One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942) - full transcript
During the Allied Bombing offensive of World War II the public was often informed that "A raid took place last night over ..., One (or often more) of Our Aircraft Is Missing". Behind these sombre words hid tales of death, destruction and derring-do. This is the story of one such bomber crew who were shot down and the brave Dutch patriots who helped them home.
Ready.
Fire!
Fairpath. Calling Operations Room.
M for Mother landed 04-26.
No sign of any other aircraft about.
Still no sign of B for Bertie. Over.
Hello, Group.
Yes, they're all back now,
except B for Bertie.
From this and other operations,
one of our aircraft is missing.
Pilot speaking, pilot speaking.
Testing intercoms.
Tom Earnshaw, second pilot.
Frank Shelley, observer.
Bob Ashley, wireless op.
Geoff Hickman, front gunner,
all correct.
George Corbett, rear gunner.
That's all, Corbett.
Thank you, sir.
Group, sir, about tonight's operations.
Reynolds speaking. Yes. Right.
The target is Stuttgart,
the Mercedes-Benz works.
Will all operational crews
report to briefing at 14:30. 14:30.
- Mail. One for you, Skipper.
- Thank you.
One for you, Tom.
Nice Halifax postmark.
Some letter.
Halifax again.
Oh, it's from my fianc?e.
Both of them? Have you got two?
The other's from Dad.
Surely not the future Mrs Earnshaw?
You're not to so far off.
Whittaker & Whittaker, her dad's firm.
Second best in Yorkshire.
We know whose the best firm.
My dad's.
Earnshaw & Son.
Mm. I'm dying to see those
two noble animals in the same meadow.
You won't have to wait long.
Here comes Corbett,
singing and dancing as usual.
Billiards after lunch?
- You coming on this party tonight?
- No. I'm on ops.
Hazel says don't forget tomorrow night.
Hazel Mason,
Home and Forces Programme.
9:40.
George, what are you
doing tomorrow night?
- Tomorrow?
- 9:40.
- Packing.
- No no no, you're listening to my wife.
Home and Forces Programme.
You can pack tonight.
I'm flying tonight.
We didn't know you were on ops,
George.
I saw the group captain.
As it's my last night,
he agreed to let me go.
Sorry to have gone
over your head, Skipper.
That's all right.
Glad to have you with us.
Eh, fellas?
We're honoured, Sir George.
I suppose Hopkins has been
told about this switch.
I suppose so.
I'd like to see Hopkins' face, Frank.
Poor old Hopkins.
Well, the son of a gun.
I don't believe it.
You're pulling my leg.
- Hopkins.
- Yes, sir.
Sorry, but you won't be wanted tonight.
- I see, sir.
- Bad luck, old man.
Son of a gun.
I don't believe it.
Hey, he's pulling my leg.
If you're not going,
can I have your silk stockings?
Oh, I suppose so.
What's this, camouflage net?
That's quality. Three bucks a pair.
They keep you warm as toast.
If my girl ever finds out I lent...
Tell her Bob Ashley wore them.
She'll be pleased as punch.
Boy, I wish you could have
seen that run of Welsh's,
a run worthy of
the great Bob Ashley himself.
It had all the earmarks
of an Ashley special.
So it's a free kick against
the Allied Forces.
Free kick. Now, look out for Welsh.
Not Welsh.
Not Welsh? Hear that, Len?
I'd like to see anybody else take it.
Course it'll be Welsh.
Compton will take the kick.
This is a tense moment.
The ball is on the spot.
Welsh is going to kick.
What did I say?
Welsh is going to take the kick.
Come on, Welsh!
Welsh has kicked. No, he hasn't.
He's jumped over the ball.
Compton's taking the kick.
Compton's the man.
Goal! Well shot, Compton!
Well, that was a surprise.
Not to me.
Len, cope with this stand-in cable.
It's stuck again.
- I'll fix it.
- How's Bertie?
Perfect, sir. New coat, full stomach.
He's a gent.
Fine. Bring the car back about four.
Did they fix that oil pressure, Jimmy?
Yes, it's OK now.
Len, who's this new bloke?
Fan of yours, wants your autograph.
- Saw you in some play.
- That's right, Mr. Shelley.
I saw you in the School For Scandal.
You played Joseph Surface.
Got a pencil?
- No. Afraid not.
- I'll do it for you tomorrow.
- Right. Thanks.
- It was Charles Surface.
Fairpath calling T for Tommy,
T for Tommy.
It's now 21:35, 21:35.
You may take off.
Checking intercoms.
Bob, are you there?
Sergeant Ashley, sir,
receiving you all right.
Blasted beehive gets smaller every trip.
What are you grumbling about,
Sir George?
You've got a carriage to yourself.
Fairpath calling.
Q for Queenie, Q for Queenie.
21:37, 21:37. You may take off now.
Disable.
Check your watches, chaps.
In 50 seconds, it'll be 21:40.
In... 45 seconds.
In... 40 seconds.
Fairpath calling B for Bertie,
B for Bertie.
It is now 21:40, 21:40.
Off you go.
Geoff, OK to go forward.
OK, Skipper.
Stuttgart, here we come.
You know, I played in Stuttgart
with my club in, uh, 1938.
1938? I was playing in New York.
What's Stuttgart like?
Oh, like all those continental towns.
Played Saturday, Sunday,
Monday on the train.
That was Stuttgart. Well, well.
Nice girls in Stuttgart, Skipper.
Well, one anyway.
What do you know about
the girls in Stuttgart, Geoff?
I know a nurse from Stuttgart.
That's funny. Mine was a nurse.
Was her name Liesel?
No, Else. What was your nurse like?
Oh, she was a big blonde job.
She was a nice cook too.
She worked for a doctor
in Gerrards Cross.
Used to sing that song, er ?
I Kiss Your Little Hand, Madame.
I kiss your little hand, madame.
That's right and, of course,
she used to sing it in German, you know?
I kiss your hand, madame.
She was always singing it,
I suppose because
she wasn't allowed to
sing it in Germany.
The composer was a Jew, I believe.
What was your nurse like, Skipper?
Else? She was blonde too.
- Was she a good cook?
- She was good at everything.
My next nurse wasn't half so good.
You seem to specialise in nurses,
Skipper.
Well, I did then.
I was only two, you see.
Had you there, Geoff.
I'd seen snaps of her
in my father's album.
He was on the reparations commission.
Stuttgart was capital of W?rttemberg,
once a kingdom on its own.
That's right. The biggest paper there
is called the W?rttemberger Zeitung.
Liesel used to read it to me out loud.
Over Dutch coast.
Geoff, George, look out for fighters.
If my course is right,
we'll be getting some flak soon.
Your course seems all right, Frank.
Cologne's just come off the air.
I don't blame her.
Railroad ahead.
Got it. Main line to Cologne.
I've travelled on that line
and I was going to Stuttgart.
Mannheim on our right.
Tom, give them some leaflets.
Okey-doke.
Give them the Ashley special.
It's good for you.
Hold the course, John,
over River Neckar.
John, do you see what I see?
Big fire, dead ahead.
We're in the wrong end, John.
Can I have a smack at the searchlight,
Skipper?
OK, give it a squirt or two.
Can I have a go too, Skipper?
No favouritism, you know.
OK.
Now who's in the wrong end?
Colleagues to witness fire.
Bet that's Queenie on the job.
And that'll be Tommy.
All right, do another circuit.
Bomb doors.
Bomb doors open.
OK, let's go down.
Going down.
4000.
3600.
Level out.
Steady.
Left, left.
Steady.
All bombs gone.
Shall I transmit, sir,
mission completed?
Crikey!
How about it, Tom?
Starboard engine's packed up.
Port's all right.
Hello, Bob. Intercoms working?
Yes, sir, radio's dead though.
George, everything organised?
- You may get your hands full.
- All right, Skipper.
We'll sort 'em out, won't we, George?
How about it, Bob?
Completely cheese, sir, all tubes blown.
How about cut out the corners, Frank?
All set. Shortest route over Mainz.
Alter course to 301, Johnny.
Bob, destroy your code signals.
I have, sir. They taste filthy.
Speed still dropping, only 90 now.
I'll try a steep dive.
Hang on, everybody.
It's no use, chaps.
We'll have to stooge home
on one engine.
At this rate, she may stall any minute.
Shall I get out and push?
Where are we, Frank?
Over Holland. Amersfoot.
Can you see a rail road?
I'm not sure. How about you, Tom?
Yes, I think so.
That's the main line
from Amersfoot to Hilversum.
Blast!
That's both engines packed up now.
We'll have to jump for it, boys.
- Geoff?
- Here.
- George?
- Sir.
- Frank? Bob? Tom?
- - Okay. Yes. I'm here.
Stand by to abandon aircraft.
Stand by to abandon aircraft.
Shall we chance it together or go solo?
- Together.
- How?
Bail out along the rail road,
Skipper's last to leave.
If he stays put,
and we all follow the rail road
northwest,
we're bound to find each other.
Tom, jump.
Frank, jump.
Geoff, jump.
George, jump.
Bob, jump.
What can you see?
The Zuider Zee.
Anything else?
Windmills.
Any soldiers?
No.
What's the country like?
Can you see far?
Yes, miles. Very flat.
What did you expect,
the mountains of Mourne?
No sign of him, then?
The Zuider Zee's no good to us.
How far is it to the North Sea?
About 38 miles.
That's not so bad.
- It's 38 miles too far in this make-up.
- Yes.
Clothes are the first thing to organise.
Then there's Bob.
It's too bad about Bob.
I'd rather it'd been John or Frank.
Oh, would you?
No offence, of course.
Anyone got a cigarette?
I know I haven't.
You have lived abroad, Skipper.
And I reckon
Frank's a first-class actor.
Sorry, last one.
A football pro
is used to travelling with his team.
Bob'll get lost on his own.
Let's face it. He is lost.
We want to watch things like that.
And we'd better keep down too.
Bob might turn up here.
Well, he's three hours overdue.
Got a match?
We've wasted enough time already.
John, you command in the air.
No reason why
you shouldn't command on the ground.
Why should anyone command?
Let's all have a say.
That won't work.
I take John's view.
Very well. What do you suggest?
Well... the first thing we've got
to do is to find Bob, obviously.
We can't let him down.
And then... Well, then
we make a plan of campaign.
Decide what to do and what not to do.
- Don't you agree, Tom?
- Hmm.
Then, uh ? well, act accordingly.
Very astute.
Clear as mud.
Here. Come on down.
- I must say, Frank ?
- Now, listen.
I've been lost dozens of times.
Sometimes alone or with other men.
Several times, a whole regiment.
So I know this much.
Either we separate here and now.
And it's each man for himself.
Or we stick together.
And somebody must command.
Who's for separating?
What are you for yourself, George?
I'll put another question.
Do we surrender
or do we try and get back home?
- Well, what do you think?
- Right.
Frank, you're navigator. Where are we?
I'd say somewhere... somewhere here.
There's Hilversum to the west.
Amsterdam and the Zuider Zee up there.
Now, we want to aim at a spot
somewhere south of Haarlem,
between Zandvoort and Katwijk.
But there's several main roads.
And the whose country's
swarming with people.
What's "polder" mean?
Land that's reclaimed. Dykes and dams.
It's nearly all polder country
south of Haarlem.
Tulip fields. Not on our course.
Pity about that, I like a nice tulip.
What are we going to
do about our clothes?
We've got to get into civvies somehow.
Well, what's George doing?
- Going swimming.
- Where?
