Original subtitles

(drumroll)

(shouting)

(gunfire)

- Fair path calling operations room.

- Motherland 0426.

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.

(crash)

(explosion)

- [Voiceover] 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.

(waves washing)

(birds calling)

- That's all, Corbett.

- Thank you, sir.

- Group sir, about tonight's operations.

- Reynold speaking.

Yes.

Right.

The target is Stuttgart, the Mercedes Benz works.

- [Voiceover] Will all operational crews

report to briefing at 1430?

1430.

- Mail.

One for you, skipper.

- Thank you.

- One for you, Tom, nice Halifax postmark.

- Some letter.

- Halifax again.

- It's from my fiancee.

- Both of them?

You got two?

- The other one's from Dad.

- Surely not the future Mrs. Earnshaw.

- You're not so far off.

It's Whitaker and Whitaker, her dad's firm.

Second best Cheviots in Yorkshire,

and of course we know whose the best are.

My dad's.

- Earnshaw and Son.

- I'd die to see those two noble animals

in the same meadow.

- Well 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 program.

- 9:40.

George, what are you doing tomorrow night?

- Tomorrow?

- [Frank] 9:40.

- Packing.

- No, no, no, you're listening to my wife.

Home and forces program.

You can pack tonight.

- I'm flying tonight.

- Didn't know you were on ops, George.

- I saw the group captain, and as it's my last night

he agree to let me go.

Sorry to have gone over your head, skipper.

- Oh that's alright, glad to have you with us.

Eh fellows?

- We are honored, Sir. George.

- Oh by the way, I suppose Hopkins has been told

about the switch?

- I suppose so.

- Like to see Hopkins face, wouldn't you, Frank?

- Poor old Hopkins.

Well, son of a gun.

I don't believe it, you're pulling my leg.

- Oh, 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!

- You're not going, can I have your silk stockings?

- Oh, I suppose so.

- What's this, camouflage net?

- Best quality three bucks a pair.

They keep you warm as toast.

If my girl ever finds out--

- Just you tell her Bob Ashley wore them,

she'll be as pleased as punch.

- [Voiceover] 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.

- [Voiceover] This is a tense moment, the ball is on the

spot, Welsh is going to kick.

- What did I say?

- [Voiceover] Welsh is just going to take the kick.

- Come on, Welsh!

- [Voiceover] Welsh has kicked!

No he hasn't, he's jumped over the ball!

Compton's taking the Kick, Compton's the man!

Goal!

Well taught, Compton.

Well, that was a surprise.

- Not to me.

- Len, cope with the stand indicator will you?

It's stuck again.

- Okay, I'll fix it.

- How's Bertie?

- Perfect sir.

New coat, full stomach, Bertie's a gent.

- Fine.

Bring the car back about 4.

- Did they fix that oil pressure, Jimmy?

- [Voiceover] Yes, it's okay now.

- Len, who's this new bloke?

- Fan of yours, wants your autograph,

says he saw you in some play or other.

- That's right, Mr. Shelley, I saw you in The School for Scandal.

You played the part of Joseph Surface.

- Got a pencil?

- No, afraid not.

- Well I'll get it for you tomorrow.

- Right, thanks.

- It was Charles Surface.

- Fair path calling T for Tommy, T for Tommy.

It's now 2135, 2135.

You may take off.

- Checking intercoms.

Bob, are you there?

- Sergeant Ashley answering, 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.

- Fair path calling Q for Queenie, Q for Queenie.

2137, 2137.

You may take off now.

- Check your watches chaps.

In 50 seconds it'll be 2140.

In 45 seconds.

In 40 seconds.

- Fair path calling B for Bertie, B for Bertie.

It is now 2140, 2140.

Off you go.

- Geoff, locate to the forward.

- Okay, skipper.

- Stuttgart, here we come.

- You know, I played in Stuttgart with my club in 1938.

- 19387

I was playing in New York.

What's Stuttgart like?

