Harriet's Army

It's Harriet.

Get down...

Any signs?

Nothing. I know they're out there, though.

Hey...by the ditch.

Right - circle round, make a noise and I will try and get it.

Hey! Who was that?

It's Jimmy Cruickshank!

Oi! Give that back!

You're dead.

Hey! Give that back! Quick... Come back!

Run! Keep going!

Hey! I mean it! You give that back.

Or what? These are our woods.

You can't own a wood. Well, that's our flag anyhow.

All the good boys and girls,

playing together with Harriet's daddy.

Oh!

HE GROANS IN PAIN

WHISTLE BLOWS

Scouts win. Who got the flag?

Actually, it wasn't the Scouts, sir, it was some other boys.

What boys?

Where's Harriet?

Harriet?

How much trouble am I in?

Mrs Davies says you have to leave the Guides.

You fight too much.

I don't care about that. Never wanted to be a Guide anyway.

I meant my dad.

I don't know. You'll have to go home sometime.

Not necessarily. I could stay here.

What, live in a tree?

If anyone could, you could.

What's that supposed to mean, Violet Croft?

Just that you're clever at making things happen.

Pity you're so thick about everything else.

THEY LAUGH

CHURCH BELL RINGS

Has it happened?

We're at war. Postmaster got a telegraph.

Are we really going to fight the Germans, Daddy?

Yes, Sam, we are.

Harriet too?

No. Not Harriet.

Lucky for the Germans.

What about you? Are you going to go?

No. Not yet, at least.

Old teachers have been told to stay at home and teach.

It'll be the young men who'll be going.

And you'll be taking that uniform back to Mrs Davies.

You nearly broke that boy's nose.

I didn't mean to hit him. I meant to hit Jimmy.

Girls who are very nearly young ladies

shouldn't be "meaning to hit" anyone - do you understand?

Yes. Sorry.

There's enough conflict in the world already.

"It's A Long Way To Tipperary"

That's it - well done, well done. Thanks.

Look, there's your Stephen signing up.

What do you reckon? Don't be daft. You won't pass for 19.

Stephen! Stephen!

I'll catch you up...

You did it? Aye - your brother's a soldier now.

Salute when you talk to me.

Did they give you a gun?

Not yet - have to get trained up first.

We can't all be natural-born fighters.

You heard. Whole town heard, I reckon.

You should come, be a Pal with us -

Germans won't know what hit 'em. What's "Pals"?

Everyone together, like.

Barry, Tom and Fletch are signing up.

Whole village more or less, all going as one battalion.

Everybody's doing it.

So you can stick together? Yeah, that's right.

So there's no need for you to fret about me -

I'll have this lot with me.

That's it, lads...

Three pairs of socks, two jumpers.

That's it. Well done.

See if Mrs Davies needs any help.

What's all this, then? Haven't you heard?

The Scouts and Guides have volunteered

and the government said yes this morning.

Looks like you just missed the boat. Volunteers for what?

We're going to be the second line of defence.

I don't believe you. We are so.

The Scouts are guarding railways, bridges, that kind of thing.

Dad's working out the patrols now. Patrols? For what?

To catch spies and saboteurs.

I've got to go.

Can I help? It's confidential.

Stop it! Dad said no more fighting!

You're fighting with girls! You'll get the strap!

You don't count! Tell me or I'll kick you in the goolies.

Pax? Pax?

Pax.

You're supposed to be a young lady now.

Why do I have to be a young lady when you're so good at it?

At least I'm helping the war. What would spies want to do, anyway?

Blow up bridges. Disrupt transport.

You should put Jack Morgan and Ollie Cooper together.

They live on the same street.

And you don't need patrols

on the Ridgeway tunnel south

and on the sidings,

because anyone going to the Ridgeway tunnel will pass there anyway.

Oh.

Thanks.

Bore da.

Anything for number 62?

Aye - as it happens, I think I do.

Here you go.

Mam? Mam? Yeah - what is it?

It's not meant for us. It's for the Browns next door.

How long have they been here?

Couple of months is all. Less, even.

And the daughter's abroad. She married foreign.

She married German, you mean.

And now this.

Sally Brown getting letters from Germany the moment we go to war.

You know what I reckon?

What you up to? Sh!

I reckon they're spies.

Spies?

You know what people have been saying, Mildred.

Even Boy Scouts are out looking for spies.

The Browns is new.

They haven't been here less than two months.

That's mighty convenient, if you ask me.

Oi...Thomas! Thomas Brown!

Hey!

Hey! What was that for, Johnny Briggs?

For being German. I'm not.

You and your sister and your mam.

And that loopy brother of yours. We're not.

We're at war with likes of you.

That was clean on this morning.

Sorry.

Have you been fighting again?

No.

What was it about?

Was it about Julie?

They know, don't they?

Dear Lord, you'd think people would have better things

to do with their time.

Is that from Julie? What does it say?

Says she's coming home. How come?

Felix thinks...well, maybe it's not such a good idea,

her staying in Germany.

So she was going to make her way back through Holland.

Just till the war's done with. What do you mean, "was"?

I don't know love. This is a fortnight old.

So she might nearly be here!

I just wish there was more news.

You boys go out for a spell, all right?

Lewis is right in under my feet. Take him out, will you?

Lewis?

What is war, anyway? What do you mean?

I mean, what happens?

You know what happens. You're always playing at soldiers.

Yeah. But in soldiers, when you win, you change over and do it again.

That's not war, is it?

No, it's not.

Hey - look there.

That's one of the Browns. The brother.

It's his mam who's a spy. What's he doing here?

He's spying!

We should capture him. Come on!

You're under arrest, spy!

You have to come with us for questioning.

LEWIS YELLS

Get off me! Get off! Get off me! Get off! Get off me, get off!

Are you not right in the head or something? Stop it! Stop it!

Hey! Stop that!

Get up, will you?

Can't.

Take your boot off then.

Will you stop that?

What is wrong with you? Will you be quiet?

What you doing? Don't touch him!

Are you all right, Lewis? It's OK, don't fret.

TRAIN WHISTLES

Take your boot off!

Take it off!

Take it off! Help me!

I can't do it! Pull his leg out.

Help me!

I can't untie it! Pull his shoe out!

I can't do it! I can't do it! Pull!

Help me! Help me!

I can't untie it...Sam!

Get him out!

TRAIN WHISTLES

Why'd you say that to him?

He's more right in the head than you are.

He didn't mean it - it was just a game.

Yeah? Funny sort of a game, calling someone a spy,

saying they're not right in the head.