All language subtitles for King.and.Country.1964.SC.1080p

Here dead lie we

because we did not choose to live
and shame the land from which we sprung.

Life, after all, is nothing much to lose,

though young men think it is,

and we were young.

What's it remind you of?

Remind you of anything?

You know when this war's over,
I think I'll get me a job in the sewer.

- So you should too!
- Well, it's the same smell, the same company.

The perfect soldier.

Aye, the perfect soldier.

- Loved his country.
- Killed rats.

- Killed lice.
- Went without food.

- Without drink.
- Without sleep.

Without...

Went over the top.

- Killed the Kaiser, won the war.
- Home again.

- Honourable discharge.
- Fat pension.

From his grateful country.

Women waiting for him.

Children fondle him.

Liquor is free for him.

He sleeps in the sun.

Remind you of anything?

I suppose they think
I've let 'em down, Corp.

No.

I reckon I'll get a fair trial.

Aye.

It'll come out all right.

Aye, course it'll come out all right.

Well, I'm sorry this job
has to be wished on you, Charles.

It's not your fault.

If we weren't moving up so soon,

I suppose it could all be
a bit more formal.

That would make it
all the more futile, wouldn't it?

- What?
- Well, he is on trial for his life.

That doesn't make him original,
we're all on trial for our lives.

The only thing that makes him original
is that he's failed.

Failed as a man and as a soldier.

The whole blasted thing's
a waste of time.

If a dog breaks its back,

you don't sit around
chatting all day, you shoot it.

- Excuse me, sir.
- Oh yes, come on.

What were you like as a child?

The same.

- Is he in there?
- Yes, sir.

Might I have a word with you, sir?

He's no idea
what could happen to him, sir.

At least, he don't give
no sign of knowing.

I suppose he's bound to know.
He's bound to know what he did.

He's bound to know
what could happen to him.

Have you been talking to him?

Yes, sir, a bit.

I know it's laid down we shouldn't.

Shall I come, sir?

Is it necessary?

No, sir.

- My name's Hargreaves.
- Yes, sir, I know you, sir.

- Do you?
- Trönes Wood, sir.

Warlencourt as well.

How long have you been out here?

'14, sir. Best part of three years.

You know of course that you are entitled
to the help of a defending officer?

Oh, yes, sir, soldier's friend.

I suppose I can be as much
use to you as anybody else,

subject of course to your acceptance.

No objection?

Oh no, sir.
I'd like to thank you, sir.

It's not as if you have to do it, sir.

Do you mind standing to attention
when you are speaking to an officer?

I didn't think it mattered in here, sir.

Well, it does matter.

Pull yourself together, will you?

Now you're Hamp, Arthur James, 873...

73426, sir.

- Age?
- 23, sir.

Occupation?

I'm a soldier, sir.

- I mean in civilian life.
- Oh.

I had a trade, sir, boot maker.

Handmade boots, sir.
I come from Islington.

Do you know it, sir?

- Yes, I know it.
- Yeah?

Were you a cobbler all your life?

- Since I left school, sir.
- At what age?

Twelve, sir.
Started young, as they say.

Were you a good one?

Oh, yeah. A good cobbler, yeah.

Me father and grandfather were
cobblers before I was, see.

- Me grandfather, he started it.
- Are you married?

Yes, sir.

- Any children?
- Yes, sir.

- How many?
- One, sir.

A little boy.

Do you understand
why I'm asking you these questions?

You know best, sir.

- All right, stand at ease.
- Yes, sir.

I'd better ask you
some questions about your...

about your home life.

Home life?

Well, we never really
had a proper home life, sir.

We always lived with our mother.

Did you?

Were you on...

- Sit down, sit down.
- Oh, thank you, sir.

Were you on good terms
with your wife?

Has somebody said
something to you?

Would you mind answering
my question?

- About the wife?
- Yes.

She's took up with somebody else,
that's what I got told.

- Who told you?
- I got a letter.

- A kind friend?
- Yeah, Len.

- I see.
- Len Wilson.

Lives just a couple of doors away.

Well, that'll do for
mitigating circumstances anyway.

Sir?

A reason.

- An understandable reason.
- Oh.

- Did you keep the letter?
- No, sir, I hadn't thought.

It's a pity.

Did you...

Did you... did you mention
this letter to anyone else?

Yes, sir, I did. Yeah.
Er, Willie Bryson

Private Bryson in our platoon.
Did you know him, sir?

No, I don't think I do.

Oh. Yeah, he got killed,
here at Passchendaele.

Er, did this...

did this trouble with your wife
have anything to do with the...

with, erm...
with what you're accused of doing?

No, sir. I never thought of it.

Do you reckon maybe it was a reason
even if I never thought of it?

I don't know.

That's for you to tell me.

Oh.

You see...

This kind of story's
so often true that, er...

well, you could be lying.

And I have to believe you
before I can defend you,

do you understand that?

You can believe me, sir.

It'll come out all right, sir.

Why did you volunteer?

King and country.

Sir.

They dared me.

- Who dared you?
- The wife and her mother.

They never thought I'd go.

Yeah, I reckon it was that
more than anything else.

I wanted to surprise them.

They got a surprise and all
when I told them.

And of course...

we didn't know
what it was going to be like, did we?

Well, I...
I didn't think about it too much

but I suppose you reckon
to yourself in my kind of life,

well, it can't be much
worse than this, you know.