- In the canal.
- How do you know there is one?
There's always a canal in Holland.
The next best thing to having
civilian clothes is to have none.
I'll be a swimming Dutchman
and spy out the land.
- Suppose you meet a real Dutchman.
- I'll explain with gestures.
Suppose it's a girl.
Can you speak Dutch?
- No.
- Well, I can.
- Well?
- Well enough. Diplomat's Dutch.
I think you're going to be
the swimming Dutchman, my lad.
Shh. Somebody coming, I think.
Fikkie, Fikkie!
Fikkie, Fikkie!
- Hey, have you seen Fikkie?
- No!
Fikkie, Fikkie!
That dog spots us, we're jiggered.
Willem! Willem!
Stop them Willem, this way!
Fikkie! Fikkie! Fikkie!
Lie down. Get!
Shut up. Shut up.
Fikkie! Fikkie! Where's Fikkie?
Willem! Willem!
Maartje! Fikkie!
Fikkie! Fikkie!
Fikkie! Fikkie! Fikkie!
What are you barking at Fikkie?
Maartje, quick, come here!
Not... afraid... be.
No run away.
I...friends are... English.
RAF.
R-A-F.
R-A-F. R-A-F.
Royal Air Force!
Ja. Royal Air Force.
Are you friend?
Ya. Both friends.
It's all right. He says they're friends.
Let's go and talk to them.
I hope they don't scram before we go.
Is this the invasion of Holland?
He asked if we've come
to invade Holland.
What with?
Hello.
Hello, young fella.
We jumped out of our aeroplane.
Bailed out.
One, two, three, four...
five, six allies.
Six disparu.
That's French.
Well?
Johnny, over to you, over.
Uh ? lost one comrade ? somewhere here.
Have you seen him?
How... Your names?
Willem, Maartie.
- Jannie.
- Hendrik.
Jan.
Tom.
Geoff.
Frank.
George.
Safety pin. Safe!
Against dirty Krauts!
Against dirty Krauts!
Ja. Ik begrijp.
What's this safety pin gag?
It's a sign against
Germans and quislings.
A safety pin means keep together.
Keep your mouth shut.
Come along to the farm.
To Els Meertens, she speaks English.
There's someone at the farm
who speaks English.
Her name is Els...
Els... Els Meertens. Els Meertens.
- Els Meertens.
- Els Meertens.
- She's a schoolteacher.
- He says she's a schoolmarm.
Sounds a useful old bird.
Is this the invasion of Holland?
No, young fellow, we have not
come to invade Holland... yet.
I know that much Dutch already.
Kind of a debate going on in there,
I think.
Listen you. I'm telling you
they are English!
I've heard them speak.
And they wear English uniforms!
They're not Germans!
They're English, I'm telling you!
Miss Meertens.
I'll never put a ferret down
a rabbit hole again, I know that.
It's quite stuffy in here, isn't it?
I think it might be a trap.
I'm not so sure it isn't.
Must be 20 of them,
talking for the last half hour.
What about?
That's what I'd like to know.
Fetching Germans.
I wouldn't put it past 'em.
I would.
Would you, George? Why?
I've been watching the road
ever since we got here.
No one's left the house.
Shh.
Sorry, gentlemen,
to have kept you waiting.
I am Els Meertens,
schoolteacher from Emmen.
How do you do, Miss Meertens?
My name is John Glyn Haggard.
And these ?.
The identities of all five of you
are of the greatest importance to us.
But if you don't mind,
we prefer to check them for ourselves.
Excuse me, Miss Meertens.
But how do you propose to find out
if we don't choose to tell you?
I see you wear an identity bracelet.
I'm sure you can tell me
your friend's name.
Well? Can you or can't you?
Of course. I've known him a long time.
I didn't ask how long
you had known him.
What is his name?
He's Mr. Tom Earnshaw,
our second pilot, of course.
Right.
You jumped out of your aeroplane, why?
We didn't want to crash with it.
- Where did it crash?
- It didn't.
The engine picked up again
after we bailed out.
I don't know very much
about aeroplanes.
But that means you can't prove
your aircraft has crashed.
Well, that's it.
It might have gone on for miles.
Would it surprise you to know
that so far as is known,
no aircraft has crashed in West Holland
during the night?
I suppose Bertie
could have reached the sea.
What do you say, John?
Don't ask me. Your witness.
- Where are your parachutes?
- We buried them.
All five?
Five are all we know about.
What do you mean by that?
There were six in my crew.
You are captain?
Yes.
Where is the sixth man?
I don't know. We never found him.
I see.
And where did you bury your parachutes?
- Look here, I've had enough of ?
- You don't know?
Of course I know.
Along the rail road where we landed.
Can any of you prove
beyond any reasonable doubt
that you are what you say you are?
I'll be jiggered. I've never heard
such a thing in my life.
- But our uniforms ?
- Prove nothing.
Why not?
Anybody could get a uniform.
If some people were anxious
to find out
how we were to behave
towards English airmen,
wouldn't that be the simplest way?
You mean you think we've come here
to get you to give yourselves away?
But we're Englishmen.
We wouldn't do a thing
like that, would we, Frank?
You're not so sure about the others?
What are you trying to make me say?
Of course I'm sure.
What is the name of this gentleman?
Go on, George.
This is Frank Shelley. He's an actor.
And his wife is to broadcast tonight.
9:40, Home and Forces Programme.
Frank, yesterday afternoon,
contrary to most regulations,
I saw you tearing
the last piece out of the Times.
You got it on you?
I think that's the sort of proof
Miss Meertens wants.
Here you are.
"Broadcasting, Home and Forces
Programme, Sunday 9:40..."
That's tonight.
"Hazel Mason..." That's my wife.
There's the date and there's
the date on the newspaper.
Yes, this is yesterday's Times.
Your witness.
Does that satisfy you, Miss Meertens?
It will do, I think.
I'm going to show it to the others.
You're not the only one
that had their doubts.
Not the only one?
No, there's nothing to stop you
sending for the Nazis.
I thought airmen
had better eyesight than that.
- What a gal.
- You say that again.
She shot you down in flames, Tom.
What did she mean
by that crack about our eyesight?
- Something we missed... in this room.
- Let's find it.
- Orange blossom.
- Orange blossom?
What's orange blossom got do with it?
That's their Orange altar,
Orange altar to honour Queen Wilhemina.
But why orange?
William of Orange, the House of Orange.
It shows they're loyal.
There should be
a picture of the queen too.
There it is.
Quite foxy. That Els Meertens.
What a girl.
We heard you the first time.
Gentlemen.
Won't you come in?
Thank you.
Pieter Sluys, your host, gentlemen.
Well, dear fellows.
I'll say it in my own language
I'm very glad you're here with us.
Together with all our friends.
And I'd like to give you
a warm welcome here.
Come on, John.
Ahem.
I, my friends... uh ?
very happy.
I, all friends.
Allies are...
so I say...
I always thought
speeches came at the end of a meal.
Wouldn't mind a little bit
of that ham anyway.
They're hungry!
Of course, let them sit down.
- Won't you sit down, please?
- Thank you.
This is very good of you but aren't
you short of food yourselves?
Sometimes. But don't worry.
We have enough for our friends.
It was a Kraut pig, butchered illegally.
He says, "Don't worry, eat him.
He was a quisling pig."
Would you like some Schnapps?
- Thank you.
- Very nice!
Thank you.
Gesundheit.
Very nice.
We are worried about
your comrade who is lost.
So are we, miss.
Bob's brains are in his feet.
In his feet?
Bob's a football player.
A very good one.
But not very bright.
Still it's a pity his brains
are not in his head.
If he's found, the Germans
are going to look for you five.
Burying the parachutes was a mistake.
Freshly-dug earth will be examined.
Can't we send someone
to dig them up again?
We have already.
And we will hide them.
This time in a safer place.
You know, young lady, you've got
your head screwed on all right.
Thank you.
The main thing is your escape.
Any ideas?
You agree that we can escape?
Others have done it. Why not you?
First we must get to the sea.
The sea is 58 kilometres away.
And every village has its German post.
And every road is patrolled.
First we must get you to church.
Why church?
Our church is ten kilometres
west of here.
Ten kilometres nearer the North Sea.
You must go at once.
Excuse me, Miss Meertens,
what is your church?
We are Catholics.
I'm chapel.
So am I.
What is chapel?
- Independent Methodist.
- Baptist.
Those are your English Reform churches?
That's it.
But it's our only plan.
If this gets back to Halifax,
I shall never hear the last of it.
We will dress you in Dutch clothes.
Nobody will know.
You don't know chapel folk.
But surely your escape
is the most important thing.
End justifies the means, Tom.
Then that's settled.
Would it be safer to travel at night?
We'd be at the coast in three days.
By our plan, you will be
at the coast tonight.
Jo will be waiting for you.
Jo? Who's Jo?
Jo de Vries,
the wife of Hendrik de Vries.
Oh? Who's Hendrik de Vries?
Hendrik de Vries was
killed by the British
in the mass air attacks on Haarlem.
Since then his wife hates the British
more than anything in the world.
Not a very good choice for a hostess.
What is this, a conundrum?
I never heard that we bombed Haarlem.
The Germans want us to believe it.
So Jo de Vries obliges them.
They like her because
they believe she hates the British.
That is what she wants.
So everyone is happy.
Oh, I see, a bit of camouflage.
Yes. We have our own ways
of managing things.
Did you hear our motto?
Who harms the water, the water turns.
No?
It means the sea is a common enemy.
And against a common enemy
one must unite.
Do you think we Hollanders
who threw the sea out of our country
will let the Germans have it?
Better the sea.
Can you all ride a bicycle?
Well, I'm not much of a hand
at a bike myself. I never was.
We will find a way.
But first we must
find you all clothes.
Better keep our uniforms on.
Gives us a sporting chance
if we're caught.
You can wear your disguises over them.
If we're going to be pushing off,
I would like more ham, Mother.
Ham, natuurlijk.
Talking of ham, Frank,
isn't this is your big chance?
What disguise will you wear?
You're going to see a series
of perfect Dutch character sketches.
Real little cameos.
But er... what do we do for boots?
Klompen.
- Klompen?
- Clogs.
Ah, clogs.
I should like to see you walk up
Halifax High Street in these, Tom.
The old Yorkshire saying,
"Clogs to clogs in three generations."
I never hoped to co-star with the great
Francis Shelley in a Dutch epic.
Now, George, you're doing quite well,
really, quite well.
But co-star? Really?
George, I haven't been
to church since my wedding.
You must have acted in church scenes.
I did in a picture once.
It was a spy story
and we all got shot.
That can happen here too.
"Peter Sluijs, Landweert"
"his family and landworkers..."
"all of the Roman-Catholic faith..."
"to visit the Roman-Catholic church..."
"In Oud Losdr... er... Loosdrecht.."
The next one.
How am I doing?
Quite well.
For a beginner.
Noisy beggars, aren't they?
I wonder why he's in such
a tearing hurry for on a Sunday morning.
Probably going on leave.
Anything wrong?
Germans found one of your parachutes.
But you dug them up.
I thought they were safe.
They are. Very safe.
Then it must be another one.
George.
The Jerries have found
another parachute. It must be Bob's.
Found Bob's parachute.
Bob's parachute's found.
That means Bob's safe.
Not so good for us.
It's us the armoured cars
are looking for.
Els says they're searching villages
in the neighbourhood.
So long as they don't find
our parachutes, we're safe.
- Where are they hidden?
- Where are they hidden?
