Private Schulz (1981) s01e03 Episode Script

Gripped in an iron fist, resistance in Europe crumbles.
One by one, the towns and cities fall.
Liège, Namur, Leuven, Brussels.
Belgium capitulates.
As the surrender is signed on the white tablecloth of peace, German troops are welcomed everywhere.
It's the first time these people have known real peace for many months.
How much can be said by a single handshake? As German armour thunders down the straight roads of Northern France towards the nerve centre of the enemy, little resistance is encountered, though there is some fighting in the Channel ports.
But it's not enough to keep our troops from the sea.
Less than 40 kilometres separate us from England, where the German flag will soon be raised and Winston Churchill's empty words will be no help to them.
It was dark when I landed, which didn't make it easy to find the second parachute with the canister of money.
I buried both parachutes and my flying jacket, and then dozed for a few very uncomfortable hours until the dawn.
My immediate task was to bury the canister in a safe place.
There were two million brilliantly forged five- pound notes inside.
And I had been sent to spend the money in Britain as an experiment.
If this could be done successfully, the Führer would agree to mass produce the notes in an attempt to wreck the British economy.
And there was a chance, of course, that some of it could end up in my pockets.
I'd come down near a road and found a milestone, which I could use as a landmark.
It was most important that I knew exactly where I had buried the canister so I could come back and replenish my briefcase.
I found a suitable spot and dug a hole.
And took what money I needed, just for the moment.
And in case someone found it, there was an explosive device which would go up if anybody tampered with it.
My contact was an English businessman called Melfort, who was, in fact, a German agent who had been planted before the war.
I took my bearings from the milestone and made a map, which I hid in the cavity, and there I was in an English country lane.
The war might have been a million miles away.
- Good morning.
- Good morning to you.
What a nice day it is.
make the journey backwards and forwards across the Channel.
Very shortly, there will not be a single British soldier remaining on the beaches of Dunkirk.
At this very We've been caught napping again.
This country never wakes up till someone gives it a bashing.
It says here that Hitler's conducting in the German army itself at the front.
Why can't our generals go to the front? Their wheelchairs would get stuck in the mud.
Are you gonna stand there all day reading that paper? Be opening time in an hour.
- I've got to see how the war is going.
- I'll tell you how it's going.
Down the drain, where this pub will go if you don't get on with cleaning it.
- Good morning.
- Good morning, sir.
- What a nice day it is.
- Well, I suppose it is.
- What can I do for you, sir? - I'd like a whisky and soda, please.
We don't serve liquor till 12:00, sir.
But I thought that you opened at 10:30? 30 is weekdays.
Today is Sunday.
- I don't go into pubs as a rule.
- I can see that, sir.
Otherwise you'd know you wouldn't get no Scotch, neither.
There's a war on.
Heard about that, I suppose? Oh, yes, of course I've heard about that.
Well, a cup of coffee, please.
Perhaps I'd better not have anything, I don't have a lot of time.
No, no, it's no bother, sir.
Ethel! Sit down there, sir.
Ethel will have you fixed up in no time.
This gentleman would like a cup of coffee, Ethel.
Oh, would he, now? Have you seen this morning's paper, sir? We're taking a right beating over there.
I hope we can get our boys off those beaches and back home.
Never mind their equipment, just get the boys back home.
That's what I say.
Don't you agree, sir? Yes.
There's something odd about him.
You'd better come over and take a look.
Well, he came in here at quarter to and asked for a Scotch.
When I told him he couldn't have any, he asked for a cup of coffee.
Coffee in a pub? Well, he may be a Norwegian, but he is wearing a bowler hat and plus fours.
And the papers are always telling us to be on our guard against spies.
No, no, I'll keep him here, don't you worry.
You come over as soon as you can.
Hello, Melfort here.
Mr Gerald Melfort? - That's right.
- Who is that? - They call me Whitey, but that is only a nickname.