Not you, sir,
but my sort and most of the lads.

But we was wrong.

Up there, well...

it's worse than anything, isn't it?

It's no worse for you
than anyone else.

I know that, sir, I know that.

I'm only talking about it
'cause you're asking me.

Alright.

Go on.

Well, when I volunteered,
we didn't know any better, did we?

What do you mean by that?

Just a manner of speaking, sir.

You'll have to learn to be careful
of your manner of speaking.

Yes, sir.

Funny thing is,

the fellows I come out with,

do you know there's
none of them left except me?

Loos.

Loos, that was the first one.

Yeah, it was a long time, that one.

Trônes Wood.

Gomiėcourt.

Warlencourt.

Yeah.

And now this one here.

Passchendaele.

Worse than anything.

Have you been wounded?

Not properly, sir.

I was bleeding a few times
and there was one time

I got sent down to a G.C.S.

But it was nothing much.
They sent me back the next day.

Of course you hear of fellows wishing

they could lose an arm or a leg.

Same as everybody else.
I've heard of...

some of the lads
that have tried it on themselves.

Have you tried it?

Sir?

Have you tried it?

Oh, no, sir, no...

Me and Willie, Bryson,

we was thinking of trying it once,
but we never did.

It... it wasn't long after that,
that Willie's number came up.

When? Here?

Oh, sir. I'm so sorry. Sorry.
I've got to go someplace.

Corporal!

- Sir.
- Latrines.

- Yes, sir.
- Go on.

Come on, Hamp.

Right wheel.

Sergeant, get the rest of your platoon
outside with their gear for delousing!

- Yes, sir.
- Come on, out!

Right, sir.

Platoon out for delousing!

All out for delousing!

Come on!

Come on outside for delousing.

Outside with all your gear for delousing.

Come on, out!

Captain Hargreaves, prisoner's friend.

Prisoner's friend. Afair trial.

- A fair trial and a quick death.
- Very funny.

Didn't you think it was funny?

Not funny if you're in Hamp's shoes.

Ready for you, sir.

I told you he was a strange one, sir.

Attend to that, will you?

I wouldn't be in Hamp's shoes.

If I'd done it,
I wouldn't have got caught.

Right, get yer picks and shovels!

I've got a job for yer.

They still hanging around here, sir?

Thanks for the smoke, sir.

Did you expect to get away with it?

Well, I wasn't really thinking about it,
sir, one way or the other.

I just couldn't stand it anymore.

- It wasn't the first time, sir.
- What?

Well, I nearly did it once before.
I mean, I thought of it.

Time of Warlencourt.

I got sent back on a water party.

I was thinking about getting away

but an MP got his eye on me,
so I didn't.

- And that was all?
- Yes, sir.

Supposing the others had

cleared off and left you on your own
at Loos or Trônes Wood?

I don't think it could have been
much worse, sir.

All right then,
we'll forget about that.

Tell me about the last time,

the time you said you couldn't
stand it anymore. What about that?

Well, the time this really started
going in my head,

I got blown into a shell hole.

Two of the lads pulled me out
with their rifles.

Well, I'd seen it happen to
a bloke a couple of days before.

He slips off the duck boards
into the hole,

you see, and he's bobbing
up and down in the mud,

you know, like an egg boiling in water,
with his pack on and everything.

I didn't help him, nobody did.
It's laid down.

So of course,
when I gets in the mud,

I thought that was my lot, see.

I was going to drown in it,
like he did.

Sucked into it,
fighting it, drowning in it.

Oh, after that,
I couldn't stand it anymore.

But the battalion was relieved.

You came back here for a rest.

Yes, sir.

And you waited ten days
until you went?

Yes, sir.

Why?

Like I said, sir,
I can't say it any different.

I couldn't stand it anymore.

What, even out of battle?

It didn't matter where I was, sir.
Any place I could hear guns.

There's never anywhere
where you can't hear them.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Webb, he knew, he knew.

He gave me extra rum.

Did you say anything
to him about it?

Not much,
there wasn't nothing I could expect

a gentleman in his position to do, sir.

What he did, giving me extra rum,

wouldn't have made any difference
to what I did,

I knew I wasn't going to go back.

You mean, you planned it?

No, sir, no. I didn't have a plan.
I haven't got the sense, have I?

Maybe one time,
I would have had the sense but...

not...

No, it was like being dead, sir.

Then why did you wait ten days?

I don't know, sir.
I didn't have a plan.

I went to the M.O. that time, yeah.

And what did Dr. O'Sullivan say to you?

He gave me a number nine, sir,
for me bowels.

I spit it out
when he wasn't looking.

Maybe there was some sort of medicine
that would have helped me

but one thing I didn't have
any need of was a number nine.

And did he give you any other advice?

Well, he said I'd got cold feet, sir.

He said I was a soldier
and I should be a bloody soldier.

Mind you, I...

I didn't expect any different.

I didn't expect him to say anything
except what he did.

Then why did you go?

Well, I thought he might give me
some sort of tonic, something to...

stop me diarrhoea,

stop me shaking, help me sleep.

It wouldn't have made
any difference to what I did.

I knew I wasn't going
to go back up the line.

Did you know the battalion was going
back into the line before you went?

Yes, sir.

Is that what finally decided you?

- No, sir.
- Then what did decide you?