- Oh, just like all those continental towns.

In Saturday, play Sunday, Monday on the train again.

- So that was Stuttgart.

Well, well.

- Nice girls in Stuttgart, aren't there, skipper?

- Well, one anyway.

- What you know about the girls in Stuttgart, Geoff?

- Oh ll knew a nurse from Stuttgart.

- That's funny, mine was a nurse.

- [Geoff] Was her name Liesel?

- No, Ilsa.

What was your nurse like?

- Oh, she was a big blonde job.

Couldn't half cook, too.

She worked for a doctor in Gerald's Cross.

Used to sing that song, I Kiss Your Little Hand, Madam.

& 1 kiss your little hand, madam 7

- That's right.

And of course she used to sing it in German, you know.

(singing in German)

She was always singing it, because she wasn't able

to sing it in Germany.

The composer was a Jew, wasn't he?

What was your nurse like, skipper?

- Ilsa?

She was blonde too.

- [Geoff] Was she a good cook?

- She was good at everything.

My next nurse wasn't half so good.

- You seem to specialize in nurses, skipper.

- 1 did then, I was only two, you see.

- Had you there, Geoff.

- I seen snaps of her in my father's album.

He was with the reparations commission.

Stuttgart was the capital of Wurttemburg, you know,

it used to be a kingdom on its own.

- That's right.

The biggest paper there is called the Wurttemburger

Zeiden.

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 flack soon.

(bang)

Your course seems alright, Frank.

(explosions)

- Cologne's just gone off the air.

- I don't blame them.

- Railroad ahead, red bough.

- Got it, main line to Cologne.

I've traveled on that line, and I was going to Stuttgart.

- Manheim on our right.

- Tom, give them some leaflets.

- Okie doke.

- Give them the Ashley special.

Ashley is good for you.

- On course, John.

Over River Neckar.

(banging)

- John, do you see what I see?

- Big fire, dead ahead.

- You're in the wrong end, George.

(banging)

- 1 have a smack at the searchlight, skipper?

- Okay, just one or two.

(gunfire)

- Can ll have a go too, skipper?

No favoritism, you know?

- [John] Okay.

(gunfire)

- Now who's in the wrong end?

(banging)

- Golly, it's a wizard fire.

Bet that's Queenie on the job.

(explosions)

- That'll be Tommy.

- Alright, do another circuit.

Bomb doors.

- Bomb doors open.

- Okay, let's go down.

- Going down.

4,000.

3600.

Steady.

Left left.

Steady.

All bombs gone.

(explosions)

- Shall I transmit sir?

Mission completed.

(explosion)

- Crikey!

(explosion)

- How 'bout it, Tom?

- Starboard engines packed up, port finds alright.

- Hello Bob, intercoms working?

- Yes sir.

Radio's dead though.

- George, everything organized?

(mumbles) May get your hands full.

- Alright, skipper.

- We'll sort 'em out, won't we George?

- How 'bout it, Bob?

- Completely cheese sir, all tubes blown.

- How bad cut are the quarters, Frank?

- All set shortest route over Mitze.

Alter core 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 the one engine.

At this rate she may stall any minute.

- Shall I get out and push?

- [John] Where are we, Frank?

- Over Holland, Amersfoort.

Can you see a railroad?

- I'm not sure.

How 'bout you, Tom?

- Yes, I think so.

- That's the main line from Amersfoort to Hilversum.

(bangs)

- Gosh, that's both engines packed up now.

Well, we'll have to jump for it, boys.

- Sir George, this is Frank.

- [George] Okay.

- Bob?

- [Bob] Yes.

- Tom?

- [Tom] I'm here.

- Stand by to abandon aircraft, standby to abandon aircraft.

Shall we try and go together or go solo?

- Together.

Bail out along the railroad.

Skipper's the last one to leave.

If he stays put and we all follow the railroad northwest,

we're bound to find each other.

- Tom, be off.

Frank, jump.