Where are they hidden?
She says that they're quite safe
and they're with us in here.
What are you talking about?
Shh.
The 12th Sunday after Whitsunday.
Regular service.
At 10 a.m., High Mass.
Block all exits!
- Officer Kahle?
- Yes!
Ten men at west exits 1 and 2!
Yes!
- Officer Weber!
- Yes!
- Ten men to block exits 3 and 4!
- Yes!
Let us pray.
From the depths,
I have cried out to you, O Lord!
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplication.
If you were to mark iniquities, Lord,
who, O Lord, shall stand?
For with you is forgiveness.
And because of your law,
I stood by you, Lord.
My soul has stood by his word.
My soul has hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch,
even until night,
let Israel hope in the Lord.
Parachute.
For with the Lord, there is mercy.
And with him is plenteous redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Our national anthem.
Fall in!
"Cornelis Ackerman,."
"Pastor
of the Roman-Catholic community..."
"Along with his family,
5 male, 3 female."
"The town of Vinkeveen."
Well, enjoy yourself, Mr. Pastor!
Where has Cornelis gone?!
Where is that rascal?!
How should I know?
He's your son. He won't listen to me.
Cornelis, my young brother,
always in trouble.
Same in England.
Same everywhere.
I've got a young brother, you know.
Regular little devil.
English boys not as bad as Dutch.
You see the school?
German military post, 20 soldiers.
Boys love to tease the sentries.
They line up on the wall and sing,
"Eenie meanie, minie, mo,"
"catch a German by his toe..."
Cornelis?
What's he doing at the post?
Now he's in for a spanking!
He won't know his left from his right!
Marius,
you're not going to hit that boy!
Why not?
What's he doing at that post?
Didn't you know what time it was?
Don't you know we eat at half past one?
Shame on you for
our visitors from Loosdrecht.
Now up to your room!
And get ready for a spanking!
If you put the plates on the table,
I'll bring the meat.
Everyone, please be seated.
Father,
will you please give your blessing?
Well, did you hear that? De Jong.
In the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
De Jong is a quisling.
I am ashamed to speak so
of a man of my village but it is true.
He is a traitor, paid by the Nazis.
He is always trying to persuade us
to fraternise
with the soldiers at the post.
And now he has sent them
gramophone records to play.
And my son has carried them! My son!
We are all trying
o bore them to death.
And my son carries them
gramophone records.
And from that traitor de Jong!
No food for Cornelis.
And no football match!
No dinner for Cornelis.
Father says he must not
go to the football match.
Poor Cornelis. He loves the football.
All week he's been so excited.
I think something very...
how do you say... buried?
- Dug in?
- More than meets the eye.
Ja. Very good.
More than meets Father's eye.
Poor Cornelis. He's very bad
but very cute.
He has more than meets the eye.
A quarter Guilder.
Oh.
Now, who's there?
Sientje, I am not available!
A quarter guilder!
Paid that quisling
by the stinking Germans.
That's what my son pockets for helping
to entertain German soldiers.
It's Mr. De Jong, asking for Cornelis.
De Jong?
Tell him we have visitors.
And we cannot be disturbed!
I have a reception, I have visitors,
You have to se?
I apologize for interrupting.
I'm truly sorry.
And at such
a spiritual gathering as that,
I would have liked to see Cornelis,
Mr. Mayor.
But some other time is fine as well.
Oh, Reverend.
I nearly didn't see you there.
How is your family in Loosdrecht?
Do you remember me?
Yes.
I know you.
I remember our schooldays.
Like it was yesterday.
And is this your fianc??
Let me introduce.
This is my nephew Kees Jansen,
and this is Julius de Jong.
So...
You'd rather not speak with me?
Don't you see what would happen
if everyone in Holland
would behave like this?
The Germans want to be friends.
Bon appetit!
Get out of the way!
Do you speak English?
Yes.
Then don't shout.
You wouldn't dare to keep me here.
Dare? Huh, you're kept.
You, you, all of you.
You're British airmen.
The men we're looking for.
You're risking your head.
It's nothing to do
with the burgermeister.
He'll be shot before he can prove it.
Talking of shooting...
You wouldn't dare fire here.
Wouldn't we?
The Wilhelmus!
Our anthem!
It comes from the post, from the Nazis.
Hey! Oh!
What is it, the radio?
Sounds more like a gramophone to me.
Dear Lord! Have you all gone insane?
It is a gramophone!
What's on!
You're keeping the gramophone on.
You're playing the Dutch anthem!
You idiot!
Why not play the English anthem as well?
What record is it anyway?
A tango, lieutenant, sir!
Give it here!
Father, isn't it strange?
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Perhaps it's not so strange.
I don't understand.
Yes, but I do.
Your German friends at the post
asked you to send them
some gramophone records, didn't they?
And you chose my son for the honour
of carrying them, didn't you?
And you gave him a quarter
for doing it, didn't you?
Ah. Ky son.
Well, he changed
all your records for ours.
And he chose some good ones too.
Trust him.
All records of our national anthem.
All different labels, foxtrots, tangos.
All pasted on so the Germans
wouldn't know what they were.
Oh, your friends will like you now,
won't they, quisling?
- Where are the records from?
- De Jong brought them...
De Jong!
De Jong!
They won't think it's me.
Why should they?
Why shouldn't they? That's the point.
If I was a German, I'd say,
"De Jong sent records.
He didn't bring them himself."
"They turned out to
be the Dutch anthem."
"Very funny joke."
"Let's look for de Jong."
And there they go, looking ?
with fixed bayonets!
Your move, my Jong.
They'll believe me
if I tell the truth.
You'll be shot before you can prove
it, my lad. Said so yourself.
Shot? They can't shoot me.
Can and will.
Well, it really doesn't matter.
Either we shoot you now.
Or they shoot you later.
Shot? I won't be shot!
Father! Help me!
Tell me what to do!
They'll be after me if they
don't find me at home.
Evidently you know your friends.
You don't think they'll believe you
if you tell the truth.
They believe everyone in Holland
wants to kill them.
They will shoot first
and ask questions afterwards.
You are a servant of God!
You can't let them kill me!
You expect God to help you escape.
But I think you were meant
to fall into our hands.
"Piet van Dieren."
"Mayor of Vinkeveen."
"Along with his family and guests,
6 male, 3 female..."
"to visit the football game
in IJmuiden."
That's all fine, Herr Mayor.
Fasten us up!
Use your paws!
If you bring the plates to the table,
I'll take care of the meat.
Achtung! Achtung!
The occupation authorities allow
only 200 spectators.
Fifty must leave the grounds
immediately!
- What's he say?
- What's Jerry say?
"The authorities of occupation have
to the number 200 of the crowd limited."
"Fifty must leave the football field
at once."
A fine cheek, ordering
other people about.
What will the people
do, Mr Burgomaster?
What would you do in your own country?
In North Yorkshire?
Tell 'em to go to hell.
- That would cause trouble.
- It would that.
Many people might be killed or injured.
On both sides.
In Holland, we've found a new system.
If 50 are ordered to go, we all go.
Come along.
But isn't that playing their game?
You don't understand Germans.
They have orderly minds.
If they say 50, they mean 50.
Achtung! Achtung!
It's also forbidden to
leave the grounds completely!
"As you were, it is usually forbidden
that everybody should leave."
"Cancel the previous order and
continue to enjoy the game, please."
Jerry seems a bit flustered.
Now we get on with the football.
There you are, you see? Dead easy.
Bob Ashley.
There's Bob!
It is Bob!
Well, I'll be jiggered.
Hurray! What's he Dutch for hurray?
- Hurrah.
- Hurrah!
"Jo de Vries, living in Katwijk."
Ah, you live in Katwijk.
"Or every person, sent by the above."
"For the purpose
of seizing meat and vegetables..."
Ah, and so on, and so on..
"For the officers mess in Katwijk."
Leijmuiden.
Permission!
You strolled around
with your hands in your pockets
speaking broad English
and pushing men in canals.
They shouldn't have got in a flap.
Then you ran away,
leaving your parachute in a canal.
It was time to get cracking, sir.
I came back later but
I couldn't find it.
- The Germans had it by then.
- Did they?
I don't understand how you could
walk along without Geoff spotting you.
I don't either. Perhaps he was asleep.
I certainly wasn't.
Did you see a train about 6:30?
Oh, yes, sir, it overtook me. I hid.
Overtook you?
You were walking the
wrong way, my lad.
Walking into Germany
instead of England.
- Oh.
- Then you met a shepherd.
- Whose dog naturally bit you.
- Yes, that's right.
Then they took me to the village,
where thank God
the schoolteacher spoke English.
Schoolteacher? What was she like?
OK. That's where I had me breakfast.
And then they passed you along
by barge and ox cart ?.
- Bicycle.
- And what have you.
Until you find yourself
on the way to a football match.
And turn into a ball-basher.
- And they said, "Good gracious".
- That's right.
They told me a truck would take me
after the game to some man called Joe.
Not Joe, Jo.
It's a woman, not a man,
otherwise you're all right.
Her name is Jo de Vries.
Half a minute.
I smell the sea.
The North Sea.
- Hear that?
- German.
How do you know it's German?
Heard 'em often enough
in the last war.
Hope Mrs. de Vries
has her weather eye open.
Halt! Stop there!
I am a chauffeur from Jo de Vries.
What do you carry in the truck?!
Three calves, sir, and vegetables.
I'll check myself. Show me!
- Lieutenant Buder?
- Here!
You won't have veal tomorrow,
if the guard won't let him pass.
- Alright. Guard, let him pass!
- Yes sir, lieutenant!
Pass!
Said tomorrow's dinner would be
held up if he didn't let us get through.
- Would that be Mrs de Vries?
- I suppose so.
- Willem, it's all there?
- Yes, madam.
Are you there?
Englishmen, are you there?
Yes, all six of us.
When the truck stops, the driver
will open the back.
Get out at once.
- Which way?
- There.
Officer Neuser?
At your command!
Can I have two men for unloading?
Of course, madam De Vries.
Thank you.
Two men!
She's getting the Jerries
to unload the truck for her.
She's a cool customer.
These Dutch girls are wizards.
They are. Our girls would do just
the same if they had the chance.
They should have been here already.
Yeah, but they've wasted their time
with drinking all night.
Hey, come down here.
Or you'll be wasting a fine Goulash.
Boy, oh boy!
Quite a load you got there.
Enough to wear you out, ha ha ha!
Morning we're marching off
to the farm in the night-time loft.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
And a glass of wine.
And a glass of wine.
Morning we're marching off
to the farm in the night-time loft.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
And a glass of wine.
And a glass of wine.
We're passing over
the quarters of 200 German soldiers.
Louis?
All safe, madam De Vries.
Good. All six are here.
We're over my house.
It's the German headquarters.
My rooms are at the end of the wing.
All of you, in the other room.
Take it easy.
You are safe here.
This place has good walls and floors.
You can talk as much as you want to.
And you can take off those things.
There's a radio here.
It's tuned in to the BBC.
Use it if you like.
Only don't start dancing.
Just below here is the officers' mess.
I must leave you now.
Got to go back the way we came
and come in by the front door.
Or they might start thinking.
Lock the door behind me.
And only open it to this knock.
- V.
- Yes. V.
- Pity, isn't it?
- What's a pity?
I never felt
more like dancing in my life.
Just imagine, officers' mess below.
Jerries all over the place
and no dancing.
Such charming partners too.
- What time is it?
- 2150.
Pity. We've missed the news.
