and they are also the background causes behind the events of " History 101 " . In " The Daleks ' Master Plan " , Mavic Chen uses a modified version of a rule from " Animal Farm " in saying : " Although we are all equal partners with the Daleks on this great conquest . . . some of us are more equal than others . " Fact and fiction . Many of the events that happen to Orwell in the novel occurred in reality . He was one of many writers to visit Spain to see the war first - hand . However , he was one of the few to actually take part in the fighting . Orwell ' s disappearance , which is central to the novel , has never been documented , but he was shot in the neck by a sniper and left Spain shortly after . Many small details about his life are also true : fascism " was " shown to initially be Orwell ' s driving force and this was certainly true in real life and his wife did indeed join him in Spain . Of course , none of the science - fiction elements of the story occurred at all .