Geoff, jump.

George, jump.

Bob, jump.

(engine sputtering)

- [Voiceover] What can you see?

- The Zuiderzee.

- [Voiceover] Anything else?

- Windmills.

- [Voiceover] Any soldiers?

- No.

- What's the country like?

Can you see far?

- Yes, miles.

Very flat.

- What did you expect, the mountains of morn?

- No sign of him, eh?

- The Zuiderzee's no good to us.

How far is it to the North Sea?

- About 38 miles.

- That's no so bad.

- It's 38 miles to far in this makeup.

- Yes, clothes are the first thing to organize.

Then there's Bob.

- It's too bad about Bob.

- I'd rather it'd been John or Frank.

- Oh, would you?

- No offense, of course.

- Anyone got a cigarette?

- No, I haven't.

Well you have lived abroad, skipper, and I reckon Frank's

a first class actor.

- Sorry, last one.

- The football pro is used to traveling about with his team.

Bob"'ll get lost on his own.

- Well let's face it, he is lost.

- May want to watch things like that.

We better keep down, too.

- Bob might turn up yet.

- He's three hours overdue.

Got a match?

- Now we've wasted enough time already.

John, you command in the air, there's no reason why

you shouldn't command on the ground.

- Why should anyone command?

Let's hear what we've all got to say.

- That won't work.

- I take John's view.

- [George] Very well, what do you suggest?

- Well, the first thing we ought to do is 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?

Then we'll act accordingly.

- Very explicit.

- Clear as mud.

Here, come on down.

- 1 must say, Frank.

- Now listen, I've been lost dozens of times.

Sometimes alone, sometimes with other men,

several times with 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 Zuiderzee up there.

Now we want to aim at a spot somewhere south of Haarlem,

between Zantfoort and Katwijk.

But there's several main roads

and the whole country's swarming with people.

- What's verbou mean?

- Land that's been reclaimed.

Dikes and dams.

- INearly all polar country south of Haarlem.

Tulip fields.

No oil in Arnhem.

- Pity about that, I like a nice tulip.

Now look here, what are we gonna do about our clothes?

- We've got to get into the city somehow.

- What's George doing?

- Going swimming.

- [Voiceover] Where?

- In the canal.

- [Voiceover] Well 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'm going to be a swimming Dutchman and spy out the land.

- Suppose you meet a real Dutchman?

- [George] Well I'll explain to him with gestures.

- Well suppose it's a girl?

- You'll need pure gestures.

Can you speak Dutch?

- [George] No.

- Well I can.

- [George] Well?

- Well enough.

Diplomat's Dutch.

- I think you're going to be the swimming Dutchman, my lad.

- Shh shh.

Somebody coming I think.

- (Speaking Dutch)

(pig squeals)

(sheep bleat)

(speaking Dutch)

- That dog spots us, we're jiggered.

(children speaking Dutch)

(dog barks)

- Lie down.

- Lie down, go away.

- Shut up!

- Wilem

- (Speaking Dutch)

(Soldiers speaking Dutch)

R. A. F.

- Royal Air Force.

- Ya, Royal Air Force.

(speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- It's alright, he says they're friends.

- Well let's get down and talk to them.

- 1 hope they don't scram before we go.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- He asked if we come to invade Holland.

- What with?

- Hello.

- Hello young fellow.

We jump out of our aeroplane, bailed out.

One, two, three, four, five, six allies.

Six disperse.

- That's French.

- Well?

- Johnny.

Over to you, over.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Wilem.

- Martje.

- Jan.

- Henrik.

- Jan.

Tom.

Geoff.

Frank.

George.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- What's this safety pin gag?

- Well it's a sign against the Germans and quislings.

The safety pin means keep together, keep your mouth shut.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Well there's someone at the farm who speaks English.

Her name is Els.

- Els Meertens.

- Els Meertens.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Apparently she's a school marm.

Sounds a useful little bird.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- 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.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Miss Meertens.

