thorne was given command of 1st bn the royal anglian regiment in 1972. he was appointed commander of 3rd infantry brigade in northern ireland during operation banner in 1977, in which capacity in 1979 he was the first officer to brief prime minister margaret thatcher on the warrenpoint ambush. he was appointed to the post of the british army's vice quartermaster-general in 1981. in 1982 he was appointed as the commander of british forces in the falkland islands, shortly after their re-capture by the british armed forces from an argentinian invasion in the falklands war.