I don't know. I just started walking...

walking away from the guns.

Did you know
where you were walking to?

No... no.

After I got a few miles away
from the guns,

I got it into my head that
I was making for home,

Islington, you know.

Didn't make any sense
but that's what I got in my head.

I must have walked a long way
because I remember

I took me boots off
and me big toe was bleeding.

Then I was in a cart
sitting on some potatoes.

Then I was in a train

and some fellows was...

was playing cards.

Then I was walking again.

Then I was talking to this priest
but he was foreign.

I didn't know what he was talking about.

It was like a dream, sir.
I... I didn't know

what was really happening
and what wasn't.

Weren't you ever challenged?

Only when they picked me up.

- Not till then?
- Oh no, no.

Didn't you...

hide in ditches and things to avoid them?

Oh, no, sir. No, no.

Did they say anything to you
when they arrested you?

Well... just about me being a deserter
and I heard one of them

saying to the other about it
being a shooting job.

Nothing else?

Well, you see,
there's nobody left in 'A' company

that's been out here as long as me, sir,
so they can't shoot me.

It's likely that you will be found guilty
of desertion.

And I'd be failing in my duty
if I left the least shadow of doubt

in your mind
as to the consequences.

Well, I don't reckon I'll get off, sir,
but... they can't shoot me.

Unless I can convince the court

that you were acting
under extraordinary strain

at the time that you committed this crime,

you will almost certainly
be sentenced to death.

This was the first time, sir.

Mr. Webb, sir,
he said I hadn't been a bad soldier.

He might say the same
to them if he was asked.

Yes, he might.

Yes, I thought that was
worth mentioning, sir.

Can you think of anything else
that was worth mentioning?

No, sir, no.

Did I tell you about Willie?

Bryson, yes,
you told me about that.

Well, about when Willie was killed?

You told me
that he had been killed.

Well, I don't know if you can...

if you can tell them
about something like that.

Well, it's important
for you to tell me.

Well, you see, I was alongside of him
when it happened.

Same as many a time before,
five, six yards away.

It wasn't the first time I'd seen a man
blown to bits, of course.

It wasn't even as if Willie
was anything special to me.

Well, just a bit, you know,
because he came from up our street.

But that's all,
I mean, nothing special.

One thing about Willie,
it was quick.

I never saw it, sir,
I was five or six yards away,

I turns around

and old Willie's nowhere,
except over me.

I tell you,
they had to get me a new uniform.

This is a...

this is a question that I may
have to ask you in court, so...

I may as well ask you now.

If they were lenient enough

to send you to prison,

could you be relied upon
to do your duty when you came out?

- Well, I'd try my best, sir.
- I don't mean that.

Could you be relied on
to go up the line and stay up the line?

I mean that exactly, nothing less.

Do you understand me?

Yes, sir.

Well...

Do I have to tell you the truth, sir?

Could you?

Can you tell me, sir?

Can you tell me any way
of being sure?

Prisoner's ready, sir.

Shouldn't take long, sir.
It's a bad business.

Who's in charge
of the later formalities?

One thing at a time, Sergeant Major.

Yes, sir.

Give us a hand with this.

What is it? Horse or mule?

Pig.

If we was left to ourselves,
we'd all be home in bed having it,

wouldn't we?

- I didn't say anything about...
- Wouldn't we?

You can't win a war
lying in bed, can you?

- No, but...
- So you do what you're told.

Doesn't make sense.

That's not our fault, is it?

Keep an eye open, cock.

Pity to waste it on that lot.

- Where's the best bit?
- This bit.

Chopper.

Knife.

Dixie.

Right, well, now we'll see
what we can do for our officers.

The brass have gathered.

How's Hamp?

Oh, they've got him all spruced up
like for his wedding.

Cut himself shaving, of course.

Well, if they shoot him,
we won't have to bury him,

we just push him over
and watch him sink.

They won't do it.

- Do you reckon he'll get off then?
- No. I think he's had it.

I'm afraid he's had his lot.

Are you going to get the silly
bastard off, do you think?

He thinks so.

I hope he's right.

I'll shall certainly do my best.

Don't misunderstand me,
my interest is purely personal.

I don't want my men
used as a firing squad.

And I certainly don't want to be
the Joseph Bloody Soap

who has to shout "fire".

Why you?

I'm number one
on the Colonel's sweat list at the moment.

I see.

When it comes to my turn, I'll perjure
myself for the man if you like.

The truth will do.

Good luck, my learned friend.

Prisoner and escort, quick march!

Prisoner and escort, left, right!

Mark time!

Prisoner and escort...

halt!

By the right turn!

Private Hamp, cap off.

Corporal.

Prisoner and escort, left turn.

Quick march! Left.

Left, right, left, right, left.

Mark time!

Prisoner and escort, halt!

Left turn!

873426 Private Hamp, sir.

- Is that your name and number?
- Yes, sir.

Mr. Prescott,
would you pass me that?

The accused, number 873426
Private Hamp Arthur James,

soldier of the regular forces,

you are charged with,
when on active service

attempting to desert
His Majesty's Service.

And that you absented
yourself from duty

without orders
from your superior officer,

from approximately 07:00 hours
on October 10th this year

at a place called Jackdaw Tunnel

until October 11th of this year,

when you were arrested by
the military police near Calais.

Guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty, sir.

