Original subtitles

(EXCLAIMING)

Davis.

Those cables still need adJusting.

And now the air speed indicator's oscillating all over the...

You get that stinking death box rebuilt.

I'm sorry, sir.

-Well, Just get it right for once. -Yes, sir.

The CO would like to speak to you...

Sir.

-Now what's bothering you? -Sir?

-You've been test-flying your aircraft. -Yes, sir.

We normally do that in the mornings.

If we're paddling across to the Ruhr tonight, sir,

I'll test-fly it all day to get it into some sort of shape.

Really?

-I take it that's a criticism. -Yes, sir.

We've got good ground crew here, we're damn lucky to have them.

I disagree, sir.

What the hell do you think you're saying, Carter?

We can accept the odd magneto cutting out,

but not brakes that don't brake.

I mean, that's Just bad routine servicing.

It's a mistake, Carter. A rare one.

You make mistakes, I make mistakes. They've made one.

Now, don't bully and bawl at my ground crew

or I'll come down on you like a ton of rock.

Clear?

What time's practice?

Is it ops tonight?

Yes.

What time do you have to be back?

21 00.

Two hours.

Why don't you ask me what kind of a day I've had?

-Well? -It was lousy.

The aircraft was US, the ground crew had finger trouble.

And I had a stupid row with Cannock, and now you.

(SIGHING)

You know, lately your face has been getting longer than the Mersey Tunnel.

(SIGHING)

I'm Just frightened. Frightened for you.

Yes, well, I'm frightened, too.

I don't know anybody who isn't frightened at the moment.

But we've got to adapt.

-I want you to talk to Father. -No.

-You must, Simon. -No, no, no plots.

-Please. -None of that.

Cathy, I'm going to need a little more from you in the way of support.

At the moment, when I'm up there, I'm thinking as much about you

as I am about what I'm doing and what's happening around me.

That's the way people make mistakes.

Father says you don't have to fly operationally.

You know what the score is now.

Ten wives and girlfriends already in the squadron

have got husbands or boyfriends missing or dead.

Yeah, I know what the score is but I am not going to be killed.

Simon!

Please listen to Father.

All right, I'll listen to him. But I can't promise anything.

Here. You're going to be late.

Good luck.

-Good evening, sir. -Hello, Baxter.

Is Mr Devenish at home?

I believe he is turning the wine, sir, in the cellar.

I'll take you.

No, I think I know where the cellar is, thank you, Baxter.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

-Evening, Simon. -Hello, sir.

-Where's Cathy? -I dropped her off at the church.

-Baxter given you a drink? -No, sir.

Off to the other side tonight.

-Yes. -Ah.

Cathy (SIGHING) wanted me to talk to you.

Oh, some of these bottles have blown their corks.

A damn shame.

It isn't easy.

-Sir? -To talk to you, Simon.

She doesn't understand you.

Neither do I.

She has some idea I could get out of bombers.

It's not possible. And even if it was, I wouldn't.

Have a taste of this wine.

I was at the Athenaeum the other day, was talking to Cousin Percy.

(CHUCKLES)

I was asking him about bomber pilots.

He says that any damn fool could fly these machines.

He ought to know, what? Air Vice Marshal.

Bombers get knocked down all the time, don't they?

It's a risk.

It's a damn waste of fine young people.

You married Cathy two months ago.

You're not giving her much of a chance, are you?

If you're saying I don't care for Cathy, then you're wrong.

I asked Cousin Percy to check up on your record.

You know, you're very highly thought of.

-He came up with an idea. -No.

Now, wait a minute.

-He's offering you a Job... -No.

-...at the RAF evaluation unit... -No, sir.

...at Upavon testing new aircraft.

-No, sir! -Just think for a moment.

Someone like you with brains and talent more than most

has a responsibility to see that they are used to the maximum effect

in this mess.

I'm sorry.

(SIGHING) Taste your wine.

Good?

Yes, fine.

It, uh...

It occurred to me the other day

that I may not see this one out.

-Sir? -This war.

I might go before you chaps get it over with.

-Oh. -Might, well...

If and when I go, I do want to leave you good wine.

I've told Baxter to turn all these every seven months.

'35 Lafite.

Magnificent.

Be nectar by... 1 950?

If this rumpus is over by '4 3, drink the '34 Chateau Petrus.

So-called connoisseurs turn their noses up at it

but they're wrong.

It's an important wine.

See that Baxter keeps the cellar 5 degrees either side of 58.

Just because that damn Hun's on the march again

there's no point in getting slaphappy.

Right?

Right.

You won't change your mind?

No, sir.

No, I knew all along you wouldn't.

But I promised her I'd talk to you.

You know, Simon, the trouble with girls

is they don't understand

about chaps going off to war.

Never will.

Never did.

(PLAYING CHAMBER MUSIC)

Course.

Change to 1-7-9, skip.

-Morris? -Skip?