- 1 never put a ferret in a rabbit hole again,

I know that.

It's quite stuffy in here, isn't it?

Like it might be a trap.

- Not so sure it isn't.

There's 20 of them in there, talking for the last half hour.

What about?

That's what I'd like to know.

Suppose one of them's gone to fetch the Germans,

I wouldn't put it past them.

- 1 would.

- Oh you would, would you George?

Why?

- I been watching the road ever since we got here.

No one's left the house.

- Sorry gentlemen to have kept you waiting.

I am Els Meertens.

Schoolteacher from (mumbles).

- How do you do, Miss Meertens?

My name is John Glyn Haggard, and these--

- The identities of all five of you are naturally

of the greatest importance to us, but ll think 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 am sure you can tell me your friend's name.

Well?

Can you or can't you?

- Of course I can, I've known him a long time.

- [Els] I didn't ask you 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?

- Because we didn't want to crash with it.

- Where did it crash?

- It didn't.

The engine picked up again after we bailed out.

- 1 don't know very much about aeroplanes,

but that means you can't prove that your aircraft

has crashed.

- Well, not exactly.

Might have gone on for miles.

- Would it surprise you to know that so far as it is known,

no aircraft has crashed in West Holland during the night?

- Well, I suppose Bertie could have reached the sea.

What do you say, John?

- Don't ask me.

You're witness.

- And where are your parachutes?

- We buried them.

- All five?

- [John] 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?

- Now look here Miss Meertens, I've had about

enough of this!

- You don't know?

- Well of course I know.

All along the railroad where we landed.

- Can any one of you prove beyond any reasonable doubt

that you are what you say you are?

- Well I'll be jiggered, I've never heard such a thing

in me life.

- But miss, our uniforms.

- [Els] Prove nothing.

- Why not?

- Anybody could get a uniform.

If some people were anxious to find out how we would

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 English, miss, we wouldn't do a thing like that.

Would we, Frank?

- [Els] You're not so sure about the others?

- What are you trying to make me say?

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.

- [All] 9:40, Home and Forces program.

- Frank, yesterday afternoon, contrary to mess regulations,

I saw you tearing a large 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 program.

Sunday at 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 withess.

- Does that satisfy you, Miss Meertens?

- It will do, I think.

I'm going to show it to the others.

- You know, you're not the only one

that had the doubts.

- Not the only ones?

- [Voiceover] Some of us thought you'd sent for the Nazis.

- I thought airmen had better eyesight than that.

- What a girl.

- As you say, what a girl.

- She certainly shot you down in flames, Tom.

- What did she mean by that crack about our eyesight?

- Something we've missed, of course.

Something in this room.

- Well let's find it.

- Orange blossom.

- Orange blossoms?

What's orange blossom got to do with it?

- That's their oranje alter.

Orange alter.

To honor Queen Wilhelmina.

- [Voiceover] Why orange?

- [Voiceover] You know, Willem of Orange, the house of

Orange.

Shows they're loyal.

- There should be a picture of the queen, too.

- There is.

- Quite foxy.

- That Els Meertens, what a girl.

- Alright, we heard you the first time.

- Gentlemen.

Won't you come in?

- Thank you.

- Pietre Sluys

Your host, gentlemen.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Come on, John.

- (Speaking Dutch)

(laughter)

- 1 always thought speeches came at the end of a meal.

- Wouldn't mind a little bit of that ham, anyway.

(Speaking Dutch)

- 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.

(speaking Dutch)

(laughter)

- He says, don't worry, eat him, he was a quisling pig.

(laughing)

- (speaking Dutch)

- Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- 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,

because if he is 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 alright.

- 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 kilometers 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 10 Kilometers west of here at

(speaking Dutch).

10 kilometers nearer the North Sea.

You must go with us.

- Excuse me, Miss Meertens.

What is your church?

- We are Catholics.

- I'm chapel.

- Soaml.

- 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.

