Original subtitles

June 1944

France remains under Nazi occupation. To win the war on the Western Front the Allies must liberate France.

Winston.

Winston!

Where were you?

The beaches ...

always bring it back.

Almost 30 years ago now.

So many young men.

So much ... waste.

It's getting late.

Come on!

I mustn’t let it happen again.

Winston.

Winston.

Oh - Great God!

Winston!

- I was working. - You'll be late.

Burden.

Burden.

Give me a Louis XIII, Smuts.

"For five years ...

... we have asked our men ...

... to endure the tribulations of war."

No no no... "The trials of war."

Yes. "For five years we have asked our men ...

... to endure the trials of war."

"The suffering of war." Ya, "the suffering of war".

You're ready to go.

And obviously darling, I think you will need these?

- Knee-breeches. - Wouldn't you rather wear a uniform?

- The King will be there. - Will so are the Americans!

His Majesty takes precedence, even over them.

That is the way it is done.

Americans respect military uniforms.

I'm choosing between "trials" and "tribulations".

Do stop adding to them!

I think this is all going to go splendidly.

The Cabinet Office has sent you a new secretary.

- Could you say hello? - Why do I need a new secretary?

Because you ate the last one.

- Helen Garrett. - My dear.

Oh, there's no need to drop to the floor, my dear. I'm not royalty.

Sorry ... I ... It's such an honour ...

... to meet you, Mr. Churchill, sir.

- My mother and I are huge supporters. - Ah yes?

Oh yes! Well, well you are the one, sir. The one who will see us through.

You won't give up on us.

My dear Miss Garrett, that's why ... I fight on ... every day.

And now ... I must go forth ... and do ... just that!

- I'll try to reign him in. - You can try.

Miss Garrett.

"The sufferings of war." No ... no ... no.

"For five long years"

"our people have endured the sufferings of war."

"The soldiers have born their burden with pride."

"The soldiers have born their burden with valour!"

Valour is better than pride.

"The soldiers have born their burden with valour."

"And pride."

Ten-hut!

- Here we go ... - Winston!

General Eisenhower!

Field Marshal Brooke.

General Montgomery. - Mr. Churchill.

What an gathering!

Sorry to expose you to the English summer ...

... we couldn't risk this meeting in London. - Just think,

... if Hitler were to drop a bomb on this little patch ...

... he would at one blast, destroy the entire High Command of our Allied forces!

Let's hope we get though it ... eh?

Thank you.

Sir.

Crack on gentlemen.

Your Majesty, gentlemen.

This is our last briefing on Operation Overlord

the assault on the German Occupying Forces in the north of France.

We have only a three day window, before the tides change

and making it impossible to land our crafts.

... so it is a great throw of the dice, but if we win the day ...

... it will go a long way toward winning the war.

We're in the final stages.

but as usual I welcome any criticism to this plan as it stands.

We must all work together, to pull this off.

Prime Minister?

This will be ... the greatest

campaign, be it mounted by our Allied Forces.

Operation Overlord will require 200,000 vehicles.

A fleet of 7,000 ships, swarms of planes ...

... most essentially, a quarter of a million men.

All this will be focused in one place.

Taking the German army ... head on!

- That's right. - No, gentlemen, no.

This plan may be admirable in its bravery,

but in its risks ... it is ... foolhardy!

- Jesus Christ! - Our own casualty estimates predict

that anything up to 160,000 French civilians will be killed.

If Overlord fails, which it all to easily could,

we will lose ... at one strike ... most of our war material

along with tens of thousands our own men.

Who then ... will defend ... England?

Would you have us do nothing while the Nazis massing 20 miles off our shores?

No! I would have us do more!

We must split the advance, to spread the risk.

- No. - Don't you see?

We could tempt Hitler's Forces into the Aegean,

Draw his eye .. away .. from the Coasts of France.

The plans for D-Day have been in place for over a month.

For five long years we have asked our men,

to endure the tribulations of war.

They have born their burden with valour.

But I have seen beach landings such as this, before.

In the First War.

The potential for disaster ... is too great!

We must not rush in. We must think ..

.. and we must fix this broken plan ..

before it ends in tragedy!

Sounds rather as if ..

.. we are discussing different Operations.

Sir, Overlord has been fully prepared.

I would be happy to send you a detailed plan.

Do that. Thank you.

Excuse me Gentlemen, I have ...

another ship to launch.

Your Majesty.

You haven't believed in this all along.

Someone had to speak on behalf of the ordinary fighting man.

Brooke, would you ride with me?

Bastard.

- Why? - Oh, don't look so shocked, Smuts.

I've just saved the war!