- What time did you you say it was?
- 2156.
- Hazel!
- Who?
Hazel Mason,
Home and Forces Programme.
Oh, your wife.
I thought I recognised the voice.
Steady, steady.
Something's wrong.
That's better.
She's good.
She's damned good.
I hope your wife won't object to us
undressing during her big scene.
If she knew where you were,
she'd twitter.
Shh.
All over.
How was she?
Not bad. Not at all bad.
Yes.
Very good.
I hadn't thought about it till now.
But ?.
We'll have been posted missing
since this morning.
Matter of act, I had thought of it.
But I don't think the others have.
All the better for them.
I suppose Hazel knows
about Frank by now.
Bound to. They'd get it at the BBC.
She's on tonight.
Where do you expect her to be, off?
Good blackout they got here.
You know, that's funny.
Them blacking out because of us.
I suppose we do fly over here,
eh, Frank?
What, Katwijk? Yes, often.
It feels like the end of a long term
with a cheap supporting cast.
No good looking in there
for small change, my boy.
You know, that's very significant.
Five of these woolens
are German to one British.
Might be something
in that after the war.
To drive Yorkshire woolens
through Holland.
They might go for it in a big way.
Don't let anybody know I said so.
I don't promise. I never talk about
anything but woolens.
I can't cure myself of it.
What's funny about woolens?
All right, don't get excited.
Which should the world know more about,
British actors or British cloth?
Now, let me see you all.
- Frau de Vries, may I introduce ?
- No, you may not.
I shall forget your names anyway.
- Well, you don't mind us thanking you?
- No.
Why did you do that?
I don't know.
I was thinking of my own wife.
It wasn't only you.
I see.
- Were you a diplomat before the war?
- No, Johnny's the diplomat.
I'm just an actor.
Of course.
No Englishman would kiss a woman's hand,
except perhaps an actor.
Snub or compliment?
Compliment.
The way you handled those Germans
taught me something about acting.
It isn't so difficult.
They're an unhappy people.
I would rather be a Dutchman
in Holland now than any German soldier.
They want to believe
that somebody's their friend.
And that's the whole trick.
A dangerous trick for a woman.
You don't seem to think much of women.
Besides, I have Louis and Willem.
He was your driver.
They're the only servants left.
But they won't leave me.
I was afraid when I first started.
Just as a pilot is afraid
the first time he goes solo.
Then after a few minutes, when he finds
he's still alive, begins to like it.
Will you do something for me?
Yes, of course.
I want you to go and see my husband
when you get back to England.
Your husband?
I'm not mad.
He's in London.
I'll give you his address.
- But we heard...
- I know. I spread that story myself.
Nobody knows the truth.
Not even my friends.
But he's alive and in London.
Do you ever hear from him?
Five times a week.
He's one of
the Dutch announcers of Radio Orange.
- What...
- Radio Orange.
Oh.
So you see we're two ? on both sides
of the channel ? who are still fighting.
Then leave it to us.
Can we get cracking tonight?
You may be here for days or hours.
It depends on your air force.
You can only get away if there's a raid.
We want to get back, raid or no raid.
Now look here, Mrs. de Vries.
Are you in command of this party?
No no no, he's just a Yorkshireman.
- Are you in command?
- No. You are.
We have to get you back to England.
You won't be the first or the last
to leave this house for England.
You'll reach the open sea
in a fishing boat.
And the fishing boat by a row boat.
And the row boat
through the cellar of this house.
And to the cellar by a back staircase.
The corridor which passes
my door leads to that staircase.
The corridor has two features.
A sentry ? and a glass roof.
And so?
And so
if you were his commanding officer,
what orders would you
give him in case of an air raid?
Well, tell him not to stand about
under a glass roof, I suppose.
Exactly.
During a raid,
the corridor is left unguarded.
Now, do you understand?
Exactly.
Everything is prepared.
There's nothing to do now but wait.
Owing to bad weather conditions,
there were no operations over
enemy territory last night.
You're telling me.
Mon herr.
Pardon, mon herr.
Our wine has been
drunk by the Germans.
But being a Dutch woman,
I think that Dutch water is
a better drink than French champagne.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to give
you the food I would have liked to.
But we haven't very much left.
I mean, not very much left to eat.
But we've kept everything else.
We can think and hope.
And fight.
I give you a toast. Louis.
It has been our motto
since the house of Orange
drove out the Spaniards 300 years ago.
"Je maintiendrai."
it's nice to be a woman again.
Even for half an hour.
What do they reckon that motto
of yours means, then, ma'am?
"We can take it."
Well, I never.
300 years ago. We don't
seem to have progressed much, do we?
George.
Come on, George.
I don't know why
everybody's looking at me.
After all, we have a diplomat
and an actor here.
I suppose it's my age.
Well, my dear young lady.
We can't offer you
anything except... our love.
Our gratitude.
And our admiration for
a brave woman and a fearless country.
But we can promise you one thing.
A growing help.
An attack,
which will sweep these Germans from ?.
Air raid!
- Louis, go downstairs to the basement.
- Yes, madam.
Come here, all of you.
You see?
That's what you're doing for us.
Can you hear them running for shelter?
Can you understand what that means
to all the occupied countries?
To enslaved people
having it drummed into their ears
that the Germans
are masters of the earth?
Seeing those masters
running for shelter.
Seeing them crouching under tables.
And hearing that steady hum
night after night.
That noise which is
oil for the burning fire of our hearts.
Is that you, Fritz?
Fritz, get your ugly face over here!
I'm sorry, gentlemen.
I am Jo de Vries.
Stop here.
Where is the flashlight?
Hand it to me.
Well well, madam De Vries!
You look fantastic!
And you've hidden this for us
all this time?
Utterly unforgivable.
That would have been perfect
for the officer's mess.
Careful, dear madam, careful.
The light blinds me, dear sir.
- Put out the light!
- I'm sorry.
Careful, dear madam, careful.
She's leading him up
the garden path beautifully.
What do you think of our beerkeller?
Beerkeller? Winekeller, dear madam!
Just waiting for friendly Fritz and...
They're expecting another chap.
Name of Fritz.
A little reception committee
for Fritzy.
He's gone to get a Korkenzieher.
I don't know what Korkenzieher means.
Can I have your flashlight for a moment?
- Is that all, dear madam?
- Yes.
Pity.
My pleasure, madam, here you go.
Oh!
- Hopla!
- Now what have I done?
She's dropped his torch in the drink.
Since when did you speak German?
I can understand that much.
Kids, Kortzia has arrived!
Thank God!
Hello, Fritzy.
Okay.
Now, what about this Korkenzieher?
- Of course.
- What is it?
Corkscrew.
Cut it out.
I'll be Fritz.
You others follow as soon
as the fight starts.
Now come already, come!
Fritz, if you knew what
was waiting here for you
you would run, my friend!
Yes, he will be pleased.
Well, finally Fritz!
Careful! Pull back!
- All right, Mrs. de Vries?
- Yes.
- How about it, Tom?
- Kiboshed.
- Bob?
- K.O.
- Frank? Geoff?
- All correct, sir.
I am sorry, madam De Vries.
Louis!
Louis, where have you been?
Here. While the Germans were here,
I couldn't move...
You can't wait for the tide to turn
or for the fishing boat.
These three Germans
are going to be missed.
What are you doing to do with them?
We can't leave you in a spot like this.
Don't worry about me.
And don't worry about these Germans.
We didn't invite them to our country.
But we can take care of them
once they're here.
Louis, quick!
That tunnel leads to the river.
Watch out for a fishing boat
coming upstream
with two white diamonds
on the starboard side.
Try and contact the fishermen.
If you can't, trust to luck.
The danger will be at the swing bridge
at the mouth of the river.
It's guarded.
You may be challenged.
You must use your own judgment.
Now, hurry.
What about the course?
Due west.
Steer by a light
you will pick up eight miles out.
It's a German rescue buoy
for their airmen forced down to the sea.
Keep well to the left of it.
And watch out for E-boats.
- You have your compass?
- Yes. I've got it here.
Don't waste my corkscrew.
Bring me a bottle.
Well, God bless you.
I suppose that's
the one advantage of being old.
Good luck.
Stand by.
In.
Out!
Swing bridge ahead.
Here she comes.
Well, let's open the bridge.
Here come the fishing boats.
Two white diamonds.
Hello, our buoy friends.
Our chance will be when
the bridge starts to close again.
Stand by to cast off.
And when I give the word, row!
Get set.
Cast off!
In.
Out.
In.
Quicken up.
In. Out.
Halt!
Now, row!
Halt!
In, out, in...
Keep down, everybody.
I'll be damned.
We're not going to be caught!
In, out...
In, out...
In, out, in, out...
Our luck.
They don't dare use searchlights
because of our chaps.
Let's slow it down. Darn, I'm done.
What's your course, George?
We're going a bit north.
Do you want any help, sir?
You all right, George?
George?
He's hurt.
Steer, somebody.
Are you hurt badly, George?
The tiller...
Oh, don't worry about that.
Here. Geoff.
Here. I'll use that.
Here. Pass me that sack.
Oh, Lord.
You all right now, George?
If I can stick it till morning,
I'll do all right.
I suppose this is what they call choppy.
It's what I call nasty.
Hey, here they come.
They've spotted us, sir.
Blast!
They'll be here in three minutes,
I reckon.
Never mind. If this comes out,
we're going to be all right.
Shut the hatch.
- Are they still jabbering, sir?
- Yes.
They're ordering these two thugs
to sit quiet till E-boats get here.
Damned bastards!
They'll be in for a surprise!
What are we going to do about
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
You two stay put, understand?
Fine with us, my friend.
You're far too cocky.
You understand that all right.
Okay.
No need to have an empty stomach anyway.
Try to pick up something from our side.
Hello, down there! Anybody in there?
Hello, down there! Anybody in there?
Out!
They don't seem
to understand my German, sir.
He's one of us!
All line up!
Steady! Watch it!
Hello? Air Force?
That's right, six of us.
What are you birds doing here?
A wonder Jerry didn't pick you up.
Matter of fact,
we picked up two of them.
Jerries? Are they your prisoners?
We've been arguing
about that since we got here.
They were here first
and radioed their chaps for help.
I see their point.
Technically you're their prisoners.
What, six to two? I like that.
Sir.
Got a bit too cocky.
So we took their guns.
Legally, that weakens your status.
But don't mind me.
I'm a barrister when I'm ashore.
Then we loosened the cables
and hoped we'd drift.
You drifted all right.
Another hour with this tide and
you'd be in our own minefields.
How long have you been in the pot?
Since about four.
We saw you coming, sir.
We thought you was Jerries, sir.
Hmm. Trouble with you fellows is
you can't see anything
unless you're 10,000 feet up.
We heard on the radio
they were sending E-boats.
When did you hear that?
- About ten minutes ago.
- Ten minutes?
What are we waiting for?
Get your fellows aboard.
One of us is wounded.
We shan't be able to get him
across to your boat.
Yes. I quite agree. He can't be moved.
Bit old for a flyer, isn't he?
Well, how do you feel about it?
He's our rear gunner.
Yes... if it wasn't for those E-boats.
Of course, you don't want to leave him.
It would be the wisest thing to do.
We can't do that.
We're all the one crew, you see?
Yes, I quite agree.
- Coxswain!
- Aye, aye, sir!
- Take this lobster pot in tow!
- Aye, aye, sir!
What about the E-boats?
That to the E-boats.
Next stop, Dover.
That's all, Corbett.