-Have you checked your guns? -Yes, skip.

-Morris? -Skip?

-A word in your ear. -Go ahead.

Last time we came back I thought I smelt alcohol on your breath.

Did you?

If I find you drinking back there at any time,

no two ways, a court-martial.

-Is that right? -Yes, Tom, that's right.

Cheers!

You're getting yourself strung out.

You'd better find a way to cope.

For your information, skip, I never touch the stuff.

Flak, starboard!

Course.

Steer 1-6-0, skip.

1-6-0.

What did Holman say after the briefing?

jerry was moving his flak line west.

Thought there was a hole in it around Mulheim.

-Well, let's find it. -Aye-aye, skip.

Flak! Flak, port!

(SIRENS WAILING)

-Course. -Steer 1-6-0.

Flak! Flak! Flak! Flak!

Morris? Morris?

-Morris? -What have you got?

Well, everything's okay up here. You'd better see Morris.

Aye-aye, skip.

EDMUNDS: Dougal, is Morris okay?

Dougal, can you hear me?

Is Morris all right? Dougal?

What's happened to Morris?

Dougal? Dougal?

He's gone and bought it.

Where's that damn gap?

We're on course. We should be just entering it.

Do you think jerry really does have gaps in his flak line, Dougal?

Aye, I think he does. But you never trust a Kraut, do you?

(SIRENS WAILING)

Out! Out! Out!

(WHISTLING SIGNAL)

(WHISTLING WEAKLY)

(WHISTLING SIGNAL)

(WHISTLING)

Be quiet, skip. We were seen. I heard voices and a Jeep.

Why the hell haven't you junked your 'chute?

Oh, I'm not laid out here waiting for the second Ice Age.

My legs are kaput, both of them.

(GROANING)

I came down like a poor man's Roman candle.

Oh, Jesus.

(GROANS)

Can you walk at all?

I can't even stand, man.

What about the others?

The river back there, it's wide.

They came down the other side of it.

We're going to have to hole up for the night.

Skip, they saw us come down. You'd better scarper, man.

No.

I'm going to have to hide this thing.

Have to get you out of it first.

I'm going to pull you under cover over there, all right?

Aye.

Now, hold on.

(STIFLED SCREAMING)

(GASPING)

(DOORBELL RINGING)

Father, what is it?

Wing Commander Cannock would like to speak to you.

Is he dead?

We don't know.

Nobody saw the plane hit.

There's no reason to suppose that they didn't bail out.

-Where? -Over Germany.

DEVENISH: How long before we know whether he's a prisoner?

CANNOCK: Usually takes them two to three weeks.

(DRILL SERGEANT COUNTING IN GERMAN)

Hitler Youth. Two leaders and six boys. And they're armed.

Oh, hell!

You do realise I can't go walking, sprinting or dancing in this condition.

-You managed to work out our position? -Aye.

That's Hamborn. It's 20 or 30 kilometres from Essen.

And I'm not going to make it. And you know I'm not going to make it.

Could be Just sprained.

(SCOFFS) No chance.

You're looking at a POW, Captain.

Give me the compass.

I'm not leaving you.

''I'm not leaving you.''

You sound like Betty Grable and Cary Grant

and Just as soft.

Use your head, man!

We need to find a barn or something. Sit tight for a week.

We're going to need some food.

I'm going to try and get some.

Hey, listen! Man, we're in Germany.

Yeah, well, it's worth a try.

You keep quiet, all right?

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

Father?

Father, do you speak English? I'm a British pilot. I need help.

Go away.

-No, there's another flyer... -Go away.

(PRAYING IN LATIN)

He's badly inJured.

Go way. They're watching me.

(PRAYING IN LATIN)

Halt! Or I'll fire!

(FIRES GUN)

(VEHICLE APPROACHING)

(MOUTHING)

Inside.

I'm sorry for this.

It's not your fault.

I could not convey to you.

The Gestapo have been watching me for three days now.

What for?

I'm a troublemaker.

No talking.

I come from a farming family.

The secret of agriculture is you must never let the animals run the farm.

I said, no talking!

If you see pigs wandering in the wheat fields,

you must intimidate them until they return to their sties

or they will destroy everything.

(COCKING GUN)

Did you not understand me?

Why have they arrested you now?

I had some children hidden in the church.

They found them.

I will not warn you again.

-Whose children? -Jews.

-Jews? -Yes.

First they take the parents, now they want the children.

(YELLING)

CARTER: Get his legs!

(MUFFLED YELLING)

PRIEST: Stop! Stop!

Stop! Stop!

Get inside.

Now what?

Well, I'll take the truck.

I've got rather a long way to go.

I don't think you should come.

That's sensible.

Will you be all right?

Oh, I have friends in many towns. I'll be all right.

Oh.

There you go.

Good luck.

(TRUCK DRIVING OFF)

What town have you come from?