Winston, please! We must discuss this.

Quite right! We must start preparing changes to the plan immediately.

- No, wait! - No time to wait!

You can't just change everything over the heads of our Allies.

I can! I .. can. Weakness doesn't impress Americans.

They respect strength, Decisiveness!

There is a difference between strength and arrogance.

The last time you British tried to tell them what to do ...

- you lost the Colonies! - You forget Smuts, son ...

... I'm half American myself. My dear late mother

was a native of Brooklyn, New York, no less!

I don't care about your mother!

Good afternoon.

We must .. draw up .. new plans.

- Briggs, get me the Admiralty. - Yes, sir.

We must set up a distraction in the Aegean.

Fanshawe, find out, if General Alexander has reached Rome yet.

He must keep driving the Nazis back.

Miss Garrett, get Combined OPs on the phone.

someone there who knows about Norway.

We must marshal our resources.

This is our chance.

It is time ... to win ... this war.

Have you finished being rude about my mother?

- Why are you doing this? - D ...

D-Day will be a disaster, Smuts.

Throwing all those men at one spot ...

... on a well defended coastline, teeming with Nazis ...

... they'd be slaughtered. That's not warfare,

it's butchery, and I can't let them do that to our men.

- Winston! - Ah, Brookie, I'm glad you're back.

We must talk about this plan for Bordeaux.

- Eisenhower wants to see you. - Good! Good ...

I think less formal wear? Don't you?

- I tried. - We all have.

You know there comes a time

when even the greatest of leaders has gone as far as he can go.

Winston!

Ten-Hut!

Present .. Arms!

Follow me, please, gentlemen.

You will listen to Ike? Won't you Winston?

Ya, we listen to each other.

An exchange of views.

Brooke!

- Winston. - Ike.

I'm glad to see you and we can get on with things.

I hope we can talk about the Bordeaux Landing Site Plan.

Won't you sit down?

That was a hell of a speech today Winston. Hell of a speech.

Much needed to be said.

I wish you'd said some of it to me earlier.

You said yourself you welcome criticism.

I do! I welcome any thoughts ...

on how to increase Overlord's chances of success,

decrease casualties, shorten supply lines.

But start talking about turning it into a totally different operation,

in front of the men who've spent months planning it,

ya, in front of the King of England, well ...

that could be seen as ... unhelpful.

Unhelpful?

You must remember Ike. We've fought the Germans in France before.

Even if you break through in Normandy,

even with the massive casualties, civilian and military,

what will our boys face in France?

Another Western Front? Passchendaele?

The Somme? Trench warfare!

Winston, we have an Air Force. We have self-propelled artillery,

an Armoured Division. The age of pushing Infantry to the front is over.

Operation Overlord is not the only way of winning this war.

I should know. I have seen a great many wars.

For sure. Some of them in the last century.

- I beg your pardon? The war you are talking about,

... was 30 years ago. I don't think you truly appreciate ...

... how much things have moved on.

- What is this, Brookie? - Well, the thing is Winston ...

.. we don't have the capacity to carry out these other plans of yours.

Bordeaux, Italy or ... anything.

What I'm trying to do is win this war.

You see, I think you are trying to win the last war.

With the same ideas and tactics they had then.

There were lessons we learnt in the last war!

I don't want to make the same mistakes.

- Of course! - And I shall not be stopped from speaking my mind!

You are, of course, the Prime Minister.

Which is exactly why we can't have you trying to disrupt things!

I mean precisely to disrupt it!

The invasion of France is a deadly gamble.

and must be stopped!

No, sir! You must be stopped!

Look, we are all tired.

You told me yourself, Winston, you're no longer leaping out of bed ...

... first thing in the morning. Rarely up before noon.

Perhaps you should devote your energies to politics.

Keeping the Nation's moral up, that sort of thing.

What? Am I to be a clown?

Entertain the masses while you send young men to their death?

Winston, we're taking care of it.

I have commissioned alternative plans from the Forces.

They should be here by tomorrow, and then ...

The Forces are NOT carrying our your plans.

You countermanded my orders?

A-and ...

You both feel this?

You need to let us do the job.

Well, if you excuse me, I must be on my way back to London.

- I'll come with you. - I'd rather you didn't.

I have papers, that I must have left in the car.

Winston.

Thank you for hearing what we had to say.

You are a great asset to this country,

to this Allied war effort. We all know that.

Absolutely.

I'm fine!

Very good, sir.

Left, right, left, right, ...

Look!

Left, right, left, right ...

... that is the Foreign Minister, that is the answer.

That would be all. Yes, thank you.

Oh, Winston.

I'm going to the Rushovar meeting.