Thank you, sir.
Well, George, this is the new kite.
How do you like it?
Yes, that's more my size.
Right.
The target, Berlin.
Fire!
Fairpath. Calling Operations Room.
M for Mother landed 04-26.
No sign of any other aircraft about.
Still no sign of B for Bertie. Over.
Hello, Group.
Yes, they're all back now,
except B for Bertie.
From this and other operations,
one of our aircraft is missing.
Pilot speaking, pilot speaking.
Testing intercoms.
Tom Earnshaw, second pilot.
Frank Shelley, observer.
Bob Ashley, wireless op.
Geoff Hickman, front gunner,
all correct.
George Corbett, rear gunner.
That's all, Corbett.
Thank you, sir.
Group, sir, about tonight's operations.
Reynolds speaking. Yes. Right.
The target is Stuttgart,
the Mercedes-Benz works.
Will all operational crews
report to briefing at 14:30. 14:30.
- Mail. One for you, Skipper.
- Thank you.
One for you, Tom.
Nice Halifax postmark.
Some letter.
Halifax again.
Oh, it's from my fianc?e.
Both of them? Have you got two?
The other's from Dad.
Surely not the future Mrs Earnshaw?
You're not to so far off.
Whittaker & Whittaker, her dad's firm.
Second best in Yorkshire.
We know whose the best firm.
My dad's.
Earnshaw & Son.
Mm. I'm dying to see those
two noble animals in the same meadow.
You won't have to wait long.
Here comes Corbett,
singing and dancing as usual.
Billiards after lunch?
- You coming on this party tonight?
- No. I'm on ops.
Hazel says don't forget tomorrow night.
Hazel Mason,
Home and Forces Programme.
9:40.
George, what are you
doing tomorrow night?
- Tomorrow?
- 9:40.
- Packing.
- No no no, you're listening to my wife.
Home and Forces Programme.
You can pack tonight.
I'm flying tonight.
We didn't know you were on ops,
George.
I saw the group captain.
As it's my last night,
he agreed to let me go.
Sorry to have gone
over your head, Skipper.
That's all right.
Glad to have you with us.
Eh, fellas?
We're honoured, Sir George.
I suppose Hopkins has been
told about this switch.
I suppose so.
I'd like to see Hopkins' face, Frank.
Poor old Hopkins.
Well, the son of a gun.
I don't believe it.
You're pulling my leg.
- Hopkins.
- Yes, sir.
Sorry, but you won't be wanted tonight.
- I see, sir.
- Bad luck, old man.
Son of a gun.
I don't believe it.
Hey, he's pulling my leg.
If you're not going,
can I have your silk stockings?
Oh, I suppose so.
What's this, camouflage net?
That's quality. Three bucks a pair.
They keep you warm as toast.
If my girl ever finds out I lent...
Tell her Bob Ashley wore them.
She'll be pleased as punch.
Boy, I wish you could have
seen that run of Welsh's,
a run worthy of
the great Bob Ashley himself.
It had all the earmarks
of an Ashley special.
So it's a free kick against
the Allied Forces.
Free kick. Now, look out for Welsh.
Not Welsh.
Not Welsh? Hear that, Len?
I'd like to see anybody else take it.
Course it'll be Welsh.
Compton will take the kick.
This is a tense moment.
The ball is on the spot.
Welsh is going to kick.
What did I say?
Welsh is going to take the kick.
Come on, Welsh!
Welsh has kicked. No, he hasn't.
He's jumped over the ball.
Compton's taking the kick.
Compton's the man.
Goal! Well shot, Compton!
Well, that was a surprise.
Not to me.
Len, cope with this stand-in cable.
It's stuck again.
- I'll fix it.
- How's Bertie?
Perfect, sir. New coat, full stomach.
He's a gent.
Fine. Bring the car back about four.
Did they fix that oil pressure, Jimmy?
Yes, it's OK now.
Len, who's this new bloke?
Fan of yours, wants your autograph.
- Saw you in some play.
- That's right, Mr. Shelley.
I saw you in the School For Scandal.
You played Joseph Surface.
Got a pencil?
- No. Afraid not.
- I'll do it for you tomorrow.
- Right. Thanks.
- It was Charles Surface.
Fairpath calling T for Tommy,
T for Tommy.
It's now 21:35, 21:35.
You may take off.
Checking intercoms.
Bob, are you there?
Sergeant Ashley, sir,
receiving you all right.
Blasted beehive gets smaller every trip.
What are you grumbling about,
Sir George?
You've got a carriage to yourself.
Fairpath calling.
Q for Queenie, Q for Queenie.
21:37, 21:37. You may take off now.
Disable.
Check your watches, chaps.
In 50 seconds, it'll be 21:40.
In... 45 seconds.
In... 40 seconds.
Fairpath calling B for Bertie,
B for Bertie.
It is now 21:40, 21:40.
Off you go.
Geoff, OK to go forward.
OK, Skipper.
Stuttgart, here we come.
You know, I played in Stuttgart
with my club in, uh, 1938.
1938? I was playing in New York.
What's Stuttgart like?
Oh, like all those continental towns.
Played Saturday, Sunday,
Monday on the train.
That was Stuttgart. Well, well.
Nice girls in Stuttgart, Skipper.
Well, one anyway.
What do you know about
the girls in Stuttgart, Geoff?
I know a nurse from Stuttgart.
That's funny. Mine was a nurse.
Was her name Liesel?
No, Else. What was your nurse like?
Oh, she was a big blonde job.
She was a nice cook too.
She worked for a doctor
in Gerrards Cross.
Used to sing that song, er ?
I Kiss Your Little Hand, Madame.
I kiss your little hand, madame.
That's right and, of course,
she used to sing it in German, you know?
I kiss your hand, madame.
She was always singing it,
I suppose because
she wasn't allowed to
sing it in Germany.
The composer was a Jew, I believe.
What was your nurse like, Skipper?
Else? She was blonde too.
- Was she a good cook?
- She was good at everything.
My next nurse wasn't half so good.
You seem to specialise in nurses,
Skipper.
Well, I did then.
I was only two, you see.
Had you there, Geoff.
I'd seen snaps of her
in my father's album.
He was on the reparations commission.
Stuttgart was capital of W?rttemberg,
once a kingdom on its own.
That's right. The biggest paper there
is called the W?rttemberger Zeitung.
Liesel used to read it to me out loud.
Over Dutch coast.
Geoff, George, look out for fighters.
If my course is right,
we'll be getting some flak soon.
Your course seems all right, Frank.
Cologne's just come off the air.
I don't blame her.
Railroad ahead.
Got it. Main line to Cologne.
I've travelled on that line
and I was going to Stuttgart.
Mannheim on our right.
Tom, give them some leaflets.
Okey-doke.
Give them the Ashley special.
It's good for you.
Hold the course, John,
over River Neckar.
John, do you see what I see?
Big fire, dead ahead.
We're in the wrong end, John.
Can I have a smack at the searchlight,
Skipper?
OK, give it a squirt or two.
Can I have a go too, Skipper?
No favouritism, you know.
OK.
Now who's in the wrong end?
Colleagues to witness fire.
Bet that's Queenie on the job.
And that'll be Tommy.
All right, do another circuit.
Bomb doors.
Bomb doors open.
OK, let's go down.
Going down.
4000.
3600.
Level out.
Steady.
Left, left.
Steady.
All bombs gone.
Shall I transmit, sir,
mission completed?
Crikey!
How about it, Tom?
Starboard engine's packed up.
Port's all right.
Hello, Bob. Intercoms working?
Yes, sir, radio's dead though.
George, everything organised?
- You may get your hands full.
- All right, Skipper.
We'll sort 'em out, won't we, George?
How about it, Bob?
Completely cheese, sir, all tubes blown.
How about cut out the corners, Frank?
All set. Shortest route over Mainz.
Alter course to 301, Johnny.
Bob, destroy your code signals.
I have, sir. They taste filthy.
Speed still dropping, only 90 now.
I'll try a steep dive.
Hang on, everybody.
It's no use, chaps.
We'll have to stooge home
on one engine.
At this rate, she may stall any minute.
Shall I get out and push?
Where are we, Frank?
Over Holland. Amersfoot.
Can you see a rail road?
I'm not sure. How about you, Tom?
Yes, I think so.
That's the main line
from Amersfoot to Hilversum.
Blast!
That's both engines packed up now.
We'll have to jump for it, boys.
- Geoff?
- Here.
- George?
- Sir.
- Frank? Bob? Tom?
- - Okay. Yes. I'm here.
Stand by to abandon aircraft.
Stand by to abandon aircraft.
Shall we chance it together or go solo?
- Together.
- How?
Bail out along the rail road,
Skipper's last to leave.
If he stays put,
and we all follow the rail road
northwest,
we're bound to find each other.
Tom, jump.
Frank, jump.
Geoff, jump.
George, jump.
Bob, jump.
What can you see?
The Zuider Zee.
Anything else?
Windmills.
Any soldiers?
No.
What's the country like?
Can you see far?
Yes, miles. Very flat.
What did you expect,
the mountains of Mourne?
No sign of him, then?
The Zuider Zee's no good to us.
How far is it to the North Sea?
About 38 miles.
That's not so bad.
- It's 38 miles too far in this make-up.
- Yes.
Clothes are the first thing to organise.
Then there's Bob.
It's too bad about Bob.
I'd rather it'd been John or Frank.
Oh, would you?
No offence, of course.
Anyone got a cigarette?
I know I haven't.
You have lived abroad, Skipper.
And I reckon
Frank's a first-class actor.
Sorry, last one.
A football pro
is used to travelling with his team.
Bob'll get lost on his own.
Let's face it. He is lost.
We want to watch things like that.
And we'd better keep down too.
Bob might turn up here.
Well, he's three hours overdue.
Got a match?
We've wasted enough time already.
John, you command in the air.
No reason why
you shouldn't command on the ground.
Why should anyone command?
Let's all have a say.
That won't work.
I take John's view.
Very well. What do you suggest?
Well... the first thing we've got
to do is to find Bob, obviously.
We can't let him down.
And then... Well, then
we make a plan of campaign.
Decide what to do and what not to do.
- Don't you agree, Tom?
- Hmm.
Then, uh ? well, act accordingly.
Very astute.
Clear as mud.
Here. Come on down.
- I must say, Frank ?
- Now, listen.
I've been lost dozens of times.
Sometimes alone or with other men.
Several times, a whole regiment.
So I know this much.
Either we separate here and now.
And it's each man for himself.
Or we stick together.
And somebody must command.
Who's for separating?
What are you for yourself, George?
I'll put another question.
Do we surrender
or do we try and get back home?
- Well, what do you think?
- Right.
Frank, you're navigator. Where are we?
I'd say somewhere... somewhere here.
There's Hilversum to the west.
Amsterdam and the Zuider Zee up there.
Now, we want to aim at a spot
somewhere south of Haarlem,
between Zandvoort and Katwijk.
But there's several main roads.
And the whose country's
swarming with people.
What's "polder" mean?
Land that's reclaimed. Dykes and dams.
It's nearly all polder country
south of Haarlem.
Tulip fields. Not on our course.
Pity about that, I like a nice tulip.
What are we going to
do about our clothes?
We've got to get into civvies somehow.
Well, what's George doing?
- Going swimming.
- Where?
- In the canal.
- How do you know there is one?
There's always a canal in Holland.
The next best thing to having
civilian clothes is to have none.
I'll be a swimming Dutchman
and spy out the land.
