Alcoa Theatre (1957–1960): Season 2, Episode 1 - Strange Occurrence at Rokesay - full transcript
"Eight souls, dingy."
What sort of nonsense is this?
Couldn't it have been dropped
from that aircraft sir?
A message dropped from
an aircraft in these days?
And an aircraft that you imagined?
- Did I imagine it sir?
- Yes Upton, I suggest you did.
As certain as I stand
here I know that someone
or something out there in
the fog is trying to warn us.
Why can't I make the captain understand?
The golden age of television
presents John Kerr
starring in "Strange occurrence at Rokesay"
with Tom Helmore and Patrick Macnee,
after these messages.
Area control please.
Rokesay base here sir.
Our controller wants to know if
there's something doing tonight.
Yes, we know sir.
It's bad here too.
I don't suppose he'll bother us, sir.
Thank you sir, good night.
- All quiet?
- Nothing moving in the area at all.
They were expecting a Bristol Transport,
some kind of special flight from Canada.
But it's being diverted to Northern
Ireland because of the fog.
Shall I get our suppers sir?
Looks like being a quiet night.
We'll do it according to the book,
sergeant. Just make your rounds first.
Very good, sir.
Tell fire tenders and ambulance to stand
by the tower and check in on radio.
Tower one from crash one.
- Crash one, loud and clear.
- What happened to them?
- Who?
- That aircraft.
- Tower from crash three, over.
- What aircraft?
Where have you been
for the last five minutes?
- Tower from crash three, do you read me?
- Answer.
Crash three, loud and clear.
Have they had any instructions?
Of course, to stand by the tower.
Well what's all the excitement?
- Didn't you hear that aircraft?
- I haven't heard anything sir.
I was only down below
taking the operations berth.
But you must have heard it.
It couldn't have been
higher than fifty feet.
Crash two to tower. Crash two to tower.
Crash two - stand by tower as instructed.
Well, none of us heard it, sir.
And I was with the operators berth.
Hello tower?
Yes, radar?
what's going on up there George?
Having a practice in the fog?
This is no practice, Tiny.
Was that aircraft too low
to show up on your screen?
What aircraft?
Do you mean to tell me that
you didn't hear an aircraft either?
It was only a few moments
ago and flying very low.
Oh come off it George!
There's nothing flying within
a hundred miles of here tonight.
You've been hearing things old boy.
Have I your permission to
dismiss the crash vehicle sir?
I don't understand this.
You really didn't hear
anything, sergeant?
- Nobody did sir.
- Crash two to tower.
Crash two, go ahead.
We found a curious object on the runway.
Might be part of a signal flare.
Shall we bring it up?
- Roger.
Get me the area controller please.
Hello. Rokesay base here.
Is the area still quiet?
You're certain?
There's nothing moving
with the Bristol then?
No, it's alright, I just thought I heard
an aircraft over here a few minutes ago.
Yes it probably was a car engine...
Okay, thank you. Good night.
What do you make of this, sir?
I've never seen anything
like it before, have you?
Well, it's certainly not a signal flare.
I'll try and open it up.
I don't think it will go off bang.
What's this?
Look: "Two two one five.
Dinghy. Eight souls.
Position 55.10 North 10.32 West.
Send help."
It's private officer Wilson sir,
it's another of his little jokes.
Do you think so?
It's an official form anyway,
here's the number in the corner.
Evening Hobson, evening sergeant.
At ease. Why was the flare part on?
Surely nothing can be flying.
I thought I heard an aircraft
overhead a few minutes ago sir.
So I lit up in case
he was in trouble.
An aircraft, in this?
Funny, I heard nothing.
Have you checked with center?
Yes sir, they say there's
nothing in the area.
Did you hear it too, sergeant?
Well sir, I, uhm...
No. No, I didn't hear it, sir.
- Oh, you didn't.
No-one seems to have
heard it but me sir.
And what exactly did
you think you heard?
A light aircraft, sir.
Overhead and very low.
His engine revved and then cut out.
I expected to hear a crash
but nothing happened.