Margaret's holding a dinner afterwards.

Ike spoke to you tonight?

I have run this country and this War for more than two years,

before these Americans even turned up.

Yet, it's as if my experience, my knowledge of warfare

counted for nothing!

So, Ike has a great deal of experience in warfare.

Maybe you should listen to him.

Is everyone to overrule everything I say?

The King appointed me, Prime Minister of this country.

It is my duty, to lead them through this war!

Don't assume you're the only one capable of making decisions.

Is this about the war? ...

or is it about you and me?

- Do you want to be coddled, Winston? - I'd settle for some respect.

Then don't complain, when someone tells you the truth.

I'll be late.

Bastards.

3 days before D-Day

where is everybody?

I should think they are still at breakfast, sir.

I'll be going to the coast today. I shall need Smuts.

Miss Garrett, take a telegram.

Begins.

The Halifax British Embassy, Washington DC.

We celebrate success of Campaign in Italy.

Pushing Nazis back. Americans must now see need to slice up hard ...

... into soft underbelly of Europe.

The amphibious landings they planned for Normandy,

must not become a distraction.

I hope you impress this on President when next you meet.

Leaving him in no doubt of our perfervid enthusiasm

for our American Allies. Ends!

Give me Klop.

Klop! Klop!

Klop.

Klop.

Wow wow.

- Wow wow. - What are you doing?

Working.

The word I used was perfervid.

Miss Garrett, meaning "intense". According to your draft ...

I would have our Ambassador impress on President Roosevelt

my perverted enthusiasm.

for our American Allies.

I'm terribly sorry.

He had rather a trying day yesterday.

- And I don't think it's over. - It's fine.

Good to hear.

Was that necessary?

I am trying to run a country and a war.

I can't afford mistakes.

- The car is ready, Sir. - Thank you, Briggs.

- Why do you need your car? - I'll going to inspect Monty's troops.

Has he invited you?

Clemmie, I may only have a day ...

... before they launch the show. The least I can do ...

... is to give some small words of encouragement to those young men,

they are sending to die on the beaches.

Just remember Win. They need to respect their Commanders.

- This isn't your shooting party. - I'll only going to speak!

That's rather what I am afraid of.

It looks to me ...

... that Monty's has his numbers wrong.

For all these vehicles only this many men?

- No, this is right. - That's far too weak on Infantry.

He knows what he is doing.

When you speak to his men, do keep it short, will you?

Perhaps you could say something generous about him?

I have had the good fortune, to speak in public on a few occasions before, Smuts.

I should think, I will manage this one.

- Good afternoon, gentlemen. - Monty!

I thought we'd take a ... a look around.

- What the hell is going on? - He means to inspect your Troops.

- I don't need inspecting. - You tell him that.

- Al-right. - No, wait.

- He needs to feel part of it. - Oh for Christ's sake.

Most of the men have already shipped out.

Look, can you let him just see a few mucks?

Then I'll be able to get him away. I promise.

- You're serious aren't you? - Please ... ?

Prime Minister, if you care to join me, I'll show you the plans.

Oh very good.

The 21st Army Group is split into landing points along the beaches.

The 7th Corps to Utah Beach here, 5th to Omaha,

30th between Gold and Juno, 1st, Juno and Sword.

How great is the whole distance of this coast line, Utah to Sword?

About 50 miles.

We must attack along a wider front!

If you land them in pockets such as these,

the men will be surrounded instantly by Germans.

They'll be cut off! Slaughtered!

We have the advantage of surprise.

What if they use poison gas on our men?

- We would retaliate. - But, well they could fire it from planes.

Strewn across villages.

We'd bomb the hell out of them and they know it.

Are you sure?

I'm so sure I'm not even letting my men carry gas masks.

Does he mean that?

We're landing as we planned, Churchill.

- That's the end of the matter, I insist.

And who are you to consider ... ?

- So for Christ's sake, Winston! - Gentlemen, please.

We have this chance! Only one chance,

to drive the Nazis back and liberate Paris!

You will have beaches choked with the bodies ...

... of British and American youth!

We all know warfare has consequences!

Who cares when so many human lives are at stake?

Have you no thought of the cost if we go ...

Have you no thought of the cost if we don't?

This plan is for slaughter.

The Germans are in position.

They have reserves available.

There will be obstacles, Minefields, unknown hazards.

- Exactly. - We must get the men seeing red.

They must be completely on their toes with absolute faith in the plan.

No one must undermine their confidence, including you.

What?

I heard what you said in front of the King and our Allies.

I won't have you speaking like that to men going to those beaches.

I only want to bolster their courage!

