One of Our Aircraft Is Missing Page #5

- You left your parachute in a canal.

lt was time to get cracking.

l came back later but l couldn't find it.

- The Germans had it by then.

- Did they?

l don't understand how you could

walk along without Geoff spotting you.

- l don't either. Perhaps he was asleep.

- (Geoff) l certainly wasn't.

Did you see a train about 6:30?

Oh, yes, sir, it overtook me. l hid.

Overtook you?

You were walking the wrong way, my lad,

walking into Germany instead of England.

- Then you met a shepherd.

- Whose dog bit you.

Then they took me to the village

where the schoolteacher spoke English.

- Schoolteacher? What was she like?

- OK. That's where l had me breakfast.

And then they passed you along

by barge and ox cart...

- Bicycle.

- And what have you.

..until you find yourself

on the way to a football match.

And they said, ''Good gracious''.

They told me a truck would take me

after the game to some man called Joe...

Not Joe, Jo. lt's a woman, not a man,

otherwise you're all right.

Her name is Jo de Vries.

Half a minute.

(Sniffs)

- l smell the sea.

- The North Sea.

(Distant bugle)

- Hear that?

- German.

- How do you know?

- Heard 'em often enough in the last war.

(Distant bugle)

Hope Mrs de Vries

has her weather eye open.

(Shouts in German)

lch bin ein Chauffeur von Jo de Vries.

(Speak German)

(Lowing)

(Woman speaks German)

(Officer shouts in German)

Said tomorrow's dinner would be

held up if he didn't let us get through.

- Would that be Mrs de Vries?

- Suppose so.

(Woman and driver speak Dutch)

(Jo) Are you there?

- Englishmen, are you there?

- Yes, all six of us.

When the truck stops, the driver

will open up, get out at once.

(Lorry door closes)

- Which way?

- There.

(Speaks German)

(Speak German)

She's getting the Jerries

to unload the truck for her.

- She's a cool customer.

- These Dutch girls are wizard.

They are. Our girls would do just

the same if they had the chance.

(Men chat in German)

(Distant murmuring)

(Men sing in German)

(Singing ends,

men chat and laugh in German)

(Jo whispers) We're passing over

the quarters of 200 German soldiers.

(Singing resumes)

Louis?

(Chat quietly in Dutch)

(Dripping)

We're over my house.

lt's the German headquarters.

My rooms are at the end of the wing.

All of you, in the other room.

Take it easy.

You are safe here.

This place has good walls and floors.

You can talk as much as you want to

and you can take off those things.

There's a radio here.

lt's tuned in to the BBC.

Use it if you like.

Only don't start dancing.

Just below here is the officers' mess.

l must leave you now. Got to go back the

way we came and come in by the front door,

or they might start thinking.

Lock the door behind me

and only open it to this knock.

(Three knocks and rap)

- V.

- Yes, V.

Pity, isn't it?

l never felt more like dancing in my life.

Just imagine, officers' mess below,

Jerries all over the place and no dancing.

Such charming partners too.

- What time is it?

- 21 :
56.

Pity. We've missed the news.

- What time did you you say it was?

- 21 :
56.

- Hazel!

- Who?

(All) Hazel Mason,

home and forces programme.

Oh, your wife.

l thought l recognised the voice.

(Woman singing on radio)

Steady, steady.

Not so fast.

That's better.

She's good.

She's damned good.

l hope your wife won't object to us

undressing during her big scene.

- lf she knew where you were, she'd twitter.

- Shh.

(Singing ends)

- All over.

- How was she?

Not bad. Not at all bad.

Yes...very good.

l hadn't thought about it till now but we'll

have been posted missing this morning.

- l had thought of it.

- l don't think the others have.

All the better for them.

l suppose Hazel knows about Frank by now.

Bound to. They'd get her at the BBC.

She's on tonight.

Where do you expect her to be, off?

(Bugle plays)

(Rhythmic marching)

Good blackout they got here.

You know, that's funny,

them blacking out because of us.

- l suppose we do fly over here, eh, Frank?

- Katwijk? Yes, often.

lt feels like the end of a long term

with a cheap supporting cast.

No good looking in there

for small change, my boy.

You know, that's very significant.

Five of these woollens

are German to one British.

Might be something in that after the war.

Yorkshire woollens in Holland,

they might go for it in a big way.

Don't let anybody know l said so.

l don't promise. l never talk about anything

but woollens. Can't cure myself.

- What's funny about woollens?

- All right, don't get excited.

Which should the world know more about,

British actors or British cloth?

(Three knocks and a rap)

Now, let me see you all.

- Frau de Vries, may l introduce...

- No, you may not.

l shall forget your names anyway.

- Well, you don't mind us thanking you?

- No.

Why did you do that?

l don't know. l was thinking of my own wife.

- lt wasn't only you.

- l see.

- Were you a diplomat before the war?

- No, Johnny's the diplomat.

- l'm just an actor.

- Of course.

No Englishman would kiss a woman's hand,

except perhaps an actor.

- Snub or compliment?

- Compliment.

The way you handled those Germans

taught me something about acting.

lt isn't so difficult.

They're an unhappy people.

l would rather be a Dutchman

in Holland now than any German soldier.

They want to believe that somebody's

their friend and that's the trick.

A dangerous trick for a woman.

You don't seem to think much of women.

Besides l have Louis and Willem.

He was your driver.

They're the only servants left

but they won't leave me.

l was afraid when l first started,

just as a pilot is afraid

the first time he goes solo.

Then after a few minutes, when he finds

he's still alive, begins to like it.

- Will you do something for me?

- Yes, of course.

l want you to go and see my husband

when you get back to England.

- Your husband?

- l'm not mad.

He's in London. l'll give you his address.

- But we heard...

- l know. l spread that story myself.

Nobody knows the truth,

not even my friends.

But he's alive and in London.

Do you ever hear from him?

Five times a week. He's one of

the Dutch announcers of Radio Oranje.

- What...

- Radio Orange.

Oh.

So you see we're two, on both sides

of the channel. We're still fighting.

Well, leave it to us.

Can we get cracking tonight?

You may be here for days or hours.

lt depends on your air force.

- You can only get away in a raid.

- We want to get back, raid or no raid.

- Look here...

- Are you in command?

- No, he's a Yorkshireman.

- Are you in command?

- No. You are.

- We have to get you back to England.

You won't be the first or the last

to leave this house for England.

You'll reach the sea in a fishing boat

and the fishing boat by a row boat

from the cellar of this house

and to the cellar by a back staircase.

The corridor which passes

my door leads to that staircase.

The corridor has two features,

a sentry...and a glass roof.

- And so?

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