Passage to Marseille

Navigator to pilot. 5 minutes to target area.

Achtung!

Bombs away, sir.

Here's another load, you...

Bombs all away, sir.

Good work, men. Let's get out of here.

Hey, matrac...

We are approaching the town of romilly.

Thank you.

Mama.

Yes, darling?

Is it dad?

I'm not sure. You be quiet, darling.

Mother will be right back.

All right.

Pilot to bombardier. Open bomb bay doors.

Oh, Jean, darling...

Until we meet again.

You were to have gone with the wing commander, Mr. Manning,

but I happen to be rejoining my outfit not far from your own destination,

so they asked me to bring you down from London.

And what is my destin... Your what, sir?

Oh, nothing. I was about to ask what is my destination.

A military secret, no doubt.

Sorry, sir.

I'm lost, and I admit it.

Haven't the slightest idea where we are.

Not a signpost, not a marked road.

Somewhere near the channel, unless I miss my guess.

Even for a war correspondent,

this is pretty darn mysterious.

Interesting, though.

Here we are, sir.

Really? Yes, sir.

We're at an airdrome?

Yes, sir. The base of the famous squad victoire.

I can't believe it. Where are the barracks,

the wind sleeves, the tarmac runs?

How do they operate here?

Surprising, isn't it? The French make out quite nicely.

They're an intensely practical people, sir.

Will you get out, sir? Right.

This is headquarters. I'll stow your bag, sir.

Thank you. You mind if I take a look?

Not at all, sir.

Well. I must say, I'm surprised.

This is something new in my experience of military airdromes.

To think that all these incredible bombings

come from a quiet place like this.

I suppose those cows are squadron mascots.

Yes, sir. They've brought us any amount of luck.

They're English, of course, merely on loan to the frenchmen,

as they couldn't very well bring their own cows with them.

Jerseys, sir. The milk is excellent, if you care for milk.

Seems a strange environment for one of the deadliest squadrons in the service.

The quiet, you mean?

Yeah. Well, the French don't mind it.

As a matter of fact, they rather enjoy it.

It has a way of livening up a bit

from time to time. And now, if I may, sir,

I'll take you to the liaison officer

between the free French squadron and our own... captain fresene.

Come in.

Glad to see you, Hastings.

I've brought Mr. Manning. Mr. Manning, captain fresene.

You're very welcome, Mr. Manning.

Thank you.

Well, I... I'll leave you in each other's good hands.

But you must stay to dinner. There's a place laid for you.

Sorry, sir. Have to push on. Orders.

Well, good-bye, sir. I'll have your bag put in your bunk.

Thank you. Good night.

Thank you, Hastings.

Au revoir, captain.

Good luck to you. Would you like to take your coat off?

I would. Thanks.

Aperitifs will be in.

Or would you prefera cocktail?

Oh, no. That's all right. Thanks.

Sit down.

Thank you.

Captain fresene, the purpose of my visit here...

Oh, I know the purpose of your visit.

Word came this afternoon from the air ministry.

You've come to see some French traitors, as monsieur laval would call us.

No, captain. I've come to see some free frenchmen,

to get to know them and to write about them for my news syndicate.

I think we can do with all the understanding we can scrape together

in these touchy times.

Well, you can see a few of us here.

There's certainly more of them.

Thank you.

Do you think that marshal petain

considers you as traitors as well as Pierre laval?

Evidently.

And yet I try to be charitable

in my judgments, Mr. Manning.

I try to remember that marshal petain's an old man now

and in the hands of barbarians.

Vo tre sante.

You've seen him these late years?

No, but I did once... years ago during the battle of verdun.

He visited our squadron, which was then at the foot of the argonne.

You were flying in the last war?

Yes. I was a pilot in the escadrille Lafayette.

Ah, the escadrille Lafayette!

You must have done your training with us, Mr. Manning!

Why, we're old comrades.

Here. Come and have some dinner.

I, too, was a pilote de chasse

in squad 26 of the second group.

Many times did I see the Indian head insignia of your squadron on patrol.

Now we meet for the first time.

Had I known you were an old pilote of our service,

we would've messed with the squadron.

Oh, that's all right. Perhaps I can see them later.

Why, of course. They're in that room.

Have you noticed? Not a sound from them.

Remember the old days?

The laughter, the gay talk in every mess,

phonograph going full tilt? Now, poor devils...

Well, we're all right, we free frenchmen, but we find it hard to be merry.

I understand they're bombers.

American flying fortresses.

Though we did begin here 3 years ago with a few of our own.

They crossed the channel as a unit the day the armistice was signed.

And you came with them?

My dear Mr. Manning, you flatter me.

I'm getting along, and I'm blind in one eye.

No, no, I'm nothing but a liaison officer,

and I reached england by another route.

Groupes a, d, et g,

rassemblement au poste du commandement.

Groupes a, d, et g,

rassemblement au poste du commandement.

J'ecoute.

They're going out now,

just to remind the borsch of our existence.

Soon as we've finished, I'll take you down to the hangars, if you like.

Thanks. I'd like to very much.

Mind the step.

Just over the rise and you can see them.

Great heavens. What is this?

Planes being pulled out of barns?

A haystack for a control tower?

Is this the same place I saw when I came in?

Do you doubt it?

The hedges are gone, the trees are gone,

and the fields have become runways.

I don't doubt that. That's simple. It's just magic.

But there's one thing I can't understand. What's that?

Where are the cows?

They've taken them in the hangars.

They lead the cows in and lead the planes out. Come on.

They're going as the spearhead of the attack tonight.

They're going to light up a target for the others.

Do they know it, that they'll take

the murderous part of the pounding?

They'll give some in their turn.

When I think of what they have to meet in the air and from the ground...

We can be glad we were flying 20-odd years ago.

Yeah.

Will you excuse me a moment, please?

Of course.

Again?

Yes. Tonight's a special occasion,

sort of an anniversary.

I understand.

You have my permission.

Good luck.

Thank you, sir.

All aircraft, proceed to takeoff positions.

All aircraft, proceed to takeoff positions.

Over.

"V" for Victor. "V."

You may take off.

"V" for Victor. "V." You may take off.

"N" for Norman. Take off. Good hunting.

There. Now we can breathe easy for a few hours,

have a smoke. As for them...

What's the destination tonight, or is that a military secret?

Now they're in the air, it's not. Berlin again.

Good. How many?

Over 2,000 bombers over the target tonight.

2,000. Great heavens.

Matrac will like that.

I've been thinking about those men,

those grim, determined faces... especially that gunner,

the man you spoke to just before the takeoff.

I can't get him out of my mind.

I feel I've seen him somewhere before.

Matrac. He impressed you.

I've never seen a stronger face or a stranger one.

Not a fellow to take liberties with, I should say.

No. I could tell you a story about him I've never told anyone.

Would you care to hear it?

By all means, captain.

For the moment, I'll have to ask you

to keep it off the record, as you journalists say.

It's for your private ear. Later, I think, it might be told.