Wouldn't 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 is Jo?

- Jo de Vries, the wife of Henrik de Vries.

- Who is Henrik de Vries?

- Henrik 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.

- Sounds like a very good choice for a hostess.

What is this, a conundrum?

- [Voiceover] 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?

(speaking Dutch)

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.

- (Speaking Dutch).

- 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.

They give us a sporting chance if we're caught.

- Yes, you can wear your disguises over them.

- If we're going to be pushing off I would just like

another slice of that ham, mother.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Talking of ham, Frank, isn't this your big chance?

What sort of disguise will you wear?

- My boy, you're going to see a series of perfect

Dutch character sketches, real little cameos.

But what'll we do for boots?

- Klompen.

- Klompen?

- Clogs.

- Ah, clogs.

(giggling)

- I should like to see you walking up Halifax High Street

in a pair of these, Tom.

- Oh, you know the old Yorkshire saying.

Clogs to clogs in three generations.

- 1 never hoped to costar with the great Francis Shelley

in a Dutch epic.

- Now George, you're doing quite well, really,

quite well, but costar, really?

Do you know George I haven't been to church

since my wedding?

- You must have acted in church scenes.

- 1 did in a picture once.

It was a spy story and we all got shot.

- That can happen here too.

- [Voiceover] (Speaking Dutch)

(bells ringing)

- How am I doing?

- Quite well, for a beginner.

(whistling)

(horn blaring)

- Noisy buggers, aren't they.

- What he's in such a tearing hurry for

on a Sunday morning?

- Probably going on leave.

(bells ringing)

(hymn being sung)

- Anything wrong?

- The Germans have found one of your parachutes.

- But you dug them up again, didn't you?

I thought they were safe.

- They are.

Very safe.

- There must be another one.

George.

The Jerrys have found another parachute, must be Bob's.

- Found Bob's parachute.

- Bob's parachute's found.

- That means Bob's safe.

- Good.

- Not so good for us.

- It's us the armored cars are looking for.

- Els says they're searching villages,

they suspect we're in the neighborhood.

- As long as they don't find our parachutes,

we're safe enough.

- Did Els say where they're hidden?

- Where are they hidden?

- Where are they hidden?

- She says that they're quite safe and that

they're with us here.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Shh.

- (Speaking Dutch)

(blaring horn)

(shouting in German)

- (Speaking Dutch and Latin)

- (Speaking Dutch and Latin)

- Parachutes.

- Our national anthem.

(soft music)

(Dutch national anthem)

- [Voiceover] (speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Cornelius, my young brother always in trouble.

- Same in England.

Same everywhere.

I got a young brother, you know.

Regular little devil.

- Oh 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 meenie minie moe, catch a German by his toe.

(church bells ringing)

Cornelius.

What's he doing at the post?

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- What he doing at post?

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Latin)

- 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 fraternize

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 to bore them to death,

and my son carries them gramophone records.

And from that traitor de Jong!

(speaking Dutch)

- No dinner for Cornelius.

Father say he must not go to the football match.

Poor Cornelius, he love the football.

All week he's been so exciting.

Acting something very, how do you say, buried?

- Dug in?

More than meets the eye?

- Very good, more than meet father's eye.

Poor Cornelius, he very bad, but very cute.

Yes, more than meets the eye.

- (Speaking Dutch)

A quarter guilder paid that quisling by the stinking

Germans.

That's what my son pockets for helping to entertain

German soldiers.

- (Speaking Dutch)

(knocking)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Go, guard the way!

- Do you speak English?

- Yes.

- Then don't shout.

- You wouldn't dare to keep me here!

- Dare?

You're kept.

- You, you, all of you!

You are British airmen, the men we are looking for!

Burgermeister van Dieren, 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?

(Dutch national anthem on gramophone)

- (Speaking Dutch)

Our anthem!

- Comes from the post, from the Nazis!

- What is it, the radio?

- Sounds more like a gramophone to me.