Speak up.

Not guilty, sir.

Very well.

I have to ask you if you object
to any members of the court?

Myself or either of these two officers?

I am surprised, sir,
that as convening officer,

you are also president
of the court martial.

There are no other field officers
available, Captain Hargreaves,

I must appoint myself.

Are you making a formal objection?

No, sir.

You may stand at ease, Private Hamp.

I've spoken to Captain Midgley

and we've agreed that I won't
dispute the facts of the case.

So all the witnesses
will be called by the defence.

Good. That will save the court's time.

I submit that the prisoner

absented himself at a time when,
because of his mental health,

he was not fully
responsible for his actions.

Mental health, Captain Hargreaves.

Do you mean
that the prisoner is a lunatic?

- No, sir.
- Or mentally deficient?

No, sir.

There must be hundreds
of thousands of men

who are in an unhappy mental state

but who have not absented
themselves from their duty.

I realise that, sir, fully,
I assure you.

Are you ready for your first witness?

Yes, sir.

Call Corporal Hamilton.

- Corporal Hamilton!
- Sir.

Halt!

Hold the book in your right hand.

I swear by Almighty God

that the evidence I shall
give before this court

shall be the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I swear by Almighty God

that the evidence I shall
give before this court

shall be the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth.

Corporal Hamilton, I believe
that you apprehended the prisoner?

- Yes, sir.
- What did he say to you?

Not much, sir. Only...

Well, he tried to tell us
he was going on leave, of course.

Yes.

A soldier going on leave is required
to carry with him a full pack

and equipment, is he not?

Yes, sir.

And the prisoner was carrying?

Gas helmet, rifle and bandolier, sir.

Wouldn't have stood much chance
of getting on board a leave ship

in that gear, would he?

No, sir.

Rather a silly story, wasn't it?

Yes, sir.

Then how do you account for it?

Well, sir, he could have, for all I know,

he could have been just stupid.

Gives us the day off though, doesn't it?

Oh, God!

I'm not going up to the front and leave
that bloody bastard behind me alive!

Bloody, bloody rats!

Come on, let's go!

Corporal Hamilton, I presume
that during the course of your duty

you have arrested other deserters,

other men who have absented
themselves from service?

Yes, sir. Quite a few, sir.

Did any of them behave in
the same way as this prisoner?

Much the same, sir.

In particular, did some of them,
to use your own words,

did some of them appear
to you to be stupid

or behaving as if in a daze?

Yes, sir, I suppose so.

In short, was there anything
remarkable or extraordinary

about this prisoner
compared with others?

Well, if there had have been
something extraordinary,

you would have thought about it,
wouldn't you?

The thing that surprised me, sir,
was how he got as far as us.

By rights,
he shouldn't have had a hope.

He must've been
through places thick with patrols

like Poperinge and that.

Perhaps he wasn't quite
as simple as he seemed.

No, sir...

After all, he did get very close
to an embarkation point, didn't he?

That's all, Corporal, no more questions.
Thank you, sir.

Look at that!

There must be dozens
of them in there,

and too full to be nippy.

- Shall I jump on it?
- No!

Right.

When I say, "Now,"

thump the belly.

Now!

Captain O'Sullivan, do you remember
the prisoner reporting sick to you

on or about October 8th of this year?

On the 7th, yes. I looked it up.

Of what did he complain?

I remember quite clearly.

He complained of nerves.

Nerves.

He didn't tell you that he
was finding it impossible to sleep?

He may have.
Yes, I believe he did.

But you didn't take this
very seriously?

No, it's not uncommon.

It certainly isn't uncommon
for me to be told such things.

You mean, you didn't believe him?

No, I didn't say that.

Every medical officer hears this kind
of thing five or six times a day.

Did you believe this man?

No.

Why not?

It seems a permissible question.

Why not?

Why didn't you believe him
when he said he couldn't sleep?

I didn't say I didn't believe that.

Very well.

Of what other symptoms
did he complain?

Well, he said he was off his food.
Said he was feeling a bit shaky.

Shaky.

Uncontrollable bouts of trembling?

I don't know about "uncontrollable".

You don't know about it
but did you bother to find out?

Are you challenging my competence?

I don't want to interfere with
your defence, Captain Hargreaves,

but must you attack the witness?

It's not Captain O'Sullivan's competence
which is at stake, sir,

it's this man's life.

You said you didn't believe him.
What didn't you believe?

Oh, damn it, Charlie,
I knew what he was after.

Did this man lie to you,
and if so, what did he say?

I knew what he wanted,
to be sent down the line.

Did he say so?

Did he what?

Did he ask
to be relieved from duty?

Not in so many words,
of course he didn't.

And... how long did
this interview last with him?

Five minutes, ten minutes.

And after that,
you lost interest in the man?

What do you expect me to do?

I haven't got time
for everyone's emotional problems.

But you were sure that an interview

for five or ten minutes
was sufficient for this case?

Yes.

Why were you so sure?

Experience.

My own judgment,
of course, experience.

And you usually prescribe
the same treatment?

More or less. More or less.

Laxative pills.

A good clean up
never hurt anybody.

Is that the only relief
you can offer a man, laxative pills?

I'll prescribe one for you
in a minute.

Captain O'Sullivan,

were laxative pills
in the slightest degree relevant

to what was wrong with this man?

