A Bridge Too Far Page #8

the pleasure, sir.

We are holding out.

We need reinforcements

and above all, ammunition. Over.

I'm not sure if it's a case

of us coming for you...

or you coming for us.

Well, we'll just wait

for 30 Corps then.

That would probably be best.

Very reassuring

talking to you, sir.

I'm sorry, Johnny, getting stuck

on that bloody bridge...

four days on your own.

Have you anything else for me?

No, sir. I'll give you a call

when our friends arrive. Over.

All right.

Good luck. Out.

- Sergeant Tomblin!

- Here, sir.

I'm coming over.

Sergeant Taylor!

I don't understand.

Why aren't you moving?

What's the matter with you guys?

Those are British troops

at Arnhem.

They're hurt bad.

You're not gonna stop,

not now.

I'm sorry.

We have our orders.

We busted our asses getting here.

Half my men are killed.

You're just gonna stop...

and drink tea?

We're now facing a completely

different situation.

We can't lead with tanks up that road.

Jerry'll pick us off like sitting ducks.

Our infantry is fighting in Nijmegen.

When they get here, we'll move on.

For Christ's sake, must you

do everything by the book?

Our orders are to wait

for the infantry.

I'm sorry, but there it is.

It's Major Carlyle, sir.

All right. I'm all right.

Things are not so good, eh?

I've been meaning

to ask you something...

and I haven't because I know

you were so anxious that I should...

and I wouldn't give you

the satisfaction.

Why the hell do you always carry

that bloody umbrella?

- Memory.

- What?

Bad memory.

Always forgot the password.

I knew no Jerry...

would ever carry one.

I had...

to prove I was an Englishman.

Get back!

Back into the houses.

- Nothing, sir.

- All right. Thank you, Corporal.

It's no use in any event.

Take my boot off, will you, Wicks?

Hello, 30 Corps.

Oh, God!

We're out of ammunition anyway.

Right. Off you go, Wicks.

Join the rest of the lads.

Try and get back

to the main force.

- What about you, sir?

- I'll be all right.

We just didn't make it

this time, did we?

Calling 30 Corps.

Come in, please.

My general says

please take it.

It's very good chocolate.

Your planes dropped it to us

yesterday.

English.

Action stations!

God bless

Field Marshal Montgomery.

Would five minutes

be too much?

Just five minutes respite.

Dear God...

grant these young men...

die in peace and quiet.

I'm sorry, lads,

but you're going to have to move.

Please.

Take my hand.

We're a bit late

with this one, mate.

"Surely He shall deliver thee

from the snare of the fowler...

and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee

with His feather...

and under His wings

shalt thou trust.

His truth shall be

thy shield and buckler."

There you go. Head back.

You'll be all right now, chum.

Can it get worse?

Oh, yes, much worse.

Bring up the bulldozer.

Stretcher bearer!

Help me!

Stretcher.

Easy, now. Take it easy.

Morphia. I must have morphia.

Morphia is only for

the people who are really hurt.

I thought I was really hurt.

Well, you're wrong.

I asked him to come over,

but Dr. Spaander does agree with me.

- We've got to do something about them.

- Yes, what? Good day, Doctor.

General Urquhart, we have no more space

and we have no more supplies.

And since a prisoner of war...

has more chance

than no chance at all...

I have a mind

to ask the Germans...

to accept our wounded

into their hospitals...

if we could arrange evacuation.

- Have I your permission to try?

- Certainly.

If Weaver agrees.

But I hardly think the Germans will.

Those are our guns out there.

That's 30 Corps.

I don't think my permission

is going to be your major problem.

I've come with a message

from General Urquhart.

How you manage that?

I swam the Rhine, sir.

I'm afraid the radios

are all up the spout.

The general asks if you'll

get your men across the river.

We've been holding out

for six days now.

Any help at all would be

of considerable assistance.

You swim back with reply?

Yes, sir.

Well, we can't swim...

not with equipment.

We have small rubber boats,

that's all.

I'm afraid rubber dinghies

may be a bit flimsy for the Rhine, sir.

I agree.

Tell the general we're coming.

We're coming tonight.

Yes, sir.

Not possible.

If you would just say yes,

it would be very possible.

Forgive me,

but there is a battle...

and we are in the process

of winning it.

Winning and losing

is not our concern.

Living or dying is.

Cease fire...

one more hour, two...

just to evacuate our wounded.

Afterwards you can kill us

as much as you want to.

General Ludwig.

- Will you thank him, please?

- I just did.

Please, you can go.

How short are we? A mile?

Why don't we just try

to bash through?

For God's sake,

it must be worth it.

They're trying to force Urquhart

away from the river.

Now, once they do that...

once they've got him surrounded,

he'll be annihilated.

Not in Monty's plan at all.

Have we replaced the boats

we lost at Nijmegen?

Yes.

Well?

Well, then?

Well, that's it then.

We're pulling them out.

It was Nijmegen.

It was the single road

getting to Nijmegen.

No, it was after Nijmegen.

And the fog...

in England.

It doesn't matter what it was.

When one man says to another,

"Today let's play the war game"...

everybody dies.

"Withdraw"?

Two days, they said.

We've been here nine.

One bloody mile. You'd think

they could accomplish that.

- Hancock, here are another two.

- All right. Thank you.

They're the last two

I could find.

Charles?

We've been given

our marching orders.

If they discover we're leaving,

they'll go all out to destroy us.

So we must take every precaution.

I've designed this

like a collapsing bag.

Macdonald here has agreed

to man the wireless...

in order to give the Germans

something to listen to.

All the padres and medical staff

have volunteered to stay behind as well.

Now, the wounded

who are too bad to move...

will replace the men firing...

so our defense

will seem as before.

By the time the Germans

find out what's happening...

we should all be safely

across the river.

- Pleasant journey.

- Thank you, sir.

- Are you all right, laddie?

- Thank you, sir.

I'm beginning to believe

we're actually going to make it, sir.

I thought everyone knew

God was a Scotsman.

Come on. Don't hang about.

General Browning will be down

right away, sir.

He wondered if you perhaps

might like to change.

- Change?

- Your clothes, sir.

No, thanks.

Hello, Roy.

How are you?

I'm not sure

that I'll know for a while.

But I'm sorry about

the way it worked out.

You did all you could.

Yes, but did everyone else?

They've got a bed for you upstairs,

if you want it.

I took 10,000 men into Arnhem.

I've come out with less than 2,000.

I don't feel much like sleeping.

Quite.

I've just been on to Monty.

He's very proud and pleased.

- Pleased?

- Of course.

He thinks Market Garden

was 90% successful.

But what do you think?

Well, as you know, I've always thought

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