Have you ever had a nickname? Yes, I have, as a matter of fact.
My nickname is Pinky.
- When did you arrive, old chap? - Last night.
- Were you told that I was coming? - Oh, yes.
Some days ago.
I'm very much looking forward to meeting you, old boy.
I can't tell you how glad I am to hear a friendly voice.
Well, I'm certainly glad to hear yours.
Where are you? A place called Swithenford.
Near a pub called The Blue Boar.
Swithenford.
Oh, yes, I know it.
- Are you alone? - Oh, yes, quite alone.
I think that I did something foolish in the pub, I asked for a coffee.
- I think they got suspicious.
- Pubs don't serve coffee.
Those bloody fools should've told you that.
Never mind, no real harm done.
In fact, you're in luck, you know, because you're on a bus route.
Get yourself to a bus stop because there'll be one coming along in about 10 minutes.
A cream and green bus.
Now, you get on it and take it to the end of its run.
There's a small hotel there called The Crown.
Meet me in the bar there.
All right? The Crown? - Yes, right.
- In the bar.
Oh, by the way, old boy, how will I recognise you? I could wear a buttonhole.
There are some yellow flowers here on the ground, lion flowers I think.
You mean dandelions? Yes.
Well, I shall wear one of those.
Well, not to be outdone, I'll be wearing a white daisy.
I'll see you in about half an hour.
Oh, by the way, old boy, long live the Führer.
Yes, long live the Führer.
Another one in the bag.
Let us keep the advantage, sir.
He's a spy, Sam.
A German spy.
I knew it as soon as he came in.
Yeah, well, we'll see about that.
We mustn't prejudge the issue.
He may be a harmless foreigner, you know.
- A Pole? - Exactly.
- In a bowler hat? - And I've never yet met a Pole who didn't know what time an English pub opened.
If you ask me, they all learn that at school.
Yeah.
Well, I'll ride over to the station.
They'll get a message out to all points.
- Cheerio, Ethel.
- You're welcome, Sam.
Oh, well, the news ain't good, Jack.
Nope.
We could have Jerry here in a week or two.
You look out for that spy, Sam.
I reckon they'll be dropping a lot of them right now, just to add to the confusion.
Yeah, I will.
I'll let you know what happens.
- Cheerio.
- Bye, Sam.
Hey, you in the plus fours.
I want a word with you.
Hey! Jim, wait a minute.
He didn't get off the bus.
- Blast.
- Do you think he smelled a rat? I don't think so.
Perhaps he did get off the bus.
Perhaps he just took off his dandelion to give himself a chance to size the situation up a little.
Perhaps he's here.
Now.
Looking for me.
But if he is looking for you, he's looking for a man with a white daisy in his buttonhole.
True.
- Then he's not going to find me, is he? - No.
But if he can't find you and you can't find him, how are you ever going to meet? I think I should've left the white daisy in my buttonhole.
Yes, I think you should.
It never occurred to me he'd take the dandelion out of his own.
If he has, of course.
Should I put the daisy back, do you think? Well, there are two arguments against that, sir.
In the first place, it gives him the advantage and he may have spotted you talking to us and that could scare him off.
And secondly, - we didn't bring the daisy with us.
- Oh.
Well, let's wait a while.
I'm sure he'll make himself known.
I'm his only contact in this country.
He needs me.
He's either just being cautious or he simply missed the bus.
In either event, we shouldn't be seen together.
- Bit of a coincidence in the crossword.
- What's that? Twelve across, "dandelion".
Would you mind to keep an eye on my case, please? Oh, yes, certainly.
Yes, I know that he's not staying in the hotel, but could you ask if he's there? Well, I'll ask in the bar, sir.
Mr Melfort.
Is there a Mr Melfort here? Yes, it's me.
Telephone for you, sir.
- At the desk.
- Oh, thank you.
Excuse me, I wonder if you'd mind keeping your eye on that for me, please? - I shan't be a moment.