You heard no crash and yet you didn't
hear the aircraft fly away?
- No sir.
- And where were you?
I was downstairs sir,
with the operations berth.
- Did any of them hear it?
- No sir.
Alright sergeant, will you
leave us for a few minutes?
I take it you checked with radar?
- Yes sir.
- Nothing on the screen?
- No sir.
How many night watches
have you've been doing lately?
No more than usual, sir.
Well, if you're feeling a bit seedy,
I can arrange for you to be relieved.
We can't have you imagining
things on a job like this.
I'm perfectly fit, sir, and I
certainly didn't imagine this.
- What the devil's this?
- It came in this container, sir.
What do you mean, "it came"?
The crash crew found it outside the tower.
"Eight souls. Dinghy."
What sort of nonsense is this?
Couldn't it have been dropped
from that aircraft sir?
A message dropped from an
aircraft in these days?
And an aircraft
that you imagined?
- Did I imagine it, sir?
- Yes Upton, I suggest you did.
Just as I suggest this message
is someone idea of a joke.
"Two two one five...".
Couldn't that be the time the
message was originated? 22 15 hours?
Look at your clock Upton.
Time is now exactly 22 10.
Your message isn't due to be
sent for another five minutes.
Give me that form,
yes and the container.
I'll find the fool who
thought this one up.
Meanwhile I suggest you
forget this nonsense.
But sir, I heard that aircraft, can't
I get rescue center to check on it?
You'll do absolutely nothing,
you understand?
Control, Rokesay Base.
Yes, sir...
Very good sir, will do.
Center has lost radio
contact with that Bristol,
they want us to call
him on all frequencies.
His code: Big step three two.
- Is he overdue?
- No, they're not worried.
They think he may have had radio
failure. It's just a routine check.
Very well, start calling him then,
I'll take the frequencies on the side.
Right, sir.
- Big step three two, this is Rokesay...
- This is Rokesay, calling Big step
- ...come in if you read me.
- ...three two, come in please.
- Big step three two, this is Rokesay...
- Big step three two...
- ...come in if you read me.
- ...this is Rokesay, come in please.
No contact. Call the area controller
please, and tell him.
- Yes, sir.
- I'll enter it in the log.
Area controller please.
Rokesay base here, sir.
We've called Big step three two on all
our frequencies but we can't raise her.
Very good, sir, we'll do.
- What time is it on your watch?
- 22 20, sir.
What's the matter?
- It's stopped. The clock's stopped.
So it has.
It's plugged in alright.
There's no power failure here.
- You remember that message, don't you?
- Yes, sir, I remember it well.
It was prefixed by a figure, wasn't it?
Yes, time of origin, 22 fi...
You're not still going
on about that, sir!
- I want to get a search started.
- But just ecause a clock stopped?
No, not just because
a clock stopped,
but because it stopped on the
time given on that message.
But for all the other reasons.
Shaw, as certain as I sit here
I know that I'm being impelled
by something or someone
to get a search going.
If you don't want to be involved,
you can leave the tower.
- Don't do it, sir!
- Shaw, that was a genuine call for help.
Now give me the latitude and
longitude and then get out.
I can't remember it, sir.
A moment ago you said
you remembered it well.
I don't recall it, sir.
Then I shall just have
to contact the CO
and get it from him no
matter what he thinks.
Oh please don't do that, sir. I can guess
what happened when he was here just now.
Shaw, give me that position, then get out.
Control Rokesay.
No, nothing.
It's center control about the Bristol.
Yes, roger.
They haven't heard from the Bristol
and there's been a mix-up about
its estimated time of arrival.
It's overdue, and must now be
in a state of emergency.
Perhaps you're right...
Maybe there is a connection...
a meaning.
Oh, I don't know, it it's
awfully hard to swallow.
- Is it?
Well I mean, why you sir, why were
you the only one to hear the plane?
I don't know why, Shaw.
I don't understand it
and I can't explain it.
Perhaps it's simply because I am in charge
here tonight or possibly I am willing
to believe certain things more readily
than other people, I don't know why.