There was nothing wrong
with him and I told him so.

Did you? What did you say?

I talked to him man to man.

I told him he wasn't the first soldier
to feel a bit jumpy.

I told him he'd be all right,
back to normal.

I told him to try to eat,
to try to get some sleep.

Well, what else could I say?

I told him to pull himself together.

Has the incidence of medical reports
of this sort been growing recently?

I haven't got time for statistics.

Or diagnoses, it seems.

No, no, no.

What are the symptoms
of shell shock?

Shell shock
is a different matter altogether.

Is there an exact moment
in the life of a soldier

before which he is not suffering
from shell shock

and after which he is?

An exact boundary about
which no two doctors will ever disagree?

An exact boundary on the one side
of which a man is required by army law

to "pull himself together".

Or on the other if he cannot,

is liable to be shot as a criminal,
is there?

This has nothing whatever to do
with what we're all here for.

I must say, Captain Hargreaves,
I agree with that.

Do you, sir?

Then what are we here for?

A mock trial?

That remark's entirely improper,
Captain Hargreaves.

I apologise, sir.

Proceed.

Does the term "shell shock"

have an exact medical meaning?

Yes, of course it has.

And a "five or ten minute" examination

is quite sufficient time,
in your estimation,

to judge whether a man is or is not
suffering from shell shock?

It is not my job
to maintain a bedlam.

God knows, you of all people should
realise I've got no time for such rubbish.

Do you expect me to leave
wounded soldiers to die

while I cross question cowards?

What I am asking is,
is there not a borderline?

This was not a borderline
case of anything,

how many times
have I got to tell you?

This was a case of cold feet,

funk, miserable funk,
nothing more or less.

- Are you sure?
- Yes.

I ask you most earnestly,

are you absolutely sure?

How could a man
responsible for his actions

do such a hopeless,

desperately stupid thing as this man?

When they found him,

he was trying
to walk home to England.

He might just as well have tried
to clear a German trench single-handed.

Is it not obvious to you...

that this man had lost
possession of himself?

You've made your point,
Captain Hargreaves.

Have you any more questions
for Captain O'Sullivan?

No, sir.

Captain Midgley.

Yes, sir, if you please.

Captain O'Sullivan, have any
of the defending officer's questions

altered the conclusion
you came to about the prisoner

when he reported to you
on October 7th?

No, not in the slightest.

In view of the speculation
we have heard,

will you now tell the court
in your own words

- what that conclusion was?
- Yes.

I found the prisoner fit for duty,

provided he was kept under discipline
and discouraged from malingering.

And there's nothing
you wish to add to your judgment now

by way of qualification?

Nothing whatever.

He's proved me right, hasn't he?
And that's all there is to say about it.

He did turn and run, didn't he?

Thank you, Captain O'Sullivan.

Were you in the area between our billet
and the cook house at 15:00 hours today?

Yes, he admits he was in the area
between our billet and the cook house

at 15:00 hours today.

Right.

Did you or did you not crawl up
to Private Sparrow

and take a bite out
of his ear hole?

No, he did not crawl up
to Private Sparrow

and take a bite out of his ear hole.

Right. Now one last question,

if you had been in our billet today,

would you have done
a thing like that?

No, he's not that sort of a rat.

Captain Midgley, would you like
to cross-examine the accused?

You've been telling a lot of bloody lies,
haven't you?

No! No, I haven't been telling
a lot of bloody lies.

You're just an ordinary rat
who only eats dead flesh.

Mm, I'm just a normal rat.

Well, then,

if you're just a normal rat
who only eats dead flesh,

why, when all the other rats
were coming out of the front end,

what were you doing
coming out of the back end?

Hmm?

He's crying.

Ah!

And after that,
his nerve had gone?

Absolutely.

I imagine that there
were others of your men

in a similar condition at that time,
were there not?

He must have been in a worse way
than any of the others, sir.

But we don't know that he was in
any worse condition than his comrades.

We only know
what he decided to do about it.

With respect, sir,
he did not "decide" to do it.

- If you'll let me carry on...
- Continue.

Was the prisoner popular
in his platoon?

Oh yes.

He always shared anything he had,

and he's the nearest we've got left
to a founder member, of course.

And he...

Yes?

Well, I was just going to say...

I don't suppose it matters, but...

he brewed a damn good cup of tea.

Was he a good soldier
before this happened?

First-class.

Near enough.
Not a born soldier, but first-class.

And you were surprised
when you heard that he'd absconded?

Oh yes, I was.

From what you know of him,

you believe he'd have to be
a little unhinged to do what he did?

Yes, I do.

Thank you.

- No more questions sir.
- Captain Midgley?

- First-class soldier?
- Yes.

His record is singularly blank.
Neither good nor bad.

His principal talent as a soldier
seems to be in staying alive.

Well, surely we're not trying a man
for staying alive, are we?

- The war hasn't got to that stage, has it?
- Mr. Webb.

Hargreaves here is the sole survivor
of an assault on the Somme.

They didn't try him for that.

You'll confine yourself
to answering questions, Mr. Webb.

I beg your pardon, sir.

Mr. Webb, about this mental unhinging,

did you see any actual sign
of it yourself?

- Well, it depends.
- I mean, if you had it surely

would have been your duty to see
that something was done about it,

wouldn't it?

Did the idea occur to you
before he went absent?

