The One That Got Away

Choose your targets. Pull it up, pull it up!

Tally-ho! Tally-ho!

Pull it up, pull it up. Right... Charge!

Keep weaving!

You're on fire! You're on fire!

Bailing out.

I'm on his tail, Charlie. He's going down. Another score.

I've got one! I've got one!

I've got one. Let him go. He's had it. He's had it.

Another Jerry?

- Yours? - Mine.

All right, you two, stand guard over the plane.

Open it, Scott.

One Bosh, sign here.

Come on, you. Out you get.

Thanks for the ride and for your so amusing conversation.

Is this a prisoner of war camp, Sergeant?

Right. He's all yours.

This way.

Guard, halt.

Sergeant, I want to see the Commanding Officer immediately.

Does nobody speak in this country?

By the left, quick march.

Another German pilot, sir. Name of Franz von Werra.

I've put him in Room 13.

- Have you spoken to the escort? - Yes, sir.

Were standing orders followed during transit?

Yes, sir. Usual routine, sir?

Yes, let me have his file.

- Is there any pre-war record? - Yes, sir.

He joined the Luftwaffe four years ago.

His file's being brought up to date now, sir.

Stay where you are.

I will not be treated like this.

I am an officer.

This way, Mr. Werra.

Where am I going? To a prisoner of war camp?

- What rank is he now? - He's a full lieutenant, sir.

Halt!

- All right, let's have him. - Sir.

- You waste your time, Captain. - Oh, hello.

You already have my name, rank and number. I say nothing else.

No, of course not.

Just wanted to meet you and see if everything was all right.

How are they treating you? Are you fairly comfortable?

No. I wish to be sent immediately to a prisoner of war camp.

Yes, of course you do. Leave it to me.

Cigarette?

Do sit down, Oberleutnant.

Don't think we need that guard, do we?

- You needn't wait, Thompson. - Right, sir.

Let me compliment you on your English, by the way.

Very much better than my German.

If you think to get anywhere with flattery, Captain,

- You waste your time. - Get anywhere? How do you mean?

- Is this not an interrogation? - Oh, my dear fellow.

A chat and a smoke by the fire?

As for getting any military secrets out of an officer of your standing,

well, I know it's just not worth trying.

- Well, as long as that is understood. - Indeed, it is.

Oh, I'm so sorry, you haven't got an ashtray.

Souvenir of the old 1418 scrap.

I wonder who's going to win this one.

That's a very silly question, Captain.

Oh, you Germans are so supremely confident.

- Don't you know why? - How should I know?

- I'd like to if it's not giving anything away. - I'll tell you. That's not secret.

You must understand, Captain, morale depends on strength,

and we are strong.

Stronger in every respect.

- And that's the whole basis of it? - Absolutely.

The German people are as one man.

Our will to victory is...

How would you call that?

- Irresistible? - Irresistible.

That is our strength.

- Sounds logical enough. - It's simple.

Of course we admire England's courage to go on fighting alone,

but it's hopeless. If only you would recognize that.

Oberleutnant, you're trying to convert me.

It's I who should be trying to break down your morale.

It's a waste of time. In a few weeks,

it will all be over.

Same old claptrap.

Well, that's all been most enlightening. Thank you.

Oh, not at all. Most pleasant.

- Captain? - Yes?

One question. When shall I get my personal belongings?

And when shall I go to a prisoner of war camp?

You said one question.

When shall I go to a camp?

Why did you choose that one, I wonder?

Oh, because I like to be with other German prisoners.

- So when shall I go? - In due course.

Form up!

Air Defense Intelligence, Cockfosters.

A.D.I. Cockfosters. - A.D.I.K.

- Hello? - M.I. London Cage here, sir.

Von Werra, conditioned.

- Usual sort of thing, I suppose? - Not quite the usual.

All the routine jargon, of course, but he doesn't believe a word of it.

It just happens to suit his own book.

- Is he a keen Party member? - No, sir.

The only thing von Werra believes in is von Werra.

A mixture of bombast and sheer nerve.

Yes, sir. I should say that would be the best line.

He's certainly ripe for it.

- Well, let me have him as soon as you can. - Right, sir.

I'll have him sent over tomorrow afternoon. Good night, sir.

Oberleutnant von Werra, no less.

Now then, who would you like to be with?

We've got quite a few of your chums here.

I'll read out a list of the names and you let out a yell.

Now, how about

Lieutenant Fritz Wolff?

Oberleutnant Heinrich Mannheim?

Lieutenant Peter Kleinhert?

No?

You will not get my unit that way.

Never mind. I just thought you'd prefer it. That's all.

Let's see,

come along with me, will you?

Oberleutnant von Werra.

Cheer up, it wasn't your unit we wanted.

Oh, Carl, Carl!

A black thing with wires.

- He's found the dummy. - Bright boy.

Rather sooner than usual.

Here we go.

Oh, dear.

Hello, RAF Intelligence. Hello, RAF.

I'm looking for the microphone hidden near the window of my room.

This is Oberleutnant von Werra calling the RAF.

Are you receiving me? Werra calling and testing.

You, Oberleutnant. Out.

I want to see the Commanding Officer.

Later.

- I need a wash and a shave. - Later.

Something to read.

Later.

- I have to go to the lavatory. - Later.

Well, then, when do I have the interrogation,

- Sergeant "Later"? - Now.

Von Werra, sir.

Thirteen aircrafts, shot down in combat.

Six destroyed on the ground.

That's quite a score, Oberleutnant.

Let me warn you, Squadron Leader,

- I do not talk. - As a minor ace of the First War,

I'm privileged to meet a major ace of the Second.

Perhaps it was you who shot me down the other day.

Oh, I regret. I'm sorry.

You mentioned your unit a moment ago, Oberleutnant.

- I tell you, I will not reveal. - And I wondered which of your friends

in the Headquarters Staffel of the Second Gruppe of

Number Three Fighter Geschwader

will look after Simba, your lion cub,

now that your deathless exploits with that unit have come to an end.

- Your old friend Sannemann, perhaps? - How...

You've come a long way since you joined the Luftwaffe in 1936, haven't you?

From obscure private, to Oberleutnant Franz von Werra,

cover boy of the magazines.

With competition for promotion so keen in the Luftwaffe,

your flair for publicity has served you well.

While other pilots keep dogs, falcons, pigs as pets,

you have a pet lion cub.

A German radio magazine, hor mit mir,

dated 24th of August, 1940.

With German bombers overhead, it's a pity you are so concerned

with the lion cub of a captured pilot.

What about this one? You're leaning on the wing of a Messerschmitt.

This could be anybody. Any of a thousand German pilots.

It lets you down, doesn't it? That signet ring.

And the rigid forefinger.

I tell you nothing.

Don't you?

It's not my fault if magazines admit my unit.

They don't. You do.

This lieutenant is...

Care to tell me the date of your promotion, or shall I tell you?

It followed your celebrated broadcast of August 30th, surely.

You surpassed yourself then, Oberleutnant.

The German radio described your action

as the greatest fighter exploit of the war.

Remember?

I do not know what you speak about.

Deutschlandsender 1,571 meters,

1800 hours, British summer time.

In German for Germany.

Listen to yourself, Oberleutnant.

(VON WERRA SPEAKING GERMAN ON STEREO)

"Six Hurricanes circling over a field.

"I hit on the idea of pretending to be part of the English squadron."

As I understand it, you claim that while you were over a British airfield,

you shot down three Hurricanes,

possibly four, as they were going in to land,

and destroyed five more on the ground.

Prefer to read it?

Tell me something, Oberleutnant,

where exactly was this airfield?