Well anyway I think I can remember that
message sir, do you want to write it down?
Yes, let's not waste any more time.
"Dinghy. Eight souls. Position
55.10 North 10.32 West. Send help."
Right, now the first thing to do
is to plot his position.
Five point ten North,
ten point thirty two, west.
Where was his diversion to?
Garway, in Northern Ireland, sir.
It checks! Bang on the course
of the missing Bristol.
Dead right, sir.
Couldn't be more on the track if it was
a position report from the plane itself.
Now the problem is to convince
center to start a search!
Couldn't very well refer
them to a message form
three zero five dash R.F.C.
dash one nine one seven.
- What?
- 305-RFC-1917
It's a little form number
printed in the corner.
I've never seen such a form in the RAF.
Of course not! It isn't one nine
one seven, it's the year 1917.
And there wasn't any RAF then, it was
the R.F.C., the Royal Flying Corps.
You don't suppose that one of those
chaps who served in the RFC would...
I'm afraid I can't answer that, Shaw.
Right now I've got to go about convincing
centre to get a search started.
We haven't heard a thing on the
emergency frequency all night sir.
But we might have.
You mean, tell them that
we've received an SOS?
We could do that, sir.
Oh, all the other stations
would have heard it.
But not if it was a very weak
signal that only we'd heard.
It was a very weak
signal, wasn't it, sir?
Flash call, get me rescue center.
Well Upton, how are you feeling? Better?
I'm feeling fine, thank you, sir.
Kilkenny Tower from
Shackleton Rescue two six.
What's all that about?
Is there a rescue operation going on?
Yes, sir.
Do you know anything about it?
Yes sir I called them up.
You did? Has an emergency
call come through?
No sir.
You mean you acted on
that ridiculous message?
Yes, sir, I did it because I thought...
I gave you direct orders not to take any
action, you do remember that, don't you?
Sir, I acted in the conviction that...
You acted like a fool. I'm relieving
you of your duties as of now.
At least let me explain my reasons, sir.
Well, what are they?
First, the clock, sir.
Look at the clock.
All right, it stopped. So?
There's been no power failure here,
yet it stopped at the exact
time given on the message.
Yes, so it has.
Surely you weren't prepared to gamble your
whole career on a coincidence like that?
Look at the form numbers
in the corner, sir.
"R.F.C. one nine one seven."
Royal Flying Corps, 1917.
There can't be any argument
that it's an authentic form.
What are you saying?
And the 305, it could be a form number,
or a code number, or a...
It might be the 305th pursuit squad,
and there was such a squadron
in the R.F.C., I know.
The whole thing is preposterous!
There was nothing flying,
you checked that yourself.
Nothing locally. But Center told me
there was a Bristol inbound from Canada
and just after you left the
tower it was reported overdue.
Is that so?
I've checked the position
given in that message, sir.
It's dead on the track
of the missing aircraft.
The Bristol could have ditched here.
- Go on.
I rang centre and told them I'd received
a call on the emergency frequency.
Are you telling me you
deliberately faked an SOS?
It was the only way I
could convince them, sir.
I'm gonna call off the search and tell
center that radio message was faked.
The ditching position wasn't faked, sir.
Can't we just wait a little while, sir,
until the rescue planes
have searched the area?
Are you asking me to
be a party to this thing?
Only for a few hours, sir.
While you try to pull
off a fantastic mission
that might cost us
men and aircraft?
Or that may save the lives
of those men in the Bristol.
We know it's overdue,
it must be down in the sea.
Believe me, sir, I didn't cause
these strange happenings tonight,
but a chain of them has occurred,
even you must admit that.
And I beg you to have
enough faith in me
or with me until the
search is finished.
- You're asking me to have faith?
- Yes, sir.
Oh, I know what you must be thinking.
But here's no law that says
everything must be cut and dried.
Things happen every day
that defy understanding.
I'm sorry Upton.
I can't go along with it.
You'll have to consider
yourself under arrest.
There is one fact we can check, sir.
Oh, what's that?