(shouting in German)

- [Daughter] It is a gramophone!

Father, isn't it strange?

- Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Perhaps it's not so strange.

- I don't understand?

(laughing)

- 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 honor of carrying them,

didn't you?

And you gave him a quarter for doing it, didn't you?

Gah.

My son.

Well, he changed all your records for ours,

and he chose some good ones, too, trust him.

All records of our national anthem.

(laughing)

Got all different labels. Foxtrots, tangos,

all pasted on so that the Germans wouldn't know

what they were.

Oh, your friends will like you now,

won't they, quisling?

(shouting in German)

- 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 some records.

He didn't bring them himself.

They all turned out to be the Dutch anthem.

Very funny joke.

Let's start looking for de Jong.

- And there they go, looking.

With fixed bayonets.

- Your move, my Jong.

- They'll believe me if I tell them the truth!

- You'll be shot before you can prove it, me lad,

you 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,

do you?

- 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 ll think you were meant to fall into our hands.

- [Voiceover] (speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

(clapping)

(speaking Dutch)

(German broadcast over loudspeaker)

- What's he saying?

- What's Jerry saying?

- Oyez, oyez, the authorities of occupation have the number

in 200 of the crowd limited, 50 must the football field

at once leave.

- He's a fine cheek, ordering other people about.

What will the people do, Mr. Burgermeister?

- What would you do in your own country?

- In Yorkshire?

Tell 'em to go to hell.

- That would cause trouble.

- 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.

- [Voiceover] Achtung, actung!

(speaking German)

- As you were, as you were, it is equally forbidden

that everybody should the sports field leave.

Cancel the previous order and continue to enjoy the game.

Please.

Jerry seems a bit flustered.

- Now we get on with the football.

(whistle blowing)

(clapping)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Bob Ashley.

There's Bob!

- It is Bob!

- Well I'll be jiggered!

Hooray!

Here, what's the Dutch for hooray?

- Hurrah!

- Hurrah!

- [Voiceover] (speaking Dutch)

- As far as I can see you strode through Holland

with your hands in your pockets, speaking broad English,

and pushing old men in canals.

- Well he shouldn't have got in such a flap.

- Then you ran away leaving your parachute in the canal.

- 1 thought it was time to get cracking, sir.

I came back later, but I couldn't find it.

- You wouldn't, the Germans had it by then.

- Did they, sir?

- What ll don't understand is how you could find the line

and walk along it without Geoff spotting you.

- 1 don't either.

Perhaps he was asleep.

- 1 certainly wasn't.

- Did you see a train, about 6:307?

- Oh yes sir, it overtook me, I hid.

- Overtook you?

You were walking the wrong way my lad.

(cow moos)

Walking into Germany instead of England.

- Oh?

- And then you met a shepherd.

- Whose dog naturally bit you?

- Yes, that's right, and then they took me

to the village where thank God the schoolteacher

spoke English.

- Schoolteacher?

What was she like?

- Okay.

That's where I had me breakfast.

- And then they passed you along from hand to hand

by barge and oxcart and--

- Bicycle.

- And what have you

until you find yourself on the way to a football match

and told them you were Bob Ashley.

- And they said good gracious.

- That's right.

They told me that a truck was going to take me

after the game to some man called Joe de something or other.

- Not Joe, Jo.

It's a woman, not a man.

Otherwise you're alright.

Her name is Jo de Vries.

- Half a minute.

I smell the sea.

- The North Sea.

(truck sounds)

(trumpeting)

- Hear that?

- German.

- How do you know it's German?

- Heard 'em often enough in the last war.

(trumpeting)

- Hope Mrs. de Vries has a weather eye open.

(shouting)

- (Speaking Dutch)

(cow moos)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Shot them a line about tomorrow's dinner being held up

if he didn't let us get through.

- Would that be Mrs. de Vries?

- Suppose so.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (speaking Dutch)

- Are you there?

Englishmen, are you there?

