One of Our Aircraft Is Missing Page #6

- lf you were his officer,

what orders would you give in an air raid?

Well, tell him not to stand about

under a glass roof, l suppose.

Exactly. During a raid,

the corridor is left unguarded.

Now, do you understand?

Exactly.

Everything is prepared.

There's nothing to do now but wait.

(Rain falling)

Owing to bad weather conditions,

there were no operations over

enemy territory last night.

You're telling me.

Mon herr.

Pardon, mon herr.

Our wine has been drunk by the Germans

but being a Dutch woman,

l think that Dutch water is a better drink

than French champagne.

l'm sorry l haven't been able to give you

the food l would have liked to

but we haven't very much left.

l mean, not very much left to eat.

But we've kept everything else.

We can think and hope...

and fight.

l give you a toast. Louis.

Our motto since the house of Orange

drove out the Spaniards 300 years ago.

''Je maintiendrai.''

lt's nice to be a woman again,

even for half an hour.

What do they reckon that motto

of yours means, then, ma'am?

''We can take it.''

Well, l never. 300 years ago. We don't

seem to have progressed much, do we?

George.

Come on, George.

l don't know why everybody's looking at me.

After all we have a diplomat

and an actor here.

l suppose it's my age.

Well, my dear young lady, we can't

offer you anything except our love...

our gratitude and our admiration for

a brave woman and a fearless country.

But we can promise you one thing...

a growing help, an attack,

which will sweep these Germans from...

(Distant hum of aeroplane engines)

(Air-raid sirens blare)

Air raid!

(Jo and Louis speak in Dutch)

Come here, all of you.

(Distant shouts in German)

You see? That's what you're doing for us.

Can you hear them running for shelter?

Can you understand what that means

to all the occupied countries,

to enslaved people

having it drummed into their ears

that the Germans are masters of the earth?

Seeing those masters running for shelter,

seeing them crouching under tables

and hearing that steady hum

night after night,

that noise which is oil

for the burning fire of our hearts.

(Distant booming and hum of aircraft)

(Distant booming continues)

(Door thumps)

(Men shout in German)

(Speaks German)

(Man replies)

(Whispers) Stop here.

(Men speak German)

(Whistles appreciatively)

(Men talk excitedly in German)

(Jo speaks German)

She's leading him up

the garden path beautifully.

(Men chat excitedly)

- They're expecting another chap, Fritz.

- A little reception committee for Fritzy.

He's gone to get a Korkenzieher.

l don't know what Korkenzieher means.

(Jo and soldiers flirt in German)

Oh!

(Whispers) She's dropped his torch

in the drink.

- Since when did you speak German?

- l can understand that much.

(Footsteps)

(Calls out happily in German)

Hello, Fritzy.

OK.

Now, what about this Korkenzieher?

- Of course.

- What is it?

Corkscrew.

Cut it out.

l'll be Fritz.

You others follow as soon as the fight starts.

(Men speak German with Jo)

(All shout)

(Gagging)

(Shouts in German)

- All right, Mrs de Vries? Tom?

- Yes.

- Kiboshed.

- Bob?

KO.

- Frank? Geoff?

- All correct, sir.

(Speaks Dutch)

Louis!

(Both speak Dutch)

You can't wait for the tide to turn or the

fishing boat. These three will be missed.

- We can't leave you in a spot like this.

- Don't worry about me.

And don't worry about these Germans.

We didn't invite them to our country but

we can take care of them once they're here.

(Speaks Dutch)

That tunnel leads to the river.

Watch out for a fishing boat coming

upstream with two white diamonds on it.

Try and contact the fishermen.

lf you can't, trust to luck.

The danger will be at the swing bridge

at the mouth of the river. lt's guarded.

You may be challenged.

You must use your own judgment.

Now, hurry.

- What about the course?

- Due west.

Steer by a light

you will pick up eight miles out.

lt's a German rescue buoy for their airmen

who hit the sea.

Keep well to the left of it

and watch out for E-boats.

- You have your compass?

- Yes.

Don't waste my corkscrew, bring a bottle.

Well, God bless you.

l suppose that's

the one advantage of being old.

(Distant hum of aircraft)

Good luck.

(Distant booming)

Stand by.

ln.

- Out!

- (Booming)

(Explosions)

Swing bridge ahead.

(Klaxon blasts)

(Mutters in German)

(Distant booming)

Here come the fishing boats.

(Happy chattering)

Two white diamonds.

Our buoy friends.

Our chance will be when

the bridge starts to close again.

Stand by to cast off.

When l give the word, roll.

Get set.

Cast off.

(Distant booming)

(Whistles romantic melody)

ln.

Out.

ln.

(Whistling continues)

Quicken up.

Out.

(Stops whistling)

(Resumes whistling)

(Stops whistling)

Halt!

Now, row!

(Guard) Halt!

- ln, out, in...

- (Gunshot)

- Keep down.

- We're not going to be caught!

- (Gunshot)

- ln, out...

(Machine-gun fire)

- ln, out...

- (Heavy machine-gun fire)

- ln, out, in, out...

- (Machine-gun fire continues)

(Distant hum of aircraft)

Our luck.

They don't dare use searchlights

cos of our chaps.

Let's slow it down. l'm done.

What's your course, George?

We're going a bit north.

Do you want any help, sir?

You all right, George?

George?

- He's hurt.

- Steer, somebody.

- Are you hurt badly, George?

- The tiller...

Oh, don't worry about that.

Here. Geoff.

(Mutters)

Here, pass me that sack.

Oh, Lord.

You all right now, George?

lf l can stick it till morning, l'll do all right.

l suppose this is what they call choppy.

lt's what l call nasty.

Hey, here they come.

- They've spotted us, sir.

- Blast.

They'll be here in three minutes.

- lf this comes off, we're going to be all right.

- Shut the hatch.

(Clanking)

- Are they still jabbering, sir?

- Yes.

They're ordering these two thugs

to sit quiet till E-boats get here.

(Speaks German)

What are we going to do about

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

You two stay put, understand?

(Speaks German)

You're far too cocky.

You understand that all right.

OK.

No need to have an empty stomach anyway.

(Klaxon blares)

(Klaxon stops)

Try to pick up something from our side.

(Approaching engine)

(Shouting in German)

Out!

(Man) They don't seem

to understand my German, sir.

He's one of us!

All line up!

Steady! Watch it!

- Hello? Air Force?

- That's right, six of us.

What are you birds doing here?

- A wonder Jerry didn't pick you up.

- Matter of fact, we picked up two of them.

Jerries? Are they your prisoners?

We've been arguing

about that since we got here.

They were here first and radioed for help.

l see their point.

Technically you're their prisoners.

(Geoff) What, six to two? l like that.

Sir.

Got a bit too cocky, so we took their guns.

Legally that weakens your status but don't

mind me, l'm a barrister when l'm ashore.

Then we loosened the cables

and hoped we'd drift.

You drifted all right. Another hour with

this tide and you'd be in our own minefields.

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