And yet the last time you spoke is was all doubt, dithering ... and treachery.

- Did he say "treachery"? - I'm sure he didn't mean that.

That puffed up little shit!

The men won't follow him.

- Quick ranks, gather round! - Gather in lads!

- Gather round! - As you can see,

today we have some important visitors,

who come to wish you well.

We're going soon.

Very soon.

You're young all of you.

Many of you have never been under fire.

And you don't know what you are about to go through.

Some of you are fearful. That's natural.

So, let's band together.

Look out for your brothers-in-arms and they'll look out for you.

So let's all get in there,

shoot straight ... smash those bastards ...

- Ya! -Ya! - get the job done ...

- and get back here. - Let's do it, lads!

And I want you all to remember one thing,

as you land on these beaches. What's your most important possession?

- It's your life. - Yes! -Yes, sir!

- And I'm going to save it for you. - Ya! -Ya!

- Oh yeah! What we gonna do? - (Indistinct affirmative yelling!)

You and I together will see this thing through!

Yes! Sir!

Just keep it short and polite.

Whatever you do, don't insult anyone.

I won't speak.

You won't?

- He said all that needs to be said. - Good luck.

Well put, Sir.

Thank you, Sir.

I might get a stroll down to the beach.

Only a moment.

Winston! The car is ready!

Aye, he's a grim old dog, that Monty.

But I'll say one thing for him. He's prepared to fight.

He will go with those men. He will see action.

- Far too few of our leaders do. - You did in the last war.

The Western Front.

After ... after what happened in the Turkish Campaign.

But it isn't right. It isn't right ...

... to sit out the whole war in an office in London

sending thousands of soldiers into gun fire.

- that with the flourish of a pen? - That's the job

- of a political leader. - But Monty gets to be a real leader!

I should be on those boats, at the front with the men!

Get there, even before Monty does.

- I want to tell you a story. - Must you?

Yes. It's about the end of the Second Boer War,

in which we both saw action.

- Is there a point to this? - 1902. We Boers had lost.

And it felt in me to meet your Lord Kitchener,

make peace. The other commanders were furious.

I was called a coward. But I knew,

that there was no glory for us or for me in fighting on.

- We would only damage ourselves. - Smuts ...

Being a great leader doesn't always mean seizing the glory.

Sometimes you have to accept,

that you cannot lead everything from of the front.

You and I are like two old love birds,

moulting together on a perch, but still able to peck.

- I am not pecking! - You are pecking.

Eisenhower will listen to me.

He is a man of reason, a man of integrity,

- a great man, I think. - Winston, please.

Do add yourself to his problems.

Well, I want to talk to him.

Where is General Eisenhower?

- Winston. - Ike.

Apologies for this short notice.

I wanted to tell you about my plans for D-Day.

- Your plans? - I've arranged a berth for myself.

- On HMS Belfast. - That ship is sailing into battle.

I know you and I have not agreed in all points of this operation,

but surely we must agree on its importance.

The men need to feel, that the nation is with them.

- So I'll shall go. - Is this a joke?

- Not in the least. - Well for Christ's sake, you can't go.

Why? Why not?

Because if you get killed on one of my ships,

- It's my responsibility. - The HMS Belfast is not one your ships.

- She's one of the Kings'. - Let's not split hairs.

I have accepted you as the Supreme Commander

of the British Forces involved in Overlord,

but in the Navy there are four of our men to every one of yours.

- Christ, Winston ... - But you are an American General

you may not regulate the complements of British ships.

I not trying to regulate your God damn ships.

- I am just telling you not to go. - I am the Prime Minister,

of the United Kingdom. Minister of Defence.

I shall go, where I consider it necessary,

to the discharge my duty! You may not tie me down!

- Tie you down? - Only. I've seen this before,

in the First War. Big men, fighting from the safety of their arm chairs.

It's no good. Commanders must see the battlefields for themselves.

You're not a God damn Commander!

Is this about Montgomery? You just trying to get on the beaches before him?

Of course not. I hadn't even thought of that.

- What if you get shot? - I've been in wars before.

You're the sitting Prime Minister. We can't risk your life.

You're asking a quarter of a million young men to risk theirs.

That's their job! It's not yours.

If you want me to submit to this unconscionably dangerous plan,

the least you can do is let me lead my men into battle.

I will not sit back in London with my paws crossed.

listening to them being mooned on by German bullets on the wireless.

I'll shall go with them. I shall share their fate.

Don't ask me to host your God damn amateur theatrics!

There's war on!

I'm not asking you to host anything.

I shall be travelling through France as the King's Prime Minister.

aboard the King's ship.

And what's more, the King will be coming with me.