- Yes, all six of us.

- When the truck stops, driver will open the back.

Get out at once.

- Which way?

- There.

(speaking German)

- [Voiceover] (speaking German)

- (Speaking German)

- [Voiceover] (Speaking German)

- (Speaking German)

- She's getting the Jerrys to unload the truck for us.

- She's a cool customer.

- These Dutch girls are wizard.

- They are that.

Our girls would do just the same

if they had the chance.

- (Speaking German)

(chattering and singing in German)

(laughing and chattering)

- We are passing over the quarters of 200 German soldiers.

(singing in German)

Louis.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

(water dripping)

- We are 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 officer's 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.

(knocks)

- [Voiceover] V?

- Yes, V.

- [Voiceover] Pity, isn't it?

- [Voiceover] What's a pity?

- 1 never felt more like dancing in my life.

Just imagine, officer's mess below, Jerrys all over the

place and no dancing.

There's charming partners, too.

- What time is it?

- [Voiceover] 2156.

- Pity, we've missed the news.

- What time did you say it was?

- [Voiceover] 2156.

- Hazel!

- [All] Hazel Mason, Home and Forces program.

- Oh, your wife, Frank.

You know, I thought I recognized the voice.

(woman singing on radio)

- Steady, steady.

Not so fast.

That's good, that's good.

She's good.

She's damn good.

- 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.

- You know, I hadn't thought about it til now,

but we'll have been posted missing since this morning.

- As a matter of fact I had thought of it.

- 1 don't think the others have.

- All the better for them.

- Still, I suppose Hazel knows about Frank by now.

- Bound to, they"ll get it through the BBC.

- She's on tonight.

- Where'd you expect her to be, off?

(trumpeting)

- Good blackout they've 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.

Well it feels like the end of a long tour

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.

There might be something in that after the war.

The drive of Yorkshire woolens through Holland.

They might go for it in a big way.

Only don't let anybody know I said so.

- I don't promise 'cause of course I never talk

of anything but woolens.

I can't cure myself of it.

- What's so funny about woolens?

- Alright, alright, don't get excited.

- Which is it that you know more about, British actors

or the British cloth?

- Oh ho ho ho.

(knocking)

- Now, let me see you all.

- Frau de Vries.

May I introduce--

- No you may not.

1 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.

Wasn't only you.

- I see.

Were you a diplomat before the war?

- Oh 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.

- Anyway, 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.

- [George] 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.

And after a few minutes, when he finds he's still alive,

he 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.

- [Tom] 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.

- But do you ever hear from him?

- Five times a week.

He's one of the Dutch announcers of Radio Oranje.

- What?

- Radio Orange.

- Oh.

- So you see we are two, on both sides of the channel,

who are still fighting.

- Well leave it to us.

Can we get cracking tonight?

- You may be here for days or hours.

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, I don't--

- Are you in command of this party?

- Oh no, he's just a Yorkshireman.

- Are you in command?

- No.

You are.

- We have to get you back to England.

You are not the first and you won't be the last

to leave this house for England.

You will 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 gawking

into 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.

(rain falling)

- [Voiceover] Owing to bad weather conditions,

there were no operations over enemy territory last night.

- You're telling me.

- Mijnheer (sir)

-pardon, mijnheer

- Our wine has been drunk by the Germans,

but being a Dutch woman, ll think the 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.

(speaking French)

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.

- Go on, George.

- I don't know why everybody's looking at me.

After all, we have a diplomat and an actor here.

And 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 and attack which will sweep these Germans

from--

(airplanes rumbling)

(air raid siren)

- Air raid!

Louis, (speaking Dutch).

Come here, all of you.

(shouting in German)

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 in our hearts.

(booming)

(shouting in Dutch)

- (Speaking Dutch)

Stop here.

(shouting in German)

(whistles)

(speaking German)

- She's leading him up the garden path, beautifully.

They're expecting another chap, name of Fritz.