- Suppose you meet a real Dutchman.
- I'll explain with gestures.
Suppose it's a girl.
Can you speak Dutch?
- No.
- Well, I can.
- Well?
- Well enough. Diplomat's Dutch.
I think you're going to be
the swimming Dutchman, my lad.
Shh. Somebody coming, I think.
Fikkie, Fikkie!
Fikkie, Fikkie!
- Hey, have you seen Fikkie?
- No!
Fikkie, Fikkie!
That dog spots us, we're jiggered.
Willem! Willem!
Stop them Willem, this way!
Fikkie! Fikkie! Fikkie!
Lie down. Get!
Shut up. Shut up.
Fikkie! Fikkie! Where's Fikkie?
Willem! Willem!
Maartje! Fikkie!
Fikkie! Fikkie!
Fikkie! Fikkie! Fikkie!
What are you barking at Fikkie?
Maartje, quick, come here!
Not... afraid... be.
No run away.
I...friends are... English.
RAF.
R-A-F.
R-A-F. R-A-F.
Royal Air Force!
Ja. Royal Air Force.
Are you friend?
Ya. Both friends.
It's all right. He says they're friends.
Let's go and talk to them.
I hope they don't scram before we go.
Is this the invasion of Holland?
He asked if we've come
to invade Holland.
What with?
Hello.
Hello, young fella.
We jumped out of our aeroplane.
Bailed out.
One, two, three, four...
five, six allies.
Six disparu.
That's French.
Well?
Johnny, over to you, over.
Uh ? lost one comrade ? somewhere here.
Have you seen him?
How... Your names?
Willem, Maartie.
- Jannie.
- Hendrik.
Jan.
Tom.
Geoff.
Frank.
George.
Safety pin. Safe!
Against dirty Krauts!
Against dirty Krauts!
Ja. Ik begrijp.
What's this safety pin gag?
It's a sign against
Germans and quislings.
A safety pin means keep together.
Keep your mouth shut.
Come along to the farm.
To Els Meertens, she speaks English.
There's someone at the farm
who speaks English.
Her name is Els...
Els... Els Meertens. Els Meertens.
- Els Meertens.
- Els Meertens.
- She's a schoolteacher.
- He says she's a schoolmarm.
Sounds a useful old bird.
Is this the invasion of Holland?
No, young fellow, we have not
come to invade Holland... yet.
I know that much Dutch already.
Kind of a debate going on in there,
I think.
Listen you. I'm telling you
they are English!
I've heard them speak.
And they wear English uniforms!
They're not Germans!
They're English, I'm telling you!
Miss Meertens.
I'll never put a ferret down
a rabbit hole again, I know that.
It's quite stuffy in here, isn't it?
I think it might be a trap.
I'm not so sure it isn't.
Must be 20 of them,
talking for the last half hour.
What about?
That's what I'd like to know.
Fetching Germans.
I wouldn't put it past 'em.
I would.
Would you, George? Why?
I've been watching the road
ever since we got here.
No one's left the house.
Shh.
Sorry, gentlemen,
to have kept you waiting.
I am Els Meertens,
schoolteacher from Emmen.
How do you do, Miss Meertens?
My name is John Glyn Haggard.
And these ?.
The identities of all five of you
are of the greatest importance to us.
But if you don't mind,
we prefer to check them for ourselves.
Excuse me, Miss Meertens.
But how do you propose to find out
if we don't choose to tell you?
I see you wear an identity bracelet.
I'm sure you can tell me
your friend's name.
Well? Can you or can't you?
Of course. I've known him a long time.
I didn't ask how long
you had known him.
What is his name?
He's Mr. Tom Earnshaw,
our second pilot, of course.
Right.
You jumped out of your aeroplane, why?
We didn't want to crash with it.
- Where did it crash?
- It didn't.
The engine picked up again
after we bailed out.
I don't know very much
about aeroplanes.
But that means you can't prove
your aircraft has crashed.
Well, that's it.
It might have gone on for miles.
Would it surprise you to know
that so far as is known,
no aircraft has crashed in West Holland
during the night?
I suppose Bertie
could have reached the sea.
What do you say, John?
Don't ask me. Your witness.
- Where are your parachutes?
- We buried them.
All five?
Five are all we know about.
What do you mean by that?
There were six in my crew.
You are captain?
Yes.
Where is the sixth man?
I don't know. We never found him.
I see.
And where did you bury your parachutes?
- Look here, I've had enough of ?
- You don't know?
Of course I know.
Along the rail road where we landed.
Can any of you prove
beyond any reasonable doubt
that you are what you say you are?
I'll be jiggered. I've never heard
such a thing in my life.
- But our uniforms ?
- Prove nothing.
Why not?
Anybody could get a uniform.
If some people were anxious
to find out
how we were to behave
towards English airmen,
wouldn't that be the simplest way?
You mean you think we've come here
to get you to give yourselves away?
But we're Englishmen.
We wouldn't do a thing
like that, would we, Frank?
You're not so sure about the others?
What are you trying to make me say?
Of course I'm sure.
What is the name of this gentleman?
Go on, George.
This is Frank Shelley. He's an actor.
And his wife is to broadcast tonight.
9:40, Home and Forces Programme.
Frank, yesterday afternoon,
contrary to most regulations,
I saw you tearing
the last piece out of the Times.
You got it on you?
I think that's the sort of proof
Miss Meertens wants.
Here you are.
"Broadcasting, Home and Forces
Programme, Sunday 9:40..."
That's tonight.
"Hazel Mason..." That's my wife.
There's the date and there's
the date on the newspaper.
Yes, this is yesterday's Times.
Your witness.
Does that satisfy you, Miss Meertens?
It will do, I think.
I'm going to show it to the others.
You're not the only one
that had their doubts.
Not the only one?
No, there's nothing to stop you
sending for the Nazis.
I thought airmen
had better eyesight than that.
- What a gal.
- You say that again.
She shot you down in flames, Tom.
What did she mean
by that crack about our eyesight?
- Something we missed... in this room.
- Let's find it.
- Orange blossom.
- Orange blossom?
What's orange blossom got do with it?
That's their Orange altar,
Orange altar to honour Queen Wilhemina.
But why orange?
William of Orange, the House of Orange.
It shows they're loyal.
There should be
a picture of the queen too.
There it is.
Quite foxy. That Els Meertens.
What a girl.
We heard you the first time.
Gentlemen.
Won't you come in?
Thank you.
Pieter Sluys, your host, gentlemen.
Well, dear fellows.
I'll say it in my own language
I'm very glad you're here with us.
Together with all our friends.
And I'd like to give you
a warm welcome here.
Come on, John.
Ahem.
I, my friends... uh ?
very happy.
I, all friends.
Allies are...
so I say...
I always thought
speeches came at the end of a meal.
Wouldn't mind a little bit
of that ham anyway.
They're hungry!
Of course, let them sit down.
- Won't you sit down, please?
- Thank you.
This is very good of you but aren't
you short of food yourselves?
Sometimes. But don't worry.
We have enough for our friends.
It was a Kraut pig, butchered illegally.
He says, "Don't worry, eat him.
He was a quisling pig."
Would you like some Schnapps?
- Thank you.
- Very nice!
Thank you.
Gesundheit.
Very nice.
We are worried about
your comrade who is lost.
So are we, miss.
Bob's brains are in his feet.
In his feet?
Bob's a football player.
A very good one.
But not very bright.
Still it's a pity his brains
are not in his head.
If he's found, the Germans
are going to look for you five.
Burying the parachutes was a mistake.
Freshly-dug earth will be examined.
Can't we send someone
to dig them up again?
We have already.
And we will hide them.
This time in a safer place.
You know, young lady, you've got
your head screwed on all right.
Thank you.
The main thing is your escape.
Any ideas?
You agree that we can escape?
Others have done it. Why not you?
First we must get to the sea.
The sea is 58 kilometres away.
And every village has its German post.
And every road is patrolled.
First we must get you to church.
Why church?
Our church is ten kilometres
west of here.
Ten kilometres nearer the North Sea.
You must go at once.
Excuse me, Miss Meertens,
what is your church?
We are Catholics.
I'm chapel.
So am I.
What is chapel?
- Independent Methodist.
- Baptist.
Those are your English Reform churches?
That's it.
But it's our only plan.
If this gets back to Halifax,
I shall never hear the last of it.
We will dress you in Dutch clothes.
Nobody will know.
You don't know chapel folk.
But surely your escape
is the most important thing.
End justifies the means, Tom.
Then that's settled.
Would it be safer to travel at night?
We'd be at the coast in three days.
By our plan, you will be
at the coast tonight.
Jo will be waiting for you.
Jo? Who's Jo?
Jo de Vries,
the wife of Hendrik de Vries.
Oh? Who's Hendrik de Vries?
Hendrik de Vries was
killed by the British
in the mass air attacks on Haarlem.
Since then his wife hates the British
more than anything in the world.
Not a very good choice for a hostess.
What is this, a conundrum?
I never heard that we bombed Haarlem.
The Germans want us to believe it.
So Jo de Vries obliges them.
They like her because
they believe she hates the British.
That is what she wants.
So everyone is happy.
Oh, I see, a bit of camouflage.
Yes. We have our own ways
of managing things.
Did you hear our motto?
Who harms the water, the water turns.
No?
It means the sea is a common enemy.
And against a common enemy
one must unite.
Do you think we Hollanders
who threw the sea out of our country
will let the Germans have it?
Better the sea.
Can you all ride a bicycle?
Well, I'm not much of a hand
at a bike myself. I never was.
We will find a way.
But first we must
find you all clothes.
Better keep our uniforms on.
Gives us a sporting chance
if we're caught.
You can wear your disguises over them.
If we're going to be pushing off,
I would like more ham, Mother.
Ham, natuurlijk.
Talking of ham, Frank,
isn't this is your big chance?
What disguise will you wear?
You're going to see a series
of perfect Dutch character sketches.
Real little cameos.
But er... what do we do for boots?
Klompen.
- Klompen?
- Clogs.
Ah, clogs.
I should like to see you walk up
Halifax High Street in these, Tom.
The old Yorkshire saying,
"Clogs to clogs in three generations."
I never hoped to co-star with the great
Francis Shelley in a Dutch epic.
Now, George, you're doing quite well,
really, quite well.
But co-star? Really?
George, I haven't been
to church since my wedding.
You must have acted in church scenes.
I did in a picture once.
It was a spy story
and we all got shot.
That can happen here too.
"Peter Sluijs, Landweert"
"his family and landworkers..."
"all of the Roman-Catholic faith..."
"to visit the Roman-Catholic church..."
"In Oud Losdr... er... Loosdrecht.."
The next one.
How am I doing?
Quite well.
For a beginner.
Noisy beggars, aren't they?
I wonder why he's in such
a tearing hurry for on a Sunday morning.
Probably going on leave.
Anything wrong?
Germans found one of your parachutes.
But you dug them up.
I thought they were safe.
They are. Very safe.
Then it must be another one.
George.
The Jerries have found
another parachute. It must be Bob's.
Found Bob's parachute.
Bob's parachute's found.
That means Bob's safe.
Not so good for us.
It's us the armoured cars
are looking for.
Els says they're searching villages
in the neighbourhood.
So long as they don't find
our parachutes, we're safe.
- Where are they hidden?
- Where are they hidden?
Where are they hidden?
She says that they're quite safe
and they're with us in here.
What are you talking about?
Shh.
The 12th Sunday after Whitsunday.
Regular service.