- What? - His Majesty and I ...

are in complete agreement. We must be there,

to lead the men. And there is nothing you or Monty

can do about it.

I need to speak to number 10. We're running out of time.

Winston. I've been looking for you everywhere.

A man needs a quiet moment of quiet contemplation,

before heading into battle.

You must come.

You have a visitor.

Good evening, Winston.

Your Majesty.

I was told I might ... find you here.

I had to ...

come over.

It's about the a ... the plan.

To go on earlier ...

- the ship. - Oh.

We can't.

- I see. - I know I agreed when ...

when you telephoned earlier. It was ...

rash ... of me.

I ...

A change would soften

would be at this moment ...

but be a serious matter for the Empire.

And Lilibet is ...

is only 18.

Such a ... determined girl,

but still so very young.

So no, I ... I can't go.

And, and I don't need to say to you,

what it would mean for the Allied ...

cause ... if a chance

a bomb should ... remove you from the scene.

Sir, it's ... it's all arranged.

Moreover the risk is negligible.

Our presence would be an embarrassment, Winston.

To those responsible for the ...

for the fighting.

Whether we wanted it to be or not.

The right thing to do, is what normally ...

falls to those at the top on such occasions.

To remain at home ...

and wait.

I served in the last war, as you did.

Sailed a ship, flew a plane.

Bloody hell, that was exciting.

I know the thrill you seek.

There's a damn thing you know.

Everyone thinks you are the most ... powerful man in the world.

But you're not allowed to do anything at all.

My job ... is not to fight,

not to die.

I must ... exist ...

and be gracious ...

unite,

Bring hope.

And that is my duty.

And it is yours, too.

My duty?

Go easy on Ike and Monty.

You mustn't go to war with them, Winston.

And you must not go to France.

Well?

Sir, you are my King

and I must do as you command.

The anxiety ...

dulls the coming days would be

greatly increased for me ... if

in addition to everything else

there was even the slightest risk of losing you.

Ya. I must be off.

They'll fight for floss if I don't get back soon.

Good night, Winston.

Britain will thank you for it, Winston.

I believe all of us will.

Forever.

Your Majesty.

- Did Ike send him? - Ike asked me.

I telephoned the palace.

Why, Clemmie? Why?

Could you have talked to me?

When was last time ... that you actually listened to anybody?

When was the last time that you sat and had a conversation with me?

Oh I am sorry. I must have been distracted by this little matter,

of trying to win a war. General Eisenhower sends his wife ...

long letters every weekend, even though he is thousands of miles away.

Well, why don't you marry General Eisenhower?

An handsome younger man, still in his prime,

how everybody seems to think is a real war hero.

Not some clap-top, moth-eaten old lion,

whose teeth have been pulled, so as not to frighten the ladies.

Try acting like a hero, Winston ...

and then maybe people will believe that you are one again.

Why don't you just have me stuffed? - Ohf!

2 days before D-DAY

4 AM

Please take your seats.

Gentlemen, we are here at this unsociable hour,

to make the greatest decision of our lives.

The Armada of Overlord has begun to sail.

This is the last moment, the last, crucial moment,

in which we must decide whether this Operation proceeds today as planned.

Of course we must the conditions,

wind, rain, tide.

So let's have the report. Group Captain Stagg, the weather.

Gentlemen, the fears my colleagues and I ...

have had about the weather over the next three or four days have been confirmed.

The sea will be rough. Winds up to Force 6.

A lot of low clouds.

We have had a report from the West Irish station,

that the barometer is falling rapidly there.

A further depression is heading our way.

Em - I'm sorry, sir. It's not a good picture.

General Montgomery, what do you recommend?

We're very nearly out of time.

I think we must launch now.

- Air Chief Marshal? - I'm afraid I disagree.

These are terrible conditions for air support.

I don't know how much I can provide in this weather.

But it won't be much.

Admiral, what do you think?

It's dreadful. I think we must consider,

how feasible it is, to land craft, in a storm.

Damn it, Ike. My men have already sailed.

Admiral, how long do have before the ships will have gone too far,

to call them back?

Perhaps, 30 minutes.

There could be another chance, tomorrow. Stagg?

Sir, there may be a short break in the storms tomorrow morning.

But for the next 24 hours it will be very hard to say.

What risk do you prefer to take?

Call them back.

Meet back here tomorrow at the same time.

Until then, pray for good weather.

Ike. You called them back?

This isn't being planned with any alternatives.

It is being planned as a victory, that's what's going to be.

We going down there. We're going to throw everything we have,

at it, and make it a success.

Because frankly, if we don't win this,

I don't know what kind of world we'll be left with.