Through center we can
get the number of people
on board that Bristol,
and it'll only take a minute.
- I see, you expect they'll be eight.
- Yes sir, I do.
- All right Upton, ring.
- Thank you, sir.
Get me center, please.
Can I have traffic?
Hello, control Rokesay here.
Have you a crew list for that
missing Bristol, Big step three two?
Good. No, I don't want the names,
just the number of people aboard.
Are you quite certain?
I see.
There are only seven aboard, sir.
Well, that's that.
I don't understand it. There must be
some mistake about the passenger list.
Let's not discuss it anymore.
I'm gonna call off the search.
You call radar and tell them to
come up here and take over.
That door was tightly closed.
It's as calm as ever now.
Not a breath of wind.
Yes, whoever heard of a gust
of wind in a fog like this...
Come here Upton.
Is this wind speed indicator serviceable?
Yes, sir.
I was standing right over it.
The needle never moved.
And I know that door was closed.
It's fantastic.
You know if it weren't for those seven
men on the plane instead of eight, I...
I wonder if we read that
message correctly. Where is it?
Couldn't there have been an
eighth man on that Bristol, sir?
One who wasn't on the passenger list?
- Where did this newspaper come from?
- Sergeant Shaw, sir.
I've... found your eighth soul, Upton.
Listen to this:
"Famous airman comes home."
Bristol aircraft of
transport command
is today bringing back the
body of Air Marshal Lord Hurst,
whose death occurred
last Wednesday
during a liaison visit to
the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Lord Hurst, who won the
Victoria Cross in 1917,
while serving with the famed
Eagle Pursuit Squadron,
was the only surviving ace of the First
World War still serving in the RAF.
He's to be buried with
full military Honors
in the cemetery of the
Royal Air Force College.
So it's going to be alright sir?
Yes, Upton, it's going to be alright.
By the way what made
you so certain of all this?
It was the squadron number printed in
the form sir. 305th, the Eagle squad.
My father was a flyer in that squad.
Do you hear that sir?
- Hear what?
It's alright sir.
It's just that I know they'll find
those men from the Bristol.
Join us at the same time next week
when the golden age of
television presents face to face.
What sort of nonsense is this?
Couldn't it have been dropped
from that aircraft sir?
A message dropped from
an aircraft in these days?
And an aircraft that you imagined?
- Did I imagine it sir?
- Yes Upton, I suggest you did.
As certain as I stand
here I know that someone
or something out there in
the fog is trying to warn us.
Why can't I make the captain understand?
The golden age of television
presents John Kerr
starring in "Strange occurrence at Rokesay"
with Tom Helmore and Patrick Macnee,
after these messages.
Area control please.
Rokesay base here sir.
Our controller wants to know if
there's something doing tonight.
Yes, we know sir.
It's bad here too.
I don't suppose he'll bother us, sir.
Thank you sir, good night.
- All quiet?
- Nothing moving in the area at all.
They were expecting a Bristol Transport,
some kind of special flight from Canada.
But it's being diverted to Northern
Ireland because of the fog.
Shall I get our suppers sir?
Looks like being a quiet night.
We'll do it according to the book,
sergeant. Just make your rounds first.
Very good, sir.
Tell fire tenders and ambulance to stand
by the tower and check in on radio.
Tower one from crash one.
- Crash one, loud and clear.
- What happened to them?
- Who?
- That aircraft.
- Tower from crash three, over.
- What aircraft?
Where have you been
for the last five minutes?
- Tower from crash three, do you read me?
- Answer.
Crash three, loud and clear.
Have they had any instructions?
Of course, to stand by the tower.
Well what's all the excitement?
- Didn't you hear that aircraft?
- I haven't heard anything sir.
I was only down below
taking the operations berth.
But you must have heard it.
It couldn't have been
higher than fifty feet.
Crash two to tower. Crash two to tower.
Crash two - stand by tower as instructed.
Well, none of us heard it, sir.
And I was with the operators berth.
Hello tower?
Yes, radar?
what's going on up there George?
Having a practice in the fog?
This is no practice, Tiny.
