A Matter of Life and Death

This is the universe.

Big, isn't it?

Thousands of suns, millions of stars,...

..separated by immense distances|and by thin floating clouds of gas.

The starlight makes the gas transparent.

Where there are no stars|it appears as dark, obscuring clouds...

..like that great black cone over there.

Hello,...

..there's a nova.

A whole solar system exploded.

Someone must've been messing about|with the uranium atom.

No, it's not our solar system,|I'm glad to say.

Ah, those are called|a globular cluster of stars.

Rather fine.

Down here in the right-hand corner,...

..see that little chap|rather like a boy scout's badge?

It's a mass of gas expanding|at thousands of cubic miles a minute.

Ah, here we are,|we're getting nearer home.

The moon, our moon,...

..in the first quarter,...

..and here's the Earth, our Earth,...

..moving around in its place,...

..part of the pattern, part of the universe.

Reassuring, isn't it?

- (thunder)|- It's night over Europe.

The night of the 2nd May, 1945.

That point of fire is a burning city.

It had a thousand-bomber raid|an hour ago.

(explosions)

And here, rolling in over the Atlantic,...

- (foghorn)|- .. is a real English fog.

I hope all our aircraft got home safely.

- Even the big ships sound frightened.|- (Morse code signals)

Listen to all the noises in the air.

(Churchill on radio)|"This was their finest hour. "

- (German voices on radio)|- Listen...

- Listen...|- (German radio messages)

(woman) "Request your position. "

"Come in, Lancaster.|Come in, Lancaster. "

(man) "Position nil. Repeat, nil.|Age 27. Very important. "

"Education violently interrupted.|Religion - Church of England. "

"Politics - Conservative by nature,|Labour by experience. "

- "What's your name?"|- I cannot read you.

Cannot read you.

Request your position.|Can you see our signals?

"Give me my scallop-shell of quiet,|My staff of faith to walk upon,...

..My scrip of joy, immortal diet,|My bottle of salvation,...

..My gown of glory, hope's true gage,|And thus I'll take my pilgrimage. "

"Sir Walter Raleigh wrote that. "

"I'd rather have written that|than flown through Hitler's legs. "

- (aircraft engine drones)|- I cannot understand you.

Hello, Lancaster. We are sending signals.|Can you see our signals?

Come in, Lancaster. Come in, Lancaster.

But at my back I always hear|Time's wingd chariot hurrying near.

And yonder all before us lie|Deserts of vast eternity.

Andy Marvell. What a marvel!|What's your name?

Are you receiving me?|Repeat, are you receiving me?

Request your position.|Come in, Lancaster.

I can't give you my position.|Instruments gone, crew gone.

Except Bob, my sparks. He's dead.

The rest bailed out on my orders.|Time 03.35. Get that?

Crew bailed out 03.35

"Station - Warrenden.|Bomber Group - A, G."

Station - Warrenden.|Bomber Group - A, Apple, G, George.

They'll be sorry about Bob.|We liked him.

Hello, G, George. Hello, G, George.|Are you all right?

Are you going to try to land?|Do you want a fix?

Name's not G, George, it's P, Peter.|Peter D Carter. D's for David.

Squadron Leader Peter Carter.|Can't land - undercarriage is gone.

I'm bailing out, I'm bailing out.

- "Take a telegram. "|- Received your message.

- We can hear you.|- "Telegram to my mother. "

"Mrs Michael Carter,|88 Hampstead Lane, London Northwest. "

88 Hampstead Lane, London.

Tell her that I love her.

You'll have to write this, but I want her|to know I love her very much.

I've never shown it to her, not really,...

.. but I've loved her always|right up to the end.

"Give my love to my two sisters, too.|Don't forget them. "

Received your message.|We can hear you.

Are you wounded? Repeat, are you|wounded? Are you bailing out?

- What's your name?|- June.

Yes, I'm bailing out, but there's a catch.|I've got no parachute.

H- Hello? Hello, Peter, do not understand.

Hello? Hello, Peter, can you hear me?

"Hello, June, don't be afraid.|It's quite simple. "

We've had it and I'd rather jump than fry.

After the first thousand feet|I shan't know anything, anyway.

"I say, I hope I haven't frightened you. "

- No, I'm not frightened.|- "Good girl!"

Your sparks, you said he was dead.|Hasn't he got a chute?

Cut to ribbons. Cannon shell.|Are you pretty?

Not bad.

- "Can you hear me well?"|- Yes.

You've got guts. I've known dozens|of girls, been in love with some.

But an American girl I've never seen|and never shall see...

.. will hear my last words.

"Rather sweet. "

June, if you're around|when they pick me up,...

.. turn your head away.

But perhaps we can do something, Peter.|Let me report it.

"No, no-one can help. Only you.|Let me do this in my own way. "

"I want to be alone with you.|Where were you born?"

- Boston.|- "Mass?"

Yes.

History was made there. Are you in love|with anybody? No, don't answer.

I could love a man like you, Peter.

I love you, June, you're life.|Do you live on the station?

No, in a big house five miles from here.|Lee Wood House.

- "Old house?"|- Yes, very old.

I'll come and see you as a ghost!|You're not frightened of ghosts?

I'm not frightened.

- "What time will you be home?"|- I'm on duty till 6.

I have breakfast in the mess,|then I have to cycle half an hour.

I often go along the sands.

This is such nonsense!

It's the best sense I ever heard.|I was lucky to get you.

Can't be helped about the parachute.|I'll have wings soon.

Hope they haven't gone modern.|I'd hate to have a prop instead!

- "What's the next world like?"|- Oh, Peter!

"I think it starts|where this one leaves off. "

Or where it could if we listened|to Plato, Aristotle and Jesus.

With all our earthly problems solved|but with greater ones worth solving.

I'm signing off now, June.|Goodbye. Goodbye, June.

Hello, G for George. Hello, G, George!

Hello, G, George!

- Hel...|- (clock ticks in the background)

(sobs)

So long, Bob, I'll see you in a minute.

You know what we wear by now -|prop or wings.

(Ghostly voice) A prop... or wings.

Prop...

.. or wings.

Prop...

.. or wings.

A prop... or wings.

Prop... or wings.

Prop...

.. or wings.

(French)

(excitable French)

Vrrrrrrm!

(continues in French)

- Aghh!|- Oh, bad luck, old boy.

(# mouth organ.:
mournful tune)

(# mournful tune plays on)

Name and rank.

(American accent) Come on, fellas,|break it up, spread out.

Room with bath.

- Do you have USO shows here?|- No, we don't.

OK, we'll stay.|Officers' quarters, of course.

- We're all the same here, Captain.|- Excuse me,... brother.

Take over.

- I wish I could make a phone call.|- From here that'd be long distance.

Flying Officer Trubshaw.

You can't wait here. You must be|mistaken about your captain.

- If anyone's mistaken, it's not me.|- Mistakes don't happen here.

- This is the Aircrew Section?|- You should know.

Peter couldn't have got away with it.

Besides, you checked his invoice for me.

Yes, it was against the regulations.

Regulations are made to be broken.|He was due half an hour after me.

This is his section. He hasn't reported.

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