One of Our Aircraft Is Missing Page #3

- The engine picked up after we bailed out.

- l don't know very much about aeroplanes.

But that means you can't prove

your aircraft has crashed.

lt might have gone on for miles.

Would it surprise you to know

that so far as is known

no aircraft has crashed in West Holland

during the night?

l suppose Bertie

could have reached the sea.

- What do you say, John?

- Don't ask me. Your witness.

- Where are your parachutes?

- We buried them.

- All five?

- Five are all we know about.

- What do you mean by that?

- There were six in my crew.

You are captain?

Yes.

- Where is the sixth man?

- l don't know. We never found him.

l see. And where did you

bury your parachutes?

- Look here, l've had enough of...

- You don't know?

Of course l know.

Along the railroad where we landed.

Can any of you prove beyond reasonable

doubt that you are what you say you are?

l'll be jiggered. l've never heard such a thing.

- But our uniforms...

- Prove nothing.

- Why not?

- Anybody could get a uniform.

lf some people were anxious to find out how

we were to behave towards English airmen,

wouldn't that be the simplest way?

You mean you think we've come here

to get you to give yourselves away?

But we're English. We wouldn't

do a thing like that, would we, Frank?

You're not so sure about the others?

What are you trying to make me say?

Of course l'm sure.

What is the name of this gentleman?

- Go on, George.

- This is Frank Shelley. He's an actor.

And his wife is to broadcast tonight.

(All) 9:
40, home and forces programme.

Frank, contrary to mess regulations,

l saw you tearing a piece out of the Times.

You got it on you?

l think that's the sort of proof

Miss Meertens wants.

Here you are.

''Broadcasting, home and forces

programme, Sunday 9:40...''

That's tonight.

''Hazel Mason...'' That's my wife.

There's the date

and there's the date on the newspaper.

Yes, this is yesterday's Times.

Your witness.

Does that satisfy you, Miss Meertens?

lt will do, l think.

l'm going to show it to the others.

You're not the only one

that had their doubts.

Not the only one?

No, there's nothing to stop you

sending for the Nazis.

l thought airmen had

better eyesight than that.

- What a girl.

- As you say.

- She shot you down in flames.

- What did she mean about our eyesight?

- Something we missed in this room.

- Let's find it.

- Orange blossom.

- What's orange blossom got do with it?

That's their Oranje altar, Orange altar,

to honour Queen Wilhemina.

(Geoff) But why Orange?

(Tom) William of Orange,

the House of Orange, shows they're loyal.

There should be a picture of the queen too.

There is.

Quite foxy. That Els Meertens, what a girl.

- We heard you the first time.

- Gentlemen, won't you come in?

Thank you.

Pieter Sluys, your host, gentlemen.

(Speaks Dutch)

Come on, John.

(Clears throat and speaks Dutch haltingly)

(People laugh softly)

(People laugh good-humouredly)

l always thought speeches

came at the end of a meal.

Wouldn't mind a little bit

of that ham anyway.

(Speak Dutch)

- (Els) Won't you sit down, please?

- Thank you.

This is very good of you

but aren't you short of food?

Sometimes but don't worry,

we have enough for our friends.

(Speaks Dutch)

He says, ''Don't worry, eat him.

He was a quisling pig.''

(Speaks Dutch)

- Thank you.

- Erg lekker.

Thank you.

Gesundheit.

Very nice.

We are worried about

your comrade who is lost.

So are we, miss.

Bob's brains are in his feet.

- ln his feet?

- Bob's a football player. A very good one.

But not very bright.

Still it's a pity his brains are not in his head.

lf he's found, the Germans

are going to look for you five.

Burying the parachutes was a mistake.

Freshly-dug earth will be examined.

- Can't we send someone to dig them up?

- We have.

And we will hide them,

this time in a safer place.

You know, young lady,

you've got your head screwed on.

Thank you.

The main thing is your escape.

- Any ideas?

- You agree that we can escape?

Others have done it. Why not you?

First we must get to the sea.

The sea is 58 kilometres away

and every village has its German post

and every road is patrolled.

- First we must get you to church.

- Why church?

Our church is ten kilometres west of here.

Ten kilometres nearer the North Sea.

You must go at once.

Excuse me, Miss Meertens,

what is your church?

We are Catholics.

l'm chapel.

So am l.

What is chapel?

- lndependent Methodist.

- Baptist.

Those are your English Reform churches?

That's it.

(Els) But it's our only plan.

lf this gets back to Halifax,

l shall never hear the last of it.

We will dress you in Dutch clothes.

Nobody will know.

(Tom) You don't know chapel folk.

But surely your escape

is the most important thing.

End justifies the means, Tom.

That's settled. Would it be safer to travel

at night? We'd be at the coast in three days.

By our plan, you will be at the coast tonight.

Jo will be waiting for you.

Jo? Who's Jo?

Jo de Vries, the wife of Hendrik de Vries.

Oh? Who's Hendrik de Vries?

Hendrik de Vries was killed by the British

in the mass air attacks on Haarlem.

Since then his wife hates the British

more than anything in the world.

A very good choice for a hostess.

What is this, a conundrum?

- l never heard that we bombed Haarlem.

- The Germans want us to believe it.

So Jo de Vries obliges them.

They like her because

they believe she hates the British.

That is what she wants,

so everyone is happy.

Oh, l see, a bit of camouflage.

Yes. We have our own ways

of managing things. Did you hear our motto?

(Speaks Dutch)

No?

lt means the sea's a common enemy and

against a common enemy one must unite.

Do you think we Hollanders

who threw the sea out of our country

will let the Germans have it?

Better the sea.

- (Speaks Dutch)

- Can you all ride a bicycle?

Well, l'm not much of a hand

at a bike myself. l never was.

We will find a way

but first we must find you all clothes.

Better keep our uniforms on,

gives us a chance if we're caught.

(Els) You can wear

your disguises over them.

lf we're going to be pushing off,

l would like more ham, Mother.

Ham, natuurlijk.

Talking of ham, Frank, this is your big

chance. What disguise will you wear?

You're going to see a series of perfect

Dutch character sketches, real little cameos

but er...what do we do for boots?

Klompen.

- Klompen?

- Clogs.

Ah, clogs.

(Giggles)

(Whispering)

l should like to see you walk up

Halifax High Street in a pair of these, Tom.

The old Yorkshire saying,

''From clogs to clogs in three generations.''

l never hoped to co-star with the great

Francis Shelley in a Dutch epic.

Now, George, you're doing quite well, really,

quite well, but...co-star? Really.

l haven't been to church since my wedding.

- You must have acted in church scenes.

- l did once.

- lt was a spy story and we all got shot.

- That can happen here too.

(Man reads in German)

(Bicycle bells ring)

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