Was that aircraft too low
to show up on your screen?
What aircraft?
Do you mean to tell me that
you didn't hear an aircraft either?
It was only a few moments
ago and flying very low.
Oh come off it George!
There's nothing flying within
a hundred miles of here tonight.
You've been hearing things old boy.
Have I your permission to
dismiss the crash vehicle sir?
I don't understand this.
You really didn't hear
anything, sergeant?
- Nobody did sir.
- Crash two to tower.
Crash two, go ahead.
We found a curious object on the runway.
Might be part of a signal flare.
Shall we bring it up?
- Roger.
Get me the area controller please.
Hello. Rokesay base here.
Is the area still quiet?
You're certain?
There's nothing moving
with the Bristol then?
No, it's alright, I just thought I heard
an aircraft over here a few minutes ago.
Yes it probably was a car engine...
Okay, thank you. Good night.
What do you make of this, sir?
I've never seen anything
like it before, have you?
Well, it's certainly not a signal flare.
I'll try and open it up.
I don't think it will go off bang.
What's this?
Look: "Two two one five.
Dinghy. Eight souls.
Position 55.10 North 10.32 West.
Send help."
It's private officer Wilson sir,
it's another of his little jokes.
Do you think so?
It's an official form anyway,
here's the number in the corner.
Evening Hobson, evening sergeant.
At ease. Why was the flare part on?
Surely nothing can be flying.
I thought I heard an aircraft
overhead a few minutes ago sir.
So I lit up in case
he was in trouble.
An aircraft, in this?
Funny, I heard nothing.
Have you checked with center?
Yes sir, they say there's
nothing in the area.
Did you hear it too, sergeant?
Well sir, I, uhm...
No. No, I didn't hear it, sir.
- Oh, you didn't.
No-one seems to have
heard it but me sir.
And what exactly did
you think you heard?
A light aircraft, sir.
Overhead and very low.
His engine revved and then cut out.
I expected to hear a crash
but nothing happened.
You heard no crash and yet you didn't
hear the aircraft fly away?
- No sir.
- And where were you?
I was downstairs sir,
with the operations berth.
- Did any of them hear it?
- No sir.
Alright sergeant, will you
leave us for a few minutes?
I take it you checked with radar?
- Yes sir.
- Nothing on the screen?
- No sir.
How many night watches
have you've been doing lately?
No more than usual, sir.
Well, if you're feeling a bit seedy,
I can arrange for you to be relieved.
We can't have you imagining
things on a job like this.
I'm perfectly fit, sir, and I
certainly didn't imagine this.
- What the devil's this?
- It came in this container, sir.
What do you mean, "it came"?
The crash crew found it outside the tower.
"Eight souls. Dinghy."
What sort of nonsense is this?
Couldn't it have been dropped
from that aircraft sir?
A message dropped from an
aircraft in these days?
And an aircraft
that you imagined?
- Did I imagine it, sir?
- Yes Upton, I suggest you did.
Just as I suggest this message
is someone idea of a joke.
"Two two one five...".
Couldn't that be the time the
message was originated? 22 15 hours?
Look at your clock Upton.
Time is now exactly 22 10.
Your message isn't due to be
sent for another five minutes.
Give me that form,
yes and the container.
I'll find the fool who
thought this one up.
Meanwhile I suggest you
forget this nonsense.
But sir, I heard that aircraft, can't
I get rescue center to check on it?
You'll do absolutely nothing,
you understand?
Control, Rokesay Base.
Yes, sir...
Very good sir, will do.
Center has lost radio
contact with that Bristol,
they want us to call
him on all frequencies.
His code: Big step three two.
- Is he overdue?
- No, they're not worried.
They think he may have had radio
failure. It's just a routine check.
Very well, start calling him then,
I'll take the frequencies on the side.
Right, sir.
- Big step three two, this is Rokesay...
- This is Rokesay, calling Big step
- ...come in if you read me.
- ...three two, come in please.
- Big step three two, this is Rokesay...
- Big step three two...
- ...come in if you read me.
