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1.) A battle-damaged fighter tries desperately to get back to base |
2.) Suddenly, the engine gives out and the propeller stops |
3.) Too low to bale-out, the young pilot nervously looks for somewhere to land |
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4.) A short but adequate meadow appears, fortunately straight ahead |
5.) With some difficulty, the landing gear drops into place |
6.) From a nearby field, a young land-girl watches the descending aircraft |
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7.) She seems mesmerized |
8.) The doomed fighter is now low to the ground |
9.) All at once, the land-girl reacts and turns the large draught-horse towards the unfolding drama |
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10.) The aircraft just clears a low rock wall and drops heavily onto the meadow |
11.) The pilot is totally focused as he tries to control the still racing fighter |
12.) Ahead, he sees that he is running out of landing area fast and knows he must attempt a ground-loop |
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13.) The land-girl is galloping her lumbering mount towards the impending event (crashing sounds are heard off-camera) |
14) The fighter has finally come to rest side-on to a boundary wall. The only sound is the that of the approaching horse’s hooves |
15.) Uninjured, the thankful pilot rises from his cockpit, just as the horse arrives. The concerned rider drops to the ground. |
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16.) Disheveled from her wild ride, the attractive land-girl calls to the pilot,“Are you alright Sorr?” |
17.) Enjoying his own survival and the feminine appartition before him, he simply says ,”I’m feeling better all the time!” |
18.) Now fully composed, the pilot moves closer to the young woman and puts out his hand. “Please don’t call me ‘Sir’, my name is………..” |
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19.) Suddenly, there is the roar of an aircraft and the farm-horse reacts! |
20.) Overhead, an enemy fighter makes a low pass and the horse gallops away |
21.) The land-girl looks frantically after her frightened charge while the pilot watches the black-crossed intruder intently. |
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22.) The ‘109’ starts to turn |
23.) The young Luftwaffe pilot quickly looked out at the scene below..... |
24.) .....then banked away and climbed towards the east |
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25.) “What was that all about, will he come back?” the young woman sounds worried. |
26.) Reassuringly, the RAF man replies, “I doubt it, he must be low on fuel and still has to get back to France |
27.) “I hope you’re right Sorr,” then remembering her manners the land-girl smiles and offers, “you’ll no doubt be wanting a phone, there’s one at farmer Jones house.”
“Yes, I suppose the squadron people are wondering what’s happened to me, or soon will be.” He took another look at his wrecked Hurricane,”At least we’ve got spare kites back at base, my old girl’s finished I’m afraid!” “I’m sure she is Sorr. She looks very sorry indeed.” |
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28.) Very soon the young woman is leading the pilot across the field towards a farmhouse in the distance. As she walks, she removes the dishevelled scarf from around her head and shakes out her long hair. Walking behind, the man finds himself attracted to the slender figure before him... |
29.) He blurts out, “I’m most awfully sorry,” he says, “I still haven’t introduced myself, my name is...” Almost at the same moment, and despite the din of the air combats still taking place above them he defines a familiar sound, one he doesn’t like! |
30.) He stops and the young woman is quickly beside him, “What is it Sorr?” She sounds nervous.
“I can hear a Jerry, I hope it’s not our friend coming back!” “Nor do I!” |
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31.) Fully alert, he quickly checks the skies to the east, he can hear a Daimler Benz somewhere, then...... |
32.) ...then checks the sky to the North. That’s when he sees the brief flash of light in the summer blue. A deep fear surges through his tense body. |
33.) Far to the north and many miles from the field bound and exposed couple, the Messerschmitt fighter turns onto its deadly course |
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34.) The RAF pilot suddenly reacts, “He’s coming back! Quick, get behind that wall over there, by the shelter!” |
35.) The pair start running frantically towards the rock wall as the engine sound builds in the distance... |
36.) ...while the menacing enemy sets down on his strafing run |
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37.) and lines up on the stricken RAF Hurricane before him, his finger settling on the firing trigger on his control column. |
38.) On the ground, the running couple make it too the protective wall as the air comes alive with the chatter of machine guns and cannons. The young pilot pushes the land-girl to the ground and falls on top of her. |
39.) Bullets fly overhead, stripping the trees and shattering part of the rock wall above the huddled pair. All about is the roar of screaming engine and gunfire! |
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40.) As quickly as it came, the German fighter is overhead then climbing swiftly into the southern sky before turning for its base on the French coast. Behind can be heard the sounds of exploding fuel tanks and ammunition from the gutted RAF fighter |
41.) The scene left behind by the attacker is one of utter chaos. The Hurricane burns under a cloud of dirty smoke while its ammunition still ignites. Nearby trees have lost branches and one is beginning to burn. Behind the rock wall, the couple lie still and prone, surrounded by the detritus of the attack - beyond them the farm shelter, its roof caved in by cannon shells, is a fiery inferno as fuel and other spirits stored there burn. |
42.) As the sound of the Messerschitt finally fades, we move in closer and see the figure of the woman stirring under the body of the young blue-clad pilot |
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43.) Soon her head emerges. “ Are you alright Sorr?” there is a frantic note to her voice. |