GESTAPO: Arrest him! DRIVER: Let me out of here!

(BANGING ON TRUCK)

Out! Out!

Hands up.

Key.

DRIVER: Let me out!

(BANGING CONTINUES)

Handcuffs.

(GROANING)

ESSLIN: You are at Octenlager prisoner-of-war camp.

I am Kommandant Esslin.

Already you have made trouble coming here, but you have been paid.

The accounts are equal.

But no more trouble.

Or you will find we can be very difficult and unpleasant,

even within the terms of the Convention.

Respond to orders, settle down. Understand?

Take him away.

What shape's he in?

He started off in one piece, got mixed up with the Gestapo.

Oh, really?

Evidently he had some Gestapo thug over the barrel of a gun.

-Another RAF troublemaker, right? -Yes, sir.

-Rub my shoulder, Tom, would you? -Mmm.

Trouble with these RAF chaps

is that they lead this fearfully heroic life, unquote,

where they're all about to be shot out of the skies.

Down to the right a bit.

And so they all have this maddening schoolboy enthusiasm

to cover the fact that they're a damn bag of nerves.

They do not settle in and make good POWs.

-No, sir. -Thank you, Tom.

All right, tell him I'll see him 0900.

-If he's recovered from the beating. -Right, sir.

-What's his name? -Uh, Carter, sir.

Flight Lieutenant Simon Carter.

(SHIVERING)

Oh, you look a little bit under the weather.

I'm feeling much better today, thank you, sir.

Well, sit down.

So you're Carter, and you fooled about with the Gestapo?

-And they knocked you about. -Yes.

Well, fortunately, we don't have any dealings with them.

We have the Wehrmacht. Quite reasonable types

so long as you don't rub them up the wrong way.

I hope you'll relax and try to get something useful out of your time here.

I don't intend to relax, sir, I intend to get out of here as soon as possible.

Really? Yes, well, we'll come to that.

You see, Carter, we have to get on with these people. Live with them.

-Get on? -Yes.

And Jerry's a funny chap.

He has this professional correctness in his dealings with us,

as opposed to a moral correctness.

He's quite good

so long as you don't challenge his particular kind of integrity.

I hope I'm not around here long enough to study him in depth, sir.

I was saying, he's very fair,

as long as you don't insult his intelligence

by half-baked escape attempts.

Then he comes down on you like a ton of bricks.

Yes, I am aware of that, sir.

Yet, you've decided you'll have a bash at escaping

at the first opportunity that presents itself.

Yes, I have.

We have a planned list of departures, Carter.

I'm putting your name on that list.

You'll have every assistance to get out of here

some time about June next year.

Next year?

Every escape from this camp will be properly planned and executed.

I'm ordering you not to risk yourself

or your fellow prisoners by going it alone.

Carter! Is that clear?

-My name's Carter. -I saw you last night.

-Feeling better? -Oh, yeah.

Eddie Waltham.

Hello, Ed. Did I disturb you?

-No. -You're going out, aren't you?

Where are you headed? Switzerland?

Everything organised?

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

What squadron were you with?

I was with 1 49.

What I need is wine, women and song.

Just women will do, actually.

That's what gets you in the place, eventually. No women.

-Do you have a girlfriend? -No, I was married.

-Well, two months. -Two months?

-Yeah. -Hard lines.

Oh, it was worse for her.

They're tougher than you think.

No, not this one.

She never came to terms with the idea of fighting a war.

I mean, she's been frightened to death from the start.

That's why I have to get out of here.

Well, do it properly.

Don't get shot in the back jumping a wall.

How well has MaJor Dalby organised your escape?

(SOLDIERS SHOUTING)

Come on.

Come on, Charlie. Over here.

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

(SOLDIERS CONTINUE SHOUTING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

(MUFFLED SCREAMING)

(MUFFLED SCREAMING)

(GRUNTING)

Well, don't Just stand there!

SOLDIER 1 : Corporal Harris! Come on!

SOLDIER 2: Break it up!

(ENGINE DYING)

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

(SIGNAL SQUEAKING)

(INAUDIBLE)

(INAUDIBLE)

(TRAIN BRAKES SCREECHING)

(DOG BARKING)

ESSLIN: Do you know how stupid you have been?

You stole a truck.

You travelled many miles by train.

But you went round in a circle.

You were caught four miles from our gates.

As well as being a stupid man, you are also a dangerous man.

You were captured outside Essen on the 21 st by the Gestapo.

You escaped.

You were recaptured and brought here to Octenlager on the 22nd.

You escaped.

Not only dangerous, stupid, but also violent.

We have found others like you in our prisoner-of-war camps.

We have had to find a solution to them. We think we have.

You have left me no alternative, but to pass you on to Oflag IVc.

It is a Sonderlager.

A special prisoner-of-war camp in Saxony, from which there is no escape.

That is where we are going to send you. To Colditz.

Take him out.