At 10 a.m., High Mass.
Block all exits!
- Officer Kahle?
- Yes!
Ten men at west exits 1 and 2!
Yes!
- Officer Weber!
- Yes!
- Ten men to block exits 3 and 4!
- Yes!
Let us pray.
From the depths,
I have cried out to you, O Lord!
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplication.
If you were to mark iniquities, Lord,
who, O Lord, shall stand?
For with you is forgiveness.
And because of your law,
I stood by you, Lord.
My soul has stood by his word.
My soul has hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch,
even until night,
let Israel hope in the Lord.
Parachute.
For with the Lord, there is mercy.
And with him is plenteous redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Our national anthem.
Fall in!
"Cornelis Ackerman,."
"Pastor
of the Roman-Catholic community..."
"Along with his family,
5 male, 3 female."
"The town of Vinkeveen."
Well, enjoy yourself, Mr. Pastor!
Where has Cornelis gone?!
Where is that rascal?!
How should I know?
He's your son. He won't listen to me.
Cornelis, my young brother,
always in trouble.
Same in England.
Same everywhere.
I've got a young brother, you know.
Regular little devil.
English boys not as bad as Dutch.
You see the school?
German military post, 20 soldiers.
Boys love to tease the sentries.
They line up on the wall and sing,
"Eenie meanie, minie, mo,"
"catch a German by his toe..."
Cornelis?
What's he doing at the post?
Now he's in for a spanking!
He won't know his left from his right!
Marius,
you're not going to hit that boy!
Why not?
What's he doing at that post?
Didn't you know what time it was?
Don't you know we eat at half past one?
Shame on you for
our visitors from Loosdrecht.
Now up to your room!
And get ready for a spanking!
If you put the plates on the table,
I'll bring the meat.
Everyone, please be seated.
Father,
will you please give your blessing?
Well, did you hear that? De Jong.
In the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
De Jong is a quisling.
I am ashamed to speak so
of a man of my village but it is true.
He is a traitor, paid by the Nazis.
He is always trying to persuade us
to fraternise
with the soldiers at the post.
And now he has sent them
gramophone records to play.
And my son has carried them! My son!
We are all trying
o bore them to death.
And my son carries them
gramophone records.
And from that traitor de Jong!
No food for Cornelis.
And no football match!
No dinner for Cornelis.
Father says he must not
go to the football match.
Poor Cornelis. He loves the football.
All week he's been so excited.
I think something very...
how do you say... buried?
- Dug in?
- More than meets the eye.
Ja. Very good.
More than meets Father's eye.
Poor Cornelis. He's very bad
but very cute.
He has more than meets the eye.
A quarter Guilder.
Oh.
Now, who's there?
Sientje, I am not available!
A quarter guilder!
Paid that quisling
by the stinking Germans.
That's what my son pockets for helping
to entertain German soldiers.
It's Mr. De Jong, asking for Cornelis.
De Jong?
Tell him we have visitors.
And we cannot be disturbed!
I have a reception, I have visitors,
You have to se?
I apologize for interrupting.
I'm truly sorry.
And at such
a spiritual gathering as that,
I would have liked to see Cornelis,
Mr. Mayor.
But some other time is fine as well.
Oh, Reverend.
I nearly didn't see you there.
How is your family in Loosdrecht?
Do you remember me?
Yes.
I know you.
I remember our schooldays.
Like it was yesterday.
And is this your fianc??
Let me introduce.
This is my nephew Kees Jansen,
and this is Julius de Jong.
So...
You'd rather not speak with me?
Don't you see what would happen
if everyone in Holland
would behave like this?
The Germans want to be friends.
Bon appetit!
Get out of the way!
Do you speak English?
Yes.
Then don't shout.
You wouldn't dare to keep me here.
Dare? Huh, you're kept.
You, you, all of you.
You're British airmen.
The men we're looking for.
You're risking your head.
It's nothing to do
with the burgermeister.
He'll be shot before he can prove it.
Talking of shooting...
You wouldn't dare fire here.
Wouldn't we?
The Wilhelmus!
Our anthem!
It comes from the post, from the Nazis.
Hey! Oh!
What is it, the radio?
Sounds more like a gramophone to me.
Dear Lord! Have you all gone insane?
It is a gramophone!
What's on!
You're keeping the gramophone on.
You're playing the Dutch anthem!
You idiot!
Why not play the English anthem as well?
What record is it anyway?
A tango, lieutenant, sir!
Give it here!
Father, isn't it strange?
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Perhaps it's not so strange.
I don't understand.
Yes, but I do.
Your German friends at the post
asked you to send them
some gramophone records, didn't they?
And you chose my son for the honour
of carrying them, didn't you?
And you gave him a quarter
for doing it, didn't you?
Ah. Ky son.
Well, he changed
all your records for ours.
And he chose some good ones too.
Trust him.
All records of our national anthem.
All different labels, foxtrots, tangos.
All pasted on so the Germans
wouldn't know what they were.
Oh, your friends will like you now,
won't they, quisling?
- Where are the records from?
- De Jong brought them...
De Jong!
De Jong!
They won't think it's me.
Why should they?
Why shouldn't they? That's the point.
If I was a German, I'd say,
"De Jong sent records.
He didn't bring them himself."
"They turned out to
be the Dutch anthem."
"Very funny joke."
"Let's look for de Jong."
And there they go, looking ?
with fixed bayonets!
Your move, my Jong.
They'll believe me
if I tell the truth.
You'll be shot before you can prove
it, my lad. Said so yourself.
Shot? They can't shoot me.
Can and will.
Well, it really doesn't matter.
Either we shoot you now.
Or they shoot you later.
Shot? I won't be shot!
Father! Help me!
Tell me what to do!
They'll be after me if they
don't find me at home.
Evidently you know your friends.
You don't think they'll believe you
if you tell the truth.
They believe everyone in Holland
wants to kill them.
They will shoot first
and ask questions afterwards.
You are a servant of God!
You can't let them kill me!
You expect God to help you escape.
But I think you were meant
to fall into our hands.
"Piet van Dieren."
"Mayor of Vinkeveen."
"Along with his family and guests,
6 male, 3 female..."
"to visit the football game
in IJmuiden."
That's all fine, Herr Mayor.
Fasten us up!
Use your paws!
If you bring the plates to the table,
I'll take care of the meat.
Achtung! Achtung!
The occupation authorities allow
only 200 spectators.
Fifty must leave the grounds
immediately!
- What's he say?
- What's Jerry say?
"The authorities of occupation have
to the number 200 of the crowd limited."
"Fifty must leave the football field
at once."
A fine cheek, ordering
other people about.
What will the people
do, Mr Burgomaster?
What would you do in your own country?
In North Yorkshire?
Tell 'em to go to hell.
- That would cause trouble.
- It would that.
Many people might be killed or injured.
On both sides.
In Holland, we've found a new system.
If 50 are ordered to go, we all go.
Come along.
But isn't that playing their game?
You don't understand Germans.
They have orderly minds.
If they say 50, they mean 50.
Achtung! Achtung!
It's also forbidden to
leave the grounds completely!
"As you were, it is usually forbidden
that everybody should leave."
"Cancel the previous order and
continue to enjoy the game, please."
Jerry seems a bit flustered.
Now we get on with the football.
There you are, you see? Dead easy.
Bob Ashley.
There's Bob!
It is Bob!
Well, I'll be jiggered.
Hurray! What's he Dutch for hurray?
- Hurrah.
- Hurrah!
"Jo de Vries, living in Katwijk."
Ah, you live in Katwijk.
"Or every person, sent by the above."
"For the purpose
of seizing meat and vegetables..."
Ah, and so on, and so on..
"For the officers mess in Katwijk."
Leijmuiden.
Permission!
You strolled around
with your hands in your pockets
speaking broad English
and pushing men in canals.
They shouldn't have got in a flap.
Then you ran away,
leaving your parachute in a canal.
It was time to get cracking, sir.
I came back later but
I couldn't find it.
- The Germans had it by then.
- Did they?
I don't understand how you could
walk along without Geoff spotting you.
I don't either. Perhaps he was asleep.
I certainly wasn't.
Did you see a train about 6:30?
Oh, yes, sir, it overtook me. I hid.
Overtook you?
You were walking the
wrong way, my lad.
Walking into Germany
instead of England.
- Oh.
- Then you met a shepherd.
- Whose dog naturally bit you.
- Yes, that's right.
Then they took me to the village,
where thank God
the schoolteacher spoke English.
Schoolteacher? What was she like?
OK. That's where I had me breakfast.
And then they passed you along
by barge and ox cart ?.
- Bicycle.
- And what have you.
Until you find yourself
on the way to a football match.
And turn into a ball-basher.
- And they said, "Good gracious".
- That's right.
They told me a truck would take me
after the game to some man called Joe.
Not Joe, Jo.
It's a woman, not a man,
otherwise you're all right.
Her name is Jo de Vries.
Half a minute.
I smell the sea.
The North Sea.
- Hear that?
- German.
How do you know it's German?
Heard 'em often enough
in the last war.
Hope Mrs. de Vries
has her weather eye open.
Halt! Stop there!
I am a chauffeur from Jo de Vries.
What do you carry in the truck?!
Three calves, sir, and vegetables.
I'll check myself. Show me!
- Lieutenant Buder?
- Here!
You won't have veal tomorrow,
if the guard won't let him pass.
- Alright. Guard, let him pass!
- Yes sir, lieutenant!
Pass!
Said tomorrow's dinner would be
held up if he didn't let us get through.
- Would that be Mrs de Vries?
- I suppose so.
- Willem, it's all there?
- Yes, madam.
Are you there?
Englishmen, are you there?
Yes, all six of us.
When the truck stops, the driver
will open the back.
Get out at once.
- Which way?
- There.
Officer Neuser?
At your command!
Can I have two men for unloading?
Of course, madam De Vries.
Thank you.
Two men!
She's getting the Jerries
to unload the truck for her.
She's a cool customer.
These Dutch girls are wizards.
They are. Our girls would do just
the same if they had the chance.
They should have been here already.
Yeah, but they've wasted their time
with drinking all night.
Hey, come down here.
Or you'll be wasting a fine Goulash.
Boy, oh boy!
Quite a load you got there.
Enough to wear you out, ha ha ha!
Morning we're marching off
to the farm in the night-time loft.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
And a glass of wine.
And a glass of wine.
Morning we're marching off
to the farm in the night-time loft.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
A cup of tea.
Sugar and coffee.
And a glass of wine.
And a glass of wine.
We're passing over
the quarters of 200 German soldiers.
Louis?
All safe, madam De Vries.
Good. All six are here.
We're over my house.
It's the German headquarters.
My rooms are at the end of the wing.
All of you, in the other room.
Take it easy.
You are safe here.
This place has good walls and floors.
You can talk as much as you want to.
And you can take off those things.
There's a radio here.
It's tuned in to the BBC.
Use it if you like.
Only don't start dancing.
Just below here is the officers' mess.
I must leave you now.
Got to go back the way we came
and come in by the front door.
Or they might start thinking.
Lock the door behind me.
And only open it to this knock.
- V.
- Yes. V.
- Pity, isn't it?
- What's a pity?
I never felt
more like dancing in my life.
Just imagine, officers' mess below.
Jerries all over the place
and no dancing.
Such charming partners too.
- What time is it?
- 2150.
Pity. We've missed the news.
- What time did you you say it was?
- 2156.
- Hazel!
- Who?
Hazel Mason,
Home and Forces Programme.