No, but he could have been ill

in his mind
even if I didn't see it beforehand.

Can you offer any evidence
that he was?

He'd had a bad time.

Well, I don't blame him.
We all get the wind-up sometimes.

I much prefer a man
to bolt beforehand

rather than crack up under fire
and endanger the whole platoon.

Mr. Webb.

Isn't it true to say,
however much we may regret it,

however much we may sympathise,

isn't it true to say that this man

simply allowed his fear
to become his master?

There's more in it than that.

I ask you again.

Can you recall any evidence
to support what you say?

I've said what I believe.

Thank you, Mr. Webb.
No more questions, thank you, sir.

Very well.

Sir.

Got it.

Got it!

Broke its bloody back!

It's as though a devil's
got hold of me legs, see?

He's pulling me down.

I'm not even wounded.

I'm going to be drowned in the mud.

Oh, something had it in for me,
I knew that.

Did this idea
that the devil was after you,

did it stay in your mind
after you'd been rescued from the mud?

Not in the same way, sir. No.

So it wasn't the devil.
Then why did you run away?

I didn't run sir. I walked.

I just started walking.

I don't know why.

It's not true to say, is it,

that you deliberately
decided to desert,

that you deliberately decided
and hoped to get away with it?

I wasn't really thinking
about it, sir.

I know you weren't thinking about it.

No, but I was hoping
they wouldn't get me, of course.

But you really weren't...

you weren't clearly thinking
of anything at the time, were you?

I just wanted to getaway
from the guns, sir.

Had you any idea
where you were going?

No, sir, not really.

I just wanted to get left alone
for a bit, that's all.

Private Hamp, you say
you wanted to be left alone for a bit.

Does that mean you intended
to return to the battalion?

I don't know, sir.

That's because you
don't remember anything very clearly, isn't it?

That's right, sir. Yeah.

You had no clear plan or reason
in your mind, did you?

I just started going, sir.

You know, I couldn't help myself.

Well...

like you told me to say, sir,
I was acting under extraordinary strain.

I can't think of anything else, sir.

Is it all right if I ask you
a question, sir?

Yes, carry on.

Well, I'd sooner you tell them, sir.

You know more about it than me.

All right.

Any more questions, Captain Hargreaves?

No, thank you, sir.

- Captain Midgley.
- Private Hamp.

Did you know you were doing wrong
when you deserted?

If anyone'd tried to stop me,
I'd have stayed, sir.

Didn't you wait until you'd made sure
that there was nobody there to stop you?

No, well, I think I was just lucky, sir.

That's very much a matter of opinion.

Look, what I really want
to know is this.

You did know, didn't you,
that it was your duty

to stay with your battalion?

Yes, sir.

And you must have been
very well aware of that

all the time you were absent

from the first moment
you decided to...

decided to leave.

I don't know, sir.

But you could walk, talk,

think like anybody else.

And you managed to get
quite a long way, didn't you?

Like I just said, sir,
I was lucky.

Well, let me put this to you
quite simply,

did you know
what you were doing?

I knew what I was doing, sir.

And you realised
that you were leaving your comrades

at their posts,
who were prepared to do their duty

while you deserted them?

Didn't you? Didn't you?

I've never done this before, sir.
This was the first time.

No more questions, sir.

That'll do, Private Hamp.

Captain Hargreaves, will you address
the court now on the prisoner's behalf?

No, sir.

I will address the court
on its behalf.

The prisoner, when he did the thing
for which he's being tried,

was no longer responsible
for his actions.

This court is responsible
for its actions.

It has not lost possession of itself.

This court knows clearly
what it's doing.

This court has the power to choose.

Private Hamp is not a liar.

He's not glib,
he has no ready answers.

He has an embarrassing honesty

which made him a bad witness
in his own case.

He could have put a bullet
through his leg

and suffered nothing more serious
than a term of imprisonment.

He even told me
he thought of doing so.

But he didn't.

He stayed.

A deserter in full consciousness
of what he is doing,

runs away to save his own skin

and leaves his fellows to do
the fighting and the dying for him.

This man is not a deserter.

He volunteered.

He volunteered
because his wife and her mother

dared him to.

Never mind. He volunteered.

He's been out here for three years.

Longer, if I may say so,
than some of us have been.

He's seen it all.

A man can only take so much.

So much blood.

So much filth. So much dying.

In the shell hole,

he thought
he was drowning in the mud,

he thought
his time had come and it had.

After that, he was no longer
responsible for his actions.

He hadn't got the power
to decide whether to stay or to go.

He had one instinct only left,

the instinct to walk.

To walk home.

To walk away from the guns.

They've become
a fact of our daily lives.

So much so that we no longer
ask each other why they're being fired.

Is this war so old

and are we so old in it

that we've forgotten?

Are we not fighting

to preserve some notion of decency?

Some notion of justice?

To preserve for this court

the right to choose?

I beg to remind the court that
if justice is not done to one man,

then other men
are dying for nothing.

Matter of opinion.

Prescott.

You as our legal member
advise the court on the law

as it applies to this case.

The court will remember

that the soldier takes the law of England
with him wherever he goes,

and he's protected by it.

The accused does not have
to prove himself innocent.

The prosecution must prove him guilty.

If the members of the court
have any reasonable doubt,

but it must not be a fanciful doubt,

they must give him the benefit of it.