I wouldn't disagree with you there.

- Thank you sir.

We'll go tomorrow, Churchill. You can't stop it.

No.

But the weather might.

Brooke is here to bring you up to date with

everything that has been happening on the coast.

General Alexander's forces,

who yesterday took Rome from the Nazis,

shall today go into the greatest battle of the war.

But the Italian Campaign could win it.

Supreme Allied Command is focusing its hope and attention now on Operation Overlord.

There is very little I can do about Overlord.

I have to direct my efforts to winning the rest of this war.

I feel like a man chained to the chariot of a lunatic.

If we can just make him feel part of it.

The political fellows are worried about him too.

If the war ends this year, they're saying he could be a liability as a leader.

Now I know you're fond of him, Smuts.

and so am I, believe it or not,

- but he is testing the limits.

- But he's not the man he was. - When you reach calm waters,

it is easy to forget the Captain who steered you through the storm.

I haven't forgotten how great he was in the Blitz.

- But that was four years ago. - He is still a great man.

End. Bloody fools. They're all bloody fools.

This is single spaced! Why is it single spaced?

I'm sorry, Sir. Someone must have reset the typewriter.

Well, it must be double spaced.

Why do your waste my time? You stupid girl!

- I'm sorry. I didn't know. - Do you realize what I have to do?

I must look after the troops, keep them safe!

Food, shelter, equipment. All must be organized!

If I leave the Supply Depot to their own devices,

they probably send dental chairs instead of bayonets!

I must focus. You must focus!

Winston?

Would you come with me for a moment, please?

A great man.

I can not work if I am surrounded by such incompetence.

I'll show Brooke and Monty, what it takes to be a real General.

I'll show them, how great men win their wars.

Stop it! Just stop it!

Brooke and Eisenhower and Monty are fighting this war

and you just keep getting in their way.

- I am the Prime Minister of this country! - Exactly.

- Minister of Defence! - Don't pull rank!

Makes you seem small.

And you don't need any more of that.

Will you stop telling me what to do?

I beg your pardon?

Perhaps it is time I took some rest.

I should say so.

Dear God.

Oh dear

Please, please, please, let it rain tomorrow

Let it pour.

Let the heavens open and a deluge burst forth,

such as never has been seen in the English Channel.

Let lightning flash,

let thunder crash and roll and bellow.

Let winds tear up the beaches

and spin the sand into storms.

Let the sea churn into peaks and troughs and tidal waves.

Call Spirits from the vasty deep.

Please ...

make them call it off.

and spare the lives of all those fine young men on those ships.

Please ...

do not let it happen again.

Amen.

Amen.

1 day before D-Day

Thank you for coming again. Take your seats.

The weather, please?

Yesterday we predicted that there would be a short break in the storms this morning.

As of O-Four-Hundred, that holds good.

The cloud cover at 2,000 feet stands at three tenths.

the wind is between Force 3 and Force 4.

You can have a big celebration, if that forecast is accurate.

These conditions could actually work against the Germans.

They won't be able to get their reconnaissance planes up at all.

Can the Navy Gunners spot in this visibility?

- Yes. - Monty?

The Army is ready.

It's a hell of a risk.

But it's the best possible gamble.

The question is how long can you leave something like this hanging out on a limb?

Okay, let's go.

Group Captain Stagg. Photograph, if you please.

Thank you.

Ike.

You have said that this war is not like the last war.

But this Operation

very much is.

Men will die tomorrow.

Do not let ... a single one of them ... die ... in vain.

Godspeed!

They'll go in.

- No! - Winston!

- I can not bear this, I cannot. - For goodness sake!

I cannot.

- I will not tolerate this from you. - I can't lead this!

- It's murder! - Sit down.

I will not be able to live the rest of my life with this on my conscience.

You have no choice.

Do you hear me? I will not be able to live the rest of my life.

Is that a threat?

By the time we wake tomorrow,

20,000 young men may be dead.

You're drunk.

This is the only thing, which brings me peace.

Well, it's not working. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Yes, could you send the maid up to the breakfast room?

There has been an accident.

No, everyone is fine. Just a broken plate.

Thank you. Yes.

And can you tell Field Marshal Smuts, I'd like to see him. Thank you.

How is he?

Come on.

Winston?

Winston.

The ships are gathering in the Channel.

They set sail at 1700 hours.

I thought I could help you, prepare your speeches for tomorrow.

- This has happened before, hasn't it? - A few times. He gets very ...

low and then he just sticks.

Anything you try to say to cheer him up just seems to make matters worse.

- Have you called for his doctor? - His doctor, usually just sends ...

him to the country for a couple of weeks.

