Journey's End

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(CHICKENS CLUCKING)

TROTTER:
Again?

HIBBERT:
Yeah.

TROTTER:
Are you sure?

HIBBERT:
Double sure.

Here we go.

Yeah. Done you again, Hibbert.

HIBBERT:
You're a bloody cheat.

Language.

One last kiss.

I might never see you again.

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

Hibbert. Time to parade.

(BOTH SPEAKING FRENCH)

Stanhope.

It's time.

TROTTER:
Here we go again.

(WHISTLES) That's for you, son.

Merci.

(CHUCKLES)

Au revoir, mademoiselle.

Bonne chance, monsieur.

Merci.

(CHICKENS CLUCKING)

(DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE)

SERGEANT MAJOR:
Company, right turn!

All present and correct, sir.

Thank you, Sergeant Major.

Sir.

Company, by the centre!

Quick march!

Left right, left right,

left right, left!

Left right, left right,

left right, left!

Left right, left right,

left right, left!

Left right, left right,

left right, left...

We're here because we're here because

We're here because we're here

We're here because we're here because

We're here because we're here

We're here because we're here because

We're here because we're here

We're here because we're here because

We're here because we're here

OFFICER 1:
Here we go, lads.

Out you get.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Transport office over there, sir.

Sir.

Lieutenant?

Second Lieutenant Raleigh, sir.

You're to report

to the officers' quarters,

down the bottom on the right.

And do you know

where I could find the General?

Yes, he's in the stable block,

but that's all off limits to you,

Lieutenant.

Sir.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

CORPORAL:
Left, right, left, right!

SERGEANT MAJOR:
Attention. Attention!

By the left! Quick march!

Left right, left right,

left right, left...

Yes, sir?

Is this the General's office?

It is, sir. Now's not a good time, sir.

Could you tell him his nephew's here

to say hello?

Yes, sir.

Follow me, sir.

Righto.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

(TYPEWRITERS CLACKING)

GENERAL:
Draw to a close now. Carry on.

Sir.

GENERAL:
Your father put you up to this?

Sir?

What is it you're after?

An old school friend is out here, sir,

and when I'm posted to my unit,

I wondered if it'd be possible

for it to be his battalion, sir?

Anyone I know?

I don't think so.

A scholarship boy. Stanhope.

MC at Vimy Ridge.

Captain Stanhope?

Yes.

We used to spend a lot of time together.

He's been out here almost three years.

You don't want to join them,

not now of all times.

I do, sir.

They may have a hell of a time of it.

That's just what I'm hoping for, sir.

Here you are, sir.

I shouldn't make exceptions

just because I happen to be your uncle.

No, sir.

How are your father's crocuses?

Not up to much.

I told him he'd set them too deep.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Had some grub?

Yes, on the boat over, sir.

Well, then...

Evacuation, Lieutenant?

Just saving what we can, sir.

(MUD SQUELCHING)

Mr Osborne, go and find Captain Hardy.

OSBORNE:
Righto, sir.

Number Nine Platoon, to the right.

Come on.

Come on, lads. Quickly.

Come on. Keep coming.

Straight down to the right.

Keep going, boys.

Eleven Platoon, to the right.

Keep it moving. Come on.

(SIGHS)

Sir.

Sir.

Hardy!

Hardy.

All your fellas here then, Osborne?

Stanhope's just sorting out the mess

you've left these trenches in.

I wouldn't want to be

his second in command,

sober old thing like you.

If I wanted your sympathy, Hardy,

I'd ask for it.

You already have it, chum.

SOLDIER:
Excuse me, sir.

HARDY:
Big German attack

is expected any day now.

We're off in the nick of time.

Well, it's been expected

for more than a month.

Well, but there's more Boche transport

coming up than usual.

More trains puffing in

with reinforcements.

We'll hear it again tonight,

I shouldn't wonder.

How many days are you here for?

Six.

Then you'll get it right in the neck.

Thank you so much. I'll tell Stanhope.

How is the old soak?

Best company commander of the lot.

He's a hard drinker.

Let's get this over with.

We need to check every inch

of this sector before nightfall.

Yes, sir.

We won't last five minutes

if the Germans attack.

Good work, men. Let's get as much

of this sorted as soon as we can.

(WHISPERS) Be careful.

Sir.

HARDY:
We hold 200 yards of

the line, left and right.

The Germans are just 60 yards

away from the sap.

It's been stalemate

for well over a year.

Splintered trees on the right?

What's left of the larch wood.

Well...

Heap of bricks?

OSBORNE:
Yes, got it.

HARDY:
Mauvais Farm.

I had two fellas hit

by a sniper out there.

Commanding officer

and his number two in here.

Servants and signalmen through here.

MASON:
All of that. Yeah, no, no.

Just bring the kettle and everything

and put that over here with the jugs.

Hello, Mason.

Ah, just brewing up, sir.

HARDY:
This way.

Other officers in here.

What arrangements

do you make for the men?

HARDY:
I don't know.

Sergeant Major sees to all that.

MASON:
Just get them sorted.

Right.

Hundred and fifteen rifle grenades.

Shouldn't use 'em. They're a bit rusty.

Five hundred Mills bombs or thereabouts.

What about the rest?

There is no rest.

We're taking it all with us.

SOLDIER:
The last of the men are ready

to go back down behind the line, sir.

HARDY:
Righto. I'll be up in a jiffy.

SOLDIER:
Sir.

OSBORNE:
Not staying to see Stanhope?

And risk facing his drunken wrath?

Not likely.

Cheerio.

(EXHALES)

SOLDIER 2:
Oi! Come on!

OSBORNE:
Mason, candles!

MASON:
On their way, sir.

Coming through.

(CHUCKLES) Oh, dear.

Now, right.

Let's see if we can't get some light

going down here for you, sir.

SOLDIER:
Right, here we are.

Out you get. Follow me.

First time, sir?

Yes, it is.

(JARVIS CHUCKLES)

JARVIS:
You see all this?

It's poison, sir.

It's the gas.

See, look.

All of it dead.

Sorry about the smell, sir.

Trench belonged to the French

before they deserted.

Didn't bury the bodies, but used them to

shore up the trench walls. Poor buggers.

New officer for C Company, sir.

Thank you, Jarvis.

Follow me, sir.

Keep your head down, sir.

This bit's not fixed yet.

Mind your backs, lads.

Officer coming through.

Here we are, sir.

Thank you, Sergeant Major.

Mmm.

Battalion Headquarters

told me to report here, sir.

Sorry. What?

Oh, I was...

I was told to report here, sir.

Whisky?

Yes. Just a small one. Thank you.

OSBORNE:
Say when.

When.

Thank you.

Here we are.

(RALEIGH COUGHS)

(EXHALES)

Here's to the next six days, sir.

Osborne... The name's Osborne.

You need only call me "sir"

in front of the men.

The other officers, they call me Uncle.

Raleigh. James.

Jimmy.

Ever been up the line before, Jimmy?

No. No. Uh...

Only just left Barford.

Barford? Really? Our company commander

lives at Barford. You know him?

I do. Yes, uh, Captain Stanhope.

He was my house monitor,

three years above.

He used to come and stay with me

and my sister Margaret in the holidays.

Really?

Well, you'll find him changed, I expect.

He's led this company

through all sorts of rotten times.

Big strain on the man.

(KNOCK AT DOOR)

Yes?

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