You have before you the opinion
of the battalion medical officer

which is that at the time
the prisoner left the battalion,

he was fit for duty
and was not shell shocked

but only suffering from
what the doctor described as "cold feet".

You must not be unduly swayed

by the eloquence
of the defending officer,

who has quite properly made out
the best case he can.

If you doubt that the prisoner
really meant to desert,

and you believe that he merely
went absent without leave

and intended to return
after a few days,

you will give a verdict accordingly.

On the other hand,
if you are satisfied

that the prisoner really deserted,

it is your duty to find him guilty.

As to the stress the defending officer
laid upon the prisoner being a volunteer,

neither must you be
unduly swayed by that.

The army is now composed
of regulars, of volunteers

and of conscripts,

and one law applies to them all.

And it is the court's duty
to administer the law as it stands.

We will proceed immediately
to our discussion of the case.

- Private Hamp, 'shun.
- Thank you, Captain Midgley.

Captain Hargreaves.

Escort fall in on the right
of the prisoner.

Prisoner and escort, left turn!

Quick march. Left wheel!

Left, right, left, right, left...

Thanks for cutting my throat,
old boy.

Well, you were overdoing it a bit,
I couldn't help it.

I thought there was a great deal
in what you said if I may say so.

Thank you.

You did very well, Hargreaves,
I hope you got him off.

I hope so too.

But you know, a proper court
is concerned with law.

It's a bit amateur
to plead for justice.

What do you want now, then?

Have you seen my rifle, Corp?

Why would you be wanting that?

Well, I just thought
I might give it a clean.

You know, something to do.

The way they do the court martial,
it could be anybody, you know.

I kept forgetting
they was talking about me.

Mr. Hargreaves,
he gave them a lovely speech.

"This man is not a deserter."

You've been twice
since you got back already.

It's not my fault, is it?

Right. Guard.

- Corporal.
- Latrine!

Right wheel!

Help yourself, Mr. Morris.

Stand easy, Mr. Prescott.

Mr. Morris wishes to know
whether we can find the prisoner guilty

and recommend mercy.

Yes, sir, you may.

And you may either confirm
the sentence yourself

or send it to a higher authority
for confirmation.

I see.

Mr. Prescott... Never mind.

Thank you.

Would you help Captain Cartwright
prepare a finding?

Guilty of desertion but...

emphasise good conduct,
length of service, that kind of thing.

But don't put in anything
about mental health.

They're not interested
in that sort of thing at headquarters.

When you've finished,
have it read to the prisoner

and then send it off for confirmation.

Right, gentlemen.

Won't know anything for a bit yet.

It's got to go
to the generals and that lot.

It'll be a week then. They're all
pinned down in Paris, you know.

What's Hamp thinking, I wonder?

If he's got any sense,
he's not thinking.

Whatever happens,
he's not going up the line again.

Do you know what he said
when he got back?

"They're taking
a lot of trouble over me."

Feels bloody honoured, he does.

He is! They're taking 24 hours to
kill him. Jerry wouldn't take that long.

He'll get the glasshouse.

- Captain Hargreaves, sir.
- Yes.

I don't know if it's allowed, sir,
but he says he'd like to see you.

- Who?
- Private Hamp, sir.

Would that be legal, Mr. Prescott?

Well, I'm afraid it would be
highly irregular, sir.

It would be kind.

All right, I'm coming.

- Yes.
- Messages for the Colonel, sir.

I see. Come with me.

Excuse me, sir. Message, sir.

Ah, thank you, Mr. Webb.

Go and get yourself
something to eat, Corporal.

Thank you, sir.

Gentlemen, your attention, please.

The battalion will be moving into the line
tomorrow morning at 06:00 hours.

We will be reinforcing a battalion
of the Münster Fusiliers.

Captain Cartwright, would you ask
all company commanders

to come to my billet after dinner
at... 20:00 hours?

- Right, sir.
- Thank you, gentlemen.

Well, Hamp?

Stand easy.

It's just that I'd like to thank you, sir.

In case, er...

Well, you know, I expect I'll get
put in military prison, you know, and...

in case I don't see you for a while.

We don't know where you'll be put,

if you're put anywhere.

Well, anyway, sir,
I wouldn't like to miss thanking you.

You've taught me a lot of things, sir,

and I'm very grateful.

Have I?

Rather too late, I fear.

All right, thank you.

You...

you haven't heard anything,
have you, sir?

No.

I mean, after what you said,
they couldn't help but...

Well, it was the truth.

That's what I'm trying to say.

Nearly everything you said
I could never have said it.

You know what I mean, sir?

It was my duty to say it.

I don't know about that, sir.

It was my duty.

If you'd remembered your duty,

none of this idiotic rigmarole
would have been necessary.

Can't you get that into your head?

Don't thank me for doing my duty.

I had to.

Just as you should have done yours.

Yes, sir.

It's not as if I haven't thought
about it, sir. I have.

I know what they could do to me.

It's just that...

I wouldn't be thinking I stood a chance
if it hadn't been for you.

Prisoner, 'shun.

With your permission, sir.

Yes.

Private Hamp, A.J.,

number 873426,

it is my duty to inform you that
the General Officer Commanding in Chief

has confirmed the sentence passed on you
by the Field General Court Martial.

You will suffer death by shooting

on Thursday, October 22nd,
at 05:30 hours.