- ...this is Rokesay, come in please.
No contact. Call the area controller
please, and tell him.
- Yes, sir.
- I'll enter it in the log.
Area controller please.
Rokesay base here, sir.
We've called Big step three two on all
our frequencies but we can't raise her.
Very good, sir, we'll do.
- What time is it on your watch?
- 22 20, sir.
What's the matter?
- It's stopped. The clock's stopped.
So it has.
It's plugged in alright.
There's no power failure here.
- You remember that message, don't you?
- Yes, sir, I remember it well.
It was prefixed by a figure, wasn't it?
Yes, time of origin, 22 fi...
You're not still going
on about that, sir!
- I want to get a search started.
- But just ecause a clock stopped?
No, not just because
a clock stopped,
but because it stopped on the
time given on that message.
But for all the other reasons.
Shaw, as certain as I sit here
I know that I'm being impelled
by something or someone
to get a search going.
If you don't want to be involved,
you can leave the tower.
- Don't do it, sir!
- Shaw, that was a genuine call for help.
Now give me the latitude and
longitude and then get out.
I can't remember it, sir.
A moment ago you said
you remembered it well.
I don't recall it, sir.
Then I shall just have
to contact the CO
and get it from him no
matter what he thinks.
Oh please don't do that, sir. I can guess
what happened when he was here just now.
Shaw, give me that position, then get out.
Control Rokesay.
No, nothing.
It's center control about the Bristol.
Yes, roger.
They haven't heard from the Bristol
and there's been a mix-up about
its estimated time of arrival.
It's overdue, and must now be
in a state of emergency.
Perhaps you're right...
Maybe there is a connection...
a meaning.
Oh, I don't know, it it's
awfully hard to swallow.
- Is it?
Well I mean, why you sir, why were
you the only one to hear the plane?
I don't know why, Shaw.
I don't understand it
and I can't explain it.
Perhaps it's simply because I am in charge
here tonight or possibly I am willing
to believe certain things more readily
than other people, I don't know why.
Well anyway I think I can remember that
message sir, do you want to write it down?
Yes, let's not waste any more time.
"Dinghy. Eight souls. Position
55.10 North 10.32 West. Send help."
Right, now the first thing to do
is to plot his position.
Five point ten North,
ten point thirty two, west.
Where was his diversion to?
Garway, in Northern Ireland, sir.
It checks! Bang on the course
of the missing Bristol.
Dead right, sir.
Couldn't be more on the track if it was
a position report from the plane itself.
Now the problem is to convince
center to start a search!
Couldn't very well refer
them to a message form
three zero five dash R.F.C.
dash one nine one seven.
- What?
- 305-RFC-1917
It's a little form number
printed in the corner.
I've never seen such a form in the RAF.
Of course not! It isn't one nine
one seven, it's the year 1917.
And there wasn't any RAF then, it was
the R.F.C., the Royal Flying Corps.
You don't suppose that one of those
chaps who served in the RFC would...
I'm afraid I can't answer that, Shaw.
Right now I've got to go about convincing
centre to get a search started.
We haven't heard a thing on the
emergency frequency all night sir.
But we might have.
You mean, tell them that
we've received an SOS?
We could do that, sir.
Oh, all the other stations
would have heard it.
But not if it was a very weak
signal that only we'd heard.
It was a very weak
signal, wasn't it, sir?
Flash call, get me rescue center.
Well Upton, how are you feeling? Better?
I'm feeling fine, thank you, sir.
Kilkenny Tower from
Shackleton Rescue two six.
What's all that about?
Is there a rescue operation going on?
Yes, sir.
Do you know anything about it?
Yes sir I called them up.
You did? Has an emergency
call come through?
No sir.
You mean you acted on
that ridiculous message?
Yes, sir, I did it because I thought...
I gave you direct orders not to take any
action, you do remember that, don't you?
Sir, I acted in the conviction that...
You acted like a fool. I'm relieving
you of your duties as of now.
At least let me explain my reasons, sir.
Well, what are they?
First, the clock, sir.
Look at the clock.
