During the Peninsular War, Wellington as commander-in-chief of the British troops knew well how necessary it was for the Portuguese to rely on British honesty. When he learned that some of his men had gone out by moonlight and killed for food the pigs kept by the Portuguese, he was very angry and made it death for any soldier to steal from the people.
Just then a soldier came by with a sack of flour on his shoulder. "Where did you get that flour?" asked Wellington. "I took it from the mill yonder, my lord." "Did you pay for it?" "No, my lord." Wellington called out, "Provost-marshal, do you duty!" The man was hanged on the spot. After that there was no more pilfering or plundering.
半島戰爭期間，英軍總司令威靈頓十分明白，其軍隊必須獲得葡萄牙人信任。他發覺手下有些人曾經趁着月色，走去把葡萄牙人養的豬宰殺，以供食用，不禁大怒，下令偷取民財的士兵必須處死。
剛巧這時有個士兵走過，肩上扛着一袋麵粉。威靈頓問道：「這袋麵粉，你從哪裏得來？」「爵士，是從那邊的麵粉廠取來的。」「你有付錢嗎？」「沒有，爵士。」威靈頓高聲說：「憲兵司令，執行任務吧。」那士兵當場被絞殺。從此，偷竊、搶掠等事情，就再也沒有發生。