- Reception committee for Fritzy.

- He's gone to get a (speaks German).

I don't know what (speaks German) means.

(speaking German)

(cries out)

- She's dropped his torch in the drink.

- Since when did you speak German?

- I can understand that much.

- (Speaking German)

- Herr Fritzy.

- Now what about this (speaks German)?

Of course!

- What is it?

- Corkscrew.

- Cut it out.

I'll be Fritz.

You others follow as soon as the fight starts.

(speaking German)

(shouting)

Alright Mrs. de Vries?

- Yes.

- How 'bout it Tom?

- Kiboshed.

- Bob?

- KO.

- Frank, Geoff?

- Over and out.

- (Speaking Dutch)

- Louis!

- (Speaking Dutch)

- 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 going 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.

(speaking Dutch)

That tunnel leads to the river.

Watch out for a fishing boat coming upstream

with two white diamonds on the starboard side.

- Two white diamonds.

- Try and contact the fisherman.

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 those air men who are 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 the bottle.

- Well, God bless you.

- I suppose that's the one advantage of being old.

- Good luck.

- Stand by.

In.

Out.

(explosions booming)

- Swing bridge ahead.

(horn blowing)

(speaking German)

- Here come the fishing boats.

- Two white diamonds.

Here go our boyfriends.

- 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!

(whistling)

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Quicken up.

In.

Out.

(shouting in German)

Now row.

(gunshot)

- Keep down everybody.

- Down be damned, we're not gonna be caught!

In, out, in, out!

(gunshots)

- Our luck.

They don't dare use light because of our traps.

Let's slow it down Tom, I'm done.

- Watch your course, George, we're going a bit north.

- You want any help, sir?

- You alright, George?

- George?

He's hurt.

- Steer, somebody!

- Are you hurt badly, George.

- The tiller.

- Don't worry about that.

Here.

Geoff.

Here, pass me that sack.

Oh lord.

You alright now George?

- If 1 can stick it til morning I'll do alright.

- I suppose this is what they call choppy.

- 1 call nasty.

- Hey, here they come.

They've spotted us, sir.

- Blast.

- They'll be here in about three minutes I reckon.

- Nevermind, when this comes out we're gonna be alright.

- I don't want another trip to Holland just yet, shut the hatch.

- They still jabbering, sir?

- Yes.

They're ordering these two thugs to sit quiet

until the E boats get here.

- (Speaking German)

- What are we gonna do about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

- You two stay put, you understand?

- (Speaking German)

- You know you're far too cocky.

You understand that alright?

- Okay.

- No need to have empty stomach anyway.

(horn sounding)

- Try to pick up something from our side.

(shouting)

- Out!

- [Voiceover] They don't seem to understand my German, sir!

- He's one of us!

- [Voiceover] Hello, air force?

- That's right, six of us.

- [Voiceover] What are you birds doing here?

Wonder Jerry didn't pick you up.

- Matter of fact we picked up two of them.

- Jerrys?

Are they your prisoners?

- Well we been arguing the toss about that

ever since we got here.

They were here first and radioed their chaps for help.

- I see their point.

Technically you're their prisoners.

- [Voiceover] 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.

- Well then we loosened the cable and hoped we'd drift.

- You drifted alright.

Another hour with this tide running and you'll be

in our own minefields.

How long have you been in the pot?

- Since about 4.

- We saw you coming sir, we thought you was Jerrys sir.

- 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'd you hear that?

- About 10 minutes ago.

- 10 minutes?

Well 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.

- Yeah, 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.

Course you don't want to leave him.

Be the wisest thing to do.

- We can't do that.

We're all the one crew, you see.

- Yeah, I quite agree.

Coxswain!

- [Voiceover] Aye aye, sir!

- Take this lobster pot in tow!

- [Voiceover] Aye aye sir!

- What about the E boats?

- That to the E boats, next stop Dover.

- [Voiceover] 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's Berlin.

(Dutch national anthem)