Oh, your wife.
I thought I recognised the voice.
Steady, steady.
Something's wrong.
That's better.
She's good.
She's damned good.
I hope your wife won't object to us
undressing during her big scene.
If she knew where you were,
she'd twitter.
Shh.
All over.
How was she?
Not bad. Not at all bad.
Yes.
Very good.
I hadn't thought about it till now.
But ?.
We'll have been posted missing
since this morning.
Matter of act, I had thought of it.
But I don't think the others have.
All the better for them.
I suppose Hazel knows
about Frank by now.
Bound to. They'd get it at the BBC.
She's on tonight.
Where do you expect her to be, off?
Good blackout they got here.
You know, that's funny.
Them blacking out because of us.
I suppose we do fly over here,
eh, Frank?
What, Katwijk? Yes, often.
It feels like the end of a long term
with a cheap supporting cast.
No good looking in there
for small change, my boy.
You know, that's very significant.
Five of these woolens
are German to one British.
Might be something
in that after the war.
To drive Yorkshire woolens
through Holland.
They might go for it in a big way.
Don't let anybody know I said so.
I don't promise. I never talk about
anything but woolens.
I can't cure myself of it.
What's funny about woolens?
All right, don't get excited.
Which should the world know more about,
British actors or British cloth?
Now, let me see you all.
- Frau de Vries, may I introduce ?
- No, you may not.
I shall forget your names anyway.
- Well, you don't mind us thanking you?
- No.
Why did you do that?
I don't know.
I was thinking of my own wife.
It wasn't only you.
I see.
- Were you a diplomat before the war?
- No, Johnny's the diplomat.
I'm just an actor.
Of course.
No Englishman would kiss a woman's hand,
except perhaps an actor.
Snub or compliment?
Compliment.
The way you handled those Germans
taught me something about acting.
It isn't so difficult.
They're an unhappy people.
I would rather be a Dutchman
in Holland now than any German soldier.
They want to believe
that somebody's their friend.
And that's the whole trick.
A dangerous trick for a woman.
You don't seem to think much of women.
Besides, I have Louis and Willem.
He was your driver.
They're the only servants left.
But they won't leave me.
I was afraid when I first started.
Just as a pilot is afraid
the first time he goes solo.
Then after a few minutes, when he finds
he's still alive, begins to like it.
Will you do something for me?
Yes, of course.
I want you to go and see my husband
when you get back to England.
Your husband?
I'm not mad.
He's in London.
I'll give you his address.
- But we heard...
- I know. I spread that story myself.
Nobody knows the truth.
Not even my friends.
But he's alive and in London.
Do you ever hear from him?
Five times a week.
He's one of
the Dutch announcers of Radio Orange.
- What...
- Radio Orange.
Oh.
So you see we're two ? on both sides
of the channel ? who are still fighting.
Then leave it to us.
Can we get cracking tonight?
You may be here for days or hours.
It depends on your air force.
You can only get away if there's a raid.
We want to get back, raid or no raid.
Now look here, Mrs. de Vries.
Are you in command of this party?
No no no, he's just a Yorkshireman.
- Are you in command?
- No. You are.
We have to get you back to England.
You won't be the first or the last
to leave this house for England.
You'll reach the open sea
in a fishing boat.
And the fishing boat by a row boat.
And the row boat
through the cellar of this house.
And to the cellar by a back staircase.
The corridor which passes
my door leads to that staircase.
The corridor has two features.
A sentry ? and a glass roof.
And so?
And so
if you were his commanding officer,
what orders would you
give him in case of an air raid?
Well, tell him not to stand about
under a glass roof, I suppose.
Exactly.
During a raid,
the corridor is left unguarded.
Now, do you understand?
Exactly.
Everything is prepared.
There's nothing to do now but wait.
Owing to bad weather conditions,
there were no operations over
enemy territory last night.
You're telling me.
Mon herr.
Pardon, mon herr.
Our wine has been
drunk by the Germans.
But being a Dutch woman,
I think that Dutch water is
a better drink than French champagne.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to give
you the food I would have liked to.
But we haven't very much left.
I mean, not very much left to eat.
But we've kept everything else.
We can think and hope.
And fight.
I give you a toast. Louis.
It has been our motto
since the house of Orange
drove out the Spaniards 300 years ago.
"Je maintiendrai."
it's nice to be a woman again.
Even for half an hour.
What do they reckon that motto
of yours means, then, ma'am?
"We can take it."
Well, I never.
300 years ago. We don't
seem to have progressed much, do we?
George.
Come on, George.
I don't know why
everybody's looking at me.
After all, we have a diplomat
and an actor here.
I suppose it's my age.
Well, my dear young lady.
We can't offer you
anything except... our love.
Our gratitude.
And our admiration for
a brave woman and a fearless country.
But we can promise you one thing.
A growing help.
An attack,
which will sweep these Germans from ?.
Air raid!
- Louis, go downstairs to the basement.
- Yes, madam.
Come here, all of you.
You see?
That's what you're doing for us.
Can you hear them running for shelter?
Can you understand what that means
to all the occupied countries?
To enslaved people
having it drummed into their ears
that the Germans
are masters of the earth?
Seeing those masters
running for shelter.
Seeing them crouching under tables.
And hearing that steady hum
night after night.
That noise which is
oil for the burning fire of our hearts.
Is that you, Fritz?
Fritz, get your ugly face over here!
I'm sorry, gentlemen.
I am Jo de Vries.
Stop here.
Where is the flashlight?
Hand it to me.
Well well, madam De Vries!
You look fantastic!
And you've hidden this for us
all this time?
Utterly unforgivable.
That would have been perfect
for the officer's mess.
Careful, dear madam, careful.
The light blinds me, dear sir.
- Put out the light!
- I'm sorry.
Careful, dear madam, careful.
She's leading him up
the garden path beautifully.
What do you think of our beerkeller?
Beerkeller? Winekeller, dear madam!
Just waiting for friendly Fritz and...
They're expecting another chap.
Name of Fritz.
A little reception committee
for Fritzy.
He's gone to get a Korkenzieher.
I don't know what Korkenzieher means.
Can I have your flashlight for a moment?
- Is that all, dear madam?
- Yes.
Pity.
My pleasure, madam, here you go.
Oh!
- Hopla!
- Now what have I done?
She's dropped his torch in the drink.
Since when did you speak German?
I can understand that much.
Kids, Kortzia has arrived!
Thank God!
Hello, Fritzy.
Okay.
Now, what about this Korkenzieher?
- Of course.
- What is it?
Corkscrew.
Cut it out.
I'll be Fritz.
You others follow as soon
as the fight starts.
Now come already, come!
Fritz, if you knew what
was waiting here for you
you would run, my friend!
Yes, he will be pleased.
Well, finally Fritz!
Careful! Pull back!
- All right, Mrs. de Vries?
- Yes.
- How about it, Tom?
- Kiboshed.
- Bob?
- K.O.
- Frank? Geoff?
- All correct, sir.
I am sorry, madam De Vries.
Louis!
Louis, where have you been?
Here. While the Germans were here,
I couldn't move...
You can't wait for the tide to turn
or for the fishing boat.
These three Germans
are going to be missed.
What are you doing to do with them?
We can't leave you in a spot like this.
Don't worry about me.
And don't worry about these Germans.
We didn't invite them to our country.
But we can take care of them
once they're here.
Louis, quick!
That tunnel leads to the river.
Watch out for a fishing boat
coming upstream
with two white diamonds
on the starboard side.
Try and contact the fishermen.
If you can't, trust to luck.
The danger will be at the swing bridge
at the mouth of the river.
It's guarded.
You may be challenged.
You must use your own judgment.
Now, hurry.
What about the course?
Due west.
Steer by a light
you will pick up eight miles out.
It's a German rescue buoy
for their airmen forced down to the sea.
Keep well to the left of it.
And watch out for E-boats.
- You have your compass?
- Yes. I've got it here.
Don't waste my corkscrew.
Bring me a bottle.
Well, God bless you.
I suppose that's
the one advantage of being old.
Good luck.
Stand by.
In.
Out!
Swing bridge ahead.
Here she comes.
Well, let's open the bridge.
Here come the fishing boats.
Two white diamonds.
Hello, our buoy friends.
Our chance will be when
the bridge starts to close again.
Stand by to cast off.
And when I give the word, row!
Get set.
Cast off!
In.
Out.
In.
Quicken up.
In. Out.
Halt!
Now, row!
Halt!
In, out, in...
Keep down, everybody.
I'll be damned.
We're not going to be caught!
In, out...
In, out...
In, out, in, out...
Our luck.
They don't dare use searchlights
because of our chaps.
Let's slow it down. Darn, I'm done.
What's your course, George?
We're going a bit north.
Do you want any help, sir?
You all right, George?
George?
He's hurt.
Steer, somebody.
Are you hurt badly, George?
The tiller...
Oh, don't worry about that.
Here. Geoff.
Here. I'll use that.
Here. Pass me that sack.
Oh, Lord.
You all right now, George?
If I can stick it till morning,
I'll do all right.
I suppose this is what they call choppy.
It's what I call nasty.
Hey, here they come.
They've spotted us, sir.
Blast!
They'll be here in three minutes,
I reckon.
Never mind. If this comes out,
we're going to be all right.
Shut the hatch.
- Are they still jabbering, sir?
- Yes.
They're ordering these two thugs
to sit quiet till E-boats get here.
Damned bastards!
They'll be in for a surprise!
What are we going to do about
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
You two stay put, understand?
Fine with us, my friend.
You're far too cocky.
You understand that all right.
Okay.
No need to have an empty stomach anyway.
Try to pick up something from our side.
Hello, down there! Anybody in there?
Hello, down there! Anybody in there?
Out!
They don't seem
to understand my German, sir.
He's one of us!
All line up!
Steady! Watch it!
Hello? Air Force?
That's right, six of us.
What are you birds doing here?
A wonder Jerry didn't pick you up.
Matter of fact,
we picked up two of them.
Jerries? Are they your prisoners?
We've been arguing
about that since we got here.
They were here first
and radioed their chaps for help.
I see their point.
Technically you're their prisoners.
What, six to two? I like that.
Sir.
Got a bit too cocky.
So we took their guns.
Legally, that weakens your status.
But don't mind me.
I'm a barrister when I'm ashore.
Then we loosened the cables
and hoped we'd drift.
You drifted all right.
Another hour with this tide and
you'd be in our own minefields.
How long have you been in the pot?
Since about four.
We saw you coming, sir.
We thought you was Jerries, sir.
Hmm. Trouble with you fellows is
you can't see anything
unless you're 10,000 feet up.
We heard on the radio
they were sending E-boats.
When did you hear that?
- About ten minutes ago.
- Ten minutes?
What are we waiting for?
Get your fellows aboard.
One of us is wounded.
We shan't be able to get him
across to your boat.
Yes. I quite agree. He can't be moved.
Bit old for a flyer, isn't he?
Well, how do you feel about it?
He's our rear gunner.
Yes... if it wasn't for those E-boats.
Of course, you don't want to leave him.
It would be the wisest thing to do.
We can't do that.
We're all the one crew, you see?
Yes, I quite agree.
- Coxswain!
- Aye, aye, sir!
- Take this lobster pot in tow!
- Aye, aye, sir!
What about the E-boats?
That to the E-boats.
Next stop, Dover.
That's all, Corbett.
Thank you, sir.
Well, George, this is the new kite.
How do you like it?
Yes, that's more my size.
Right.
The target, Berlin.