All right, it stopped. So?
There's been no power failure here,
yet it stopped at the exact
time given on the message.
Yes, so it has.
Surely you weren't prepared to gamble your
whole career on a coincidence like that?
Look at the form numbers
in the corner, sir.
"R.F.C. one nine one seven."
Royal Flying Corps, 1917.
There can't be any argument
that it's an authentic form.
What are you saying?
And the 305, it could be a form number,
or a code number, or a...
It might be the 305th pursuit squad,
and there was such a squadron
in the R.F.C., I know.
The whole thing is preposterous!
There was nothing flying,
you checked that yourself.
Nothing locally. But Center told me
there was a Bristol inbound from Canada
and just after you left the
tower it was reported overdue.
Is that so?
I've checked the position
given in that message, sir.
It's dead on the track
of the missing aircraft.
The Bristol could have ditched here.
- Go on.
I rang centre and told them I'd received
a call on the emergency frequency.
Are you telling me you
deliberately faked an SOS?
It was the only way I
could convince them, sir.
I'm gonna call off the search and tell
center that radio message was faked.
The ditching position wasn't faked, sir.
Can't we just wait a little while, sir,
until the rescue planes
have searched the area?
Are you asking me to
be a party to this thing?
Only for a few hours, sir.
While you try to pull
off a fantastic mission
that might cost us
men and aircraft?
Or that may save the lives
of those men in the Bristol.
We know it's overdue,
it must be down in the sea.
Believe me, sir, I didn't cause
these strange happenings tonight,
but a chain of them has occurred,
even you must admit that.
And I beg you to have
enough faith in me
or with me until the
search is finished.
- You're asking me to have faith?
- Yes, sir.
Oh, I know what you must be thinking.
But here's no law that says
everything must be cut and dried.
Things happen every day
that defy understanding.
I'm sorry Upton.
I can't go along with it.
You'll have to consider
yourself under arrest.
There is one fact we can check, sir.
Oh, what's that?
Through center we can
get the number of people
on board that Bristol,
and it'll only take a minute.
- I see, you expect they'll be eight.
- Yes sir, I do.
- All right Upton, ring.
- Thank you, sir.
Get me center, please.
Can I have traffic?
Hello, control Rokesay here.
Have you a crew list for that
missing Bristol, Big step three two?
Good. No, I don't want the names,
just the number of people aboard.
Are you quite certain?
I see.
There are only seven aboard, sir.
Well, that's that.
I don't understand it. There must be
some mistake about the passenger list.
Let's not discuss it anymore.
I'm gonna call off the search.
You call radar and tell them to
come up here and take over.
That door was tightly closed.
It's as calm as ever now.
Not a breath of wind.
Yes, whoever heard of a gust
of wind in a fog like this...
Come here Upton.
Is this wind speed indicator serviceable?
Yes, sir.
I was standing right over it.
The needle never moved.
And I know that door was closed.
It's fantastic.
You know if it weren't for those seven
men on the plane instead of eight, I...
I wonder if we read that
message correctly. Where is it?
Couldn't there have been an
eighth man on that Bristol, sir?
One who wasn't on the passenger list?
- Where did this newspaper come from?
- Sergeant Shaw, sir.
I've... found your eighth soul, Upton.
Listen to this:
"Famous airman comes home."
Bristol aircraft of
transport command
is today bringing back the
body of Air Marshal Lord Hurst,
whose death occurred
last Wednesday
during a liaison visit to
the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Lord Hurst, who won the
Victoria Cross in 1917,
while serving with the famed
Eagle Pursuit Squadron,
was the only surviving ace of the First
World War still serving in the RAF.
He's to be buried with
full military Honors
in the cemetery of the
Royal Air Force College.
So it's going to be alright sir?
Yes, Upton, it's going to be alright.
By the way what made
you so certain of all this?
It was the squadron number printed in
the form sir. 305th, the Eagle squad.
My father was a flyer in that squad.
Do you hear that sir?
- Hear what?
It's alright sir.
It's just that I know they'll find
those men from the Bristol.
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