When's that, sir?

Tomorrow.

More wine, Midgley?

No, thank you, sir.

Would you excuse me now, sir?

- Yes, of course.
- Thank you, sir.

Some Haig over there.

Pure chlorine.

Oh, beg your pardon, sir.

Rather short on ceremony, aren't we?

Yes, sir.

I had too much of that today.

You know the verdict?

Just now.

You lost.

We all lost.

We're bloody murderers.

Don't be idiotic, Charles.
Pull yourself together.

Pull yourself together,
pull yourself together.

That's what they said to him today.

Pull yourself together,
you're talking like a bloody doctor.

Aren't we rather overstepping?

All right.

I'm sorry.

But why?

Hmm?

Actually why?

Why?

Was it O'Sullivan's evidence?

You know he's an idiot.

Was it my defence?

I did my best.

Very eloquent, Charles.

But nothing to do with the facts.

Facts, facts, facts.

You're going to shoot
that poor little bastard

simply because he went for a walk.

That's what it was, you know.

It was a technical desertion,
but just a...

a bloody little walk, really.

And you know it.

Don't you?

These facts,

"Your battalion moving up tomorrow

important to maintain morale.

Sentence of death
to be carried out immediately."

Oh, my God.

Pour encourager les autres, eh?

Has it ever encouraged anyone?
Or discouraged anyone?

Of course it has.

Are you sure?

No, not quite.

Who's in charge tomorrow?

Jack Webb.

His man, his platoon, his mistake.
Teach him a lesson.

By the way, I've written
the next of kin letter,

would you mind giving it
to Webb as you go out?

"There's a porpoise close behind me...

and it's treading on my tail."

Facts.

"When I am buried
and all my thoughts and acts

will be reduced to lists
of dates and facts,

and long before
this wondering flesh is rotten,

the dates which made me
will be all forgotten."

Hamp!

Hamp!

- Is that you, Corp?
- Aye.

Now listen up.

Wilson and your lot,
they've been nicking some rum.

Oh.

Aye.

We've got some of
the good stuff and all, mate.

Thinking about a booze up tonight,
you know.

- Well, I thought you were bringing it.
- No.

- Well, where's rest of them?
- Coming.

You'll get into trouble.

Nah. To hell with that, man.

How are you? All right?

Shut the door!

- Here you are. Have a drop of this then.
- Come on, give it here.

What's this for, then?
Somebody's birthday?

Shh!

Is he very religious?

I don't think so.
Official C. of E, but...

You'll be staying with him
right through the night?

Of course, if he's willing.

Yes, well, I've laid on...

something which might prove
just as useful.

How does the idea strike you?

It's not for me to say.

Well, I've spoken to the CO.

It's left to his discretion
and he's left it to me.

So he said...

he said, that man in bed with my wife

was me.

Was me.

There is no disgrace,

no disgrace at all.

Here today, gone tomorrow.

It doesn't matter
who kills you, does it?

Well, you know, you...

you've lived a long life, Hamp,
and you're due.

You'll rot in the mud,
and that's that.

It doesn't matter what anyone
bloody well thinks about it, does it?

Hey, we're all moving up soon.

We'll be in the same boat
as you are.

We'll all be rat food before long.

Last drink in bottle.

Who's going to get it?

You'd think I was entitled to it.

- Aim for the heart!
- Aim for the bowels!

- Aim for the vitals!
- Aim for the heart!

Fire!

- Come on, Corp. Come on.
- Right, come on!

Come on.

Hey!

Look out! The padre!

Come on!

- Give it here.
- Come on.

Here, open up.

Where are you, you bastards?!

Oh...

Will you let me try to help you?

Do you want to talk to me?

God decides when it is our turn
to be taken to him.

Will you be absolved of your sins?

My sins?

My son, despise not thou
the chastening of the Lord,

nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

For whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth,

and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth.

Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has left power to his Church

to absolve all sinners who truly repent

and believe in him of his great mercy

forgives thee thine offences

and by his authority
committed to me

I absolve thee from all thy sins

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost.

We do not presume to come to this
thy table, O merciful Lord,

trusting in our own righteousness,

but in thy manifold
and great mercies.

We are not worthy so much

as to gather the crumbs
from under thy table.

But thou art the same Lord

whose property is always
to have mercy.

Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,

so to eat the flesh
of thy dear son, Jesus Christ,

and to drink his blood,

that our sinful bodies
may be made clean by his body

and our souls washed through
his most precious blood

and that we may evermore
dwell in him and he in us.

Amen.

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ

which was given for thee.

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

which was shed for thee

preserve thy body and soul
unto everlasting life.

Well, where's the soul, Padre?

Here.

All that's left here
is a few hours of bloody nothing.

This ground...

will grow...

...will grow, no more buttercups.

Quick march, 'shun.

Left, right, left, right,
left, right, left.

Halt!

Left turn.

Make a gap, make a gap.

Escort dismissed!

Left, right, left, right,
left, right, left.

Fill the gap!

Squad, squad 'shun.

Stand in line.

Front rank kneel.

Aim.

Fire!

No.

Isn't it finished yet?

No, sir.

I'm sorry.

Hamp,
10 Gifford Street, Islington, London:

Deeply regret to inform you
Private A. J. Hamp

killed in action October 22nd

the Army Council
express their sympathy.

Secretary, War Office.