- He has to address the nation tomorrow. - I know.

Either to tell them that we are winning the war

or that we just killed thousands of people needlessly.

Oh, dear.

Oh dear, oh dear.

- Are you all right? - Yes of course.

It must hard for you too.

I wish he would notice that.

Anyway, we must just do our best, I suppose.

Why don't you let me talk to him?

We thought if we came at this together,

we could all help write your speech for tomorrow.

It's a very important speech, Winston. Perhaps if you focus on,

that you will be able to summon the energy?

How shall we begin, Miss Garrett?

Uh ... ah! " This is the Prime Minister."

" Overnight the Combined Allied Forces "

" of Air, Sea and Land began a full assault "

" on the German positions on the north coast of France. "

" This is the beginning of the greatest Operation of the war. "

" It will push the Nazis back and liberate France. "

" Thousands of brave young men have landed from a flotilla of ships. "

" They have secured the beaches and pushed German lines back. "

- You don't know that. - What?

It's all too familiar, Smuts.

I've seen this before.

Gallipoli ... 1915.

Massive amphibious landing.

A head on assault against a powerfully entrenched army.

We had a great plans for it at first, Kitchener and I.

- This isn't 1915! - But the Operation was cut back,

by the petty minded little snippends of the Commanders.

" Lose a dozen ships here. Don't send extra divisions. "

"They needn't have so many high explosives."

I tried to stop it. Oh, God knows, I tried.

It was ...

It was meant to be ...

a little job.

We might as well have sent those men naked onto those beaches.

Warfare has moved on. Your lessons have been learned.

A quarter of a million men were cut down at Gallipoli.

The Empire blamed me. I was its champion.

But no one blames me more fiercely than I blame myself.

If that had succeeded, you would have been celebrated as a hero.

But it failed!

I sent men to die! Hundreds, thousands of them!

Their blood soaks my hands.

The men do their duty and we do ours.

- We must live with the guilt. - But we live,

and still the Commanders have not learned.

For they do not care to learn.

They keep away from the battlefields and do not see the cost.

Eyes shot out by sniper's bullets.

Legs blown off by mines, Blood on the sea foam.

That's what the men see, that's what they face!

Half of those men on these ships today will be rotting corpses by tomorrow.

That's enough!

My fiancé is on one of those ships.

I think he is. He can't tell me exactly.

What's his rank?

He is a Midshipman.

On a destroyer.

Arthur. Arthur Clayton.

H ... How did you meet?

We grew up together in Portsmouth.

He says that he will take care of me and my mother.

My father was in the First War.

That's still with him. He's not much good for work.

Arthur says when he returns we'll get a cottage by the sea.

Fill it with children ... grow roses around the door.

See, I want to believe that I won't end up like my mother and her sisters.

With all their men dead, or maimed or shell shock.

I want to believe that they'll just be al-right.

That he'll just be al-right.

I don't want to hear that the man I love,

may in a few hours, be dead.

And I don't want to hear it from you.

I thought you were the bravest man in England.

I'm sorry. I have no right.

No.

You have every right.

Come. Sit down.

Thank you.

I must get dressed.

I need your help.

What are you talking about?

Duty.

Are... are ... are you going?

I can't, can I?

I know I haven't been fully a companion to you for ...

for some while.

This war requires the whole of me.

and it's no easy matter, being a leader.

It's not that easy being married to one, either.

I'm expected to stand behind you and prop you up, whenever you require it.

with good humour and unfailing kindness.

I sometimes wish I could live my own life.

Would you do that?

I've had to learn to live around your edges.

I often wondered,

if there would be another man.

- Would you care if there were? - Desperately!

I haven't made you happy, have I?

You have.

At times you really have.

But now ...

Win, I don't know how to help you,

if you ... if you don't understand what it is you must do.

The Women's Auxiliary. We shouldn't keep them waiting.

No. No, I ... I'll go ahead.

- Briggs. - Sir.

Did you get any word back from the Admiralty?

Yes, Sir. Midshipman Arthur Clayton is on one of the craft heading for Juno beach.

They're on the first wave.

Expecting a lot of German fire, Sir. I'm sorry.

- Thank you, Briggs. - Sir.

They'll be well on their way by now.

So many young men.

Same as in the last war. Barely more than boys.

They've grown up with this war.

They're brave.

Too young to know how to be afraid.

What will you say, tomorrow?

I don't know. Depends on the news.

No it doesn't.

Whatever happens tonight, you must give them hope.

Even if 20,000 men are dead, you can't leave their wives and mothers,

and children thinking they died with no reason.

You must stay with them, make their sacrifice have a purpose.

Make them believe that by God, they will win this war.

And I will do it with them.

For that is my duty.

Isn't it?

Would you mind talking to the Women's Auxiliary without me?

I must write that speech.

Clem?

Fighting is what I have always done.

It's the core of who I am.

If I do this ... if I make this speech,

I won't be fighting any more.

No, you won't.

Who will I be,

when it's all over?

If we win or it ends in disaster?

What will I be, if I'm no longer fighting?

You will always be, the man who lead us through this.

- Wow wow. - Wow wow.

Miss Garrett!

Sir.

Very good, Miss Garrett. Thank you.

Winston, news has just come through.

- The landings? - No, London.

We think the Luftwaffe will strike with the new "V" rocket.

We should prepare the air raid shelter.

Do we have the planes to shoot them down?

We'll try, but these rockets have no pilots.

Incredibly fast.

If Hitler thinks he can break our spirit like this,

he is wrong. Miss Garrett,

I shall need another draft of that speech.

Oh, by the way ...

Thanks you, Smuts.

I have received this report on Midshipman, Arthur Clayton.

He landed with the first wave. They took heavy fire,

but he himself fought with great courage and saw it through.

He is safe and well.

Oh, heavens ...

Oh, and a, if I may ...

He sends you his love.

Thank you. So very much, Mr. Churchill.

Thank you, Miss Garrett.

At the Sixth Hour

On the Sixth Day

Of the Sixth Month

This is the Prime Minister speaking.

" First the news from the Great Operation in France. "

" This magnificent effort of co-ordinated Air, Land and Sea. "

has brought the Allied Forces together to push the Nazis back.

and begin the liberation of France.

"The passage of the sea " has been made with far less loss

than we apprehended. The superior bombardment

of our ships and planes quickly reduced the German fire.

" General Eisenhower's courage is equal to all that must be done. "

" Everything is ready, as it has never been ready before. "

" and we are awake " to the tips of our fingers.

- That's a good line. - Shhhush

" Last night the dangers appeared very great. "

" This morning we have overcome them. "

This great war against Nazis domination,

" is fought by ordinary people. "

" the soldiers, sailors and airmen in the field, "

" and also those at home. "

We defied Hitler with our endurance,

and our strength of character and our refusal,

to give into tyranny and oppression

and the darkest evils in History.

" This is not a war for glory, it is a war for freedom. "

" The Germans will strike back. "

We do not know, where they will hit.

Their new flying bombs have no pilot.

Destruction sent forth in a soulless machine.

This is a weapon of cowards,

and cowards can not win.

We must meet it with valour, as our soldiers do.

As those brave men fight on the beaches,

we on the Home-front must fight on too.

And when they return, covered in glory,

we may share in their honour.

Hitler is again trying to menace us with fire.

Four years ago he thought he could break us with the Blitz.

He was wrong. He is wrong again, now.

For we do not melt in fire.

We are tempered by fire, like steel,

and emerge, strong, and ready to fight.

Hitler has started a fire,

which must burn him out of Europe.

Our troops will fight on ...

and the Allies will fight on ...

and I shall fight on,

until we are free.

We will never surrender.

And I will never surrender.

Oh, how I wish this was Scotch.

Oh well.

- Were you listening to the broadcast? - Of course.

You were wonderful.

I was worried about you yesterday.

You did a ... a really wonderful thing.

turning yourself around ... recovering.

- I'm not sure I've recovered. - The impression was good enough.

It never quite goes away.

Sometimes the colour drains from the picture and it's all Gray and dull.

Well, and I ... I can't force it to change back.

How's it looking now?

A mixture.

But I must live with that.

You know, I think I might go to Chartwell this weekend,

and spend some time in the country.

- Do a spot of painting. - That's a very fine idea.

There's a way the sun hits the lake in the afternoon.

under the willows.

Might make for a harmonious view.

- In colour? - Em ... possible ...

- And what about the war? - Oh, I think,

Eisenhower and Monty have that well under control, don't you?

I would understand if you left me.

I'd leave me, if I could.

I don't want you to live around my edges.

Perhaps we should ... just ...

let each other in!

- But you mustn't keep fighting. - I've given up fighting.

Do you really mean that?

The most important thing in a war, when think of it,

is for people to feel, truly, unified.

Inspired, hopeful.

I may write another speech!

I think I'll walk on for a while.

Will you be al-right?

I'll manage.

Godspeed.

Operation Overlord was a decisive victory for the Allies on the Western Front.

On 8th May 1945, Germany surrendered, ending World War II in Europe.

Winston Churchill continued to lead his Party until he was 80 Years old.

He is often acclaimed as the greatest Briton of all time.