- Certainly, certainly.
Thank you.
- At the desk, did you say? - Yes, sir.
- Hello, Melfort here.
- I am sorry, but the bus didn't stop.
Oh, well, these little things are sent to try us.
When the bus comes along you must put your hand out, you know.
I shall wait for the next one.
How long will it be? Oh, just a minute, I'll find out for you.
Oh, excuse me, buses from Swithenford, how often do they run? - Every hour, sir, on the hour.
- Oh, thank you very much.
Hello, there'll be a bus along in 20 minutes.
I'm glad you phoned.
I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to you.
Yes, don't worry.
I will be there.
He did miss the bus.
- And he's coming? - Oh, yes, he'll be on the next one.
Thank God he's not here.
For a moment, I thought he'd got a step ahead of us.
- Mmm.
- Well, time for another, then.
- Same again? - Oh, yes, why not? - Where are you going with that? - Pardon? You leave that alone, it doesn't belong to you.
- I beg your pardon? - I know your sort, you're a petty sneak thief, that's what you are.
You thrive in bars like this, don't you? Thought no one was watching.
Disgraceful, disgraceful.
Thieves should be shot in wartime, shot.
- But it's mine.
- Rubbish.
Do you take me for a fool? It belongs to that man who is sitting over there.
Now, let go of it.
Let go, will you? - You let go.
- I said, let go of that at once.
Thank God you're here, sir, he's trying to pinch your case.
Well, it's his case, you know, not mine.
I'm sorry.
- Yeah, it looked like you was waving.
- I was waving.
Yeah.
"That's odd," I thought, "Sam waving.
"He's not the sort of bloke to wave for nothing.
" No.
But I'm ruled by the timetable, Sam, you know that.
Here, that's him, innit? - Him in the plus fours.
- Yeah.
That's him.
Excuse me, sir.
I'd like a word with you.
Hey! Hey, come back here! Hey, stop that man, he's stolen my bike! - Oi, you can't do that, come back.
- Stop, stop, I saw that.
- He's taken your bike.
- I know he's taken my bike.
For God's sake, will you leave that poor man alone? It's his case, officer.
Not mine.
I don't care whose case it is, sir.
I have every reason to believe that that man is a German spy.
- Could that be him, do you think? - Well, it could have been, I suppose.
Plus fours, briefcase, bike.
- Let's go back and have a look.
- Right.
Hold it.
Back up.
I'm sure it's him.
Tell him we've spotted him, he's on foot and he's heading for the beach.
He won't get far going that way, not unless he wants to swim for it.
Ah, car four here.
It doesn't take much to get Tommy Atkins into the water, and Dunkirk is no exception.
They probably regret there wasn't time for a bit of sunbathing, but Tommy's not complaining, especially when the Hun's there to ruin the fun.
This great armada that put to the sea in ships is to be applauded by the civilised world, as they come, come, come again.
And how good to see those white cliffs of Dover once more, even if we didn't expect to see our boys back quite so soon.
Well, never mind, they've lived to fight another day, and that's what matters.
And they will be back, as surely as these French soldiers, who have been forced to exchange their native land for Britain's welcoming shores.
So we say, vive la France.
Germany may have won the battle, but they haven't won the war.
All right, lads, another lorry's arrived.
Should be some more later.
You make your way along, right up the top there.
Up the top of the hill.
Up there, look.
A right old two and eight, innit? I couldn't have disorganised it better meself.
- I don't know why we bother.
- No, nor me.
Go on.
Oi, you! Hold on.
- Hey, wait a minute! - Oi! - You in the plus fours.
Hold on.
- Oi! Hang on.
Hang on.
We'll give you a hand.
Come on, push! Come on! Oi, wake up.
Give those men a hand.
Can't you see they need it? Come on, move it.
Move it! Give them a hand.
- Go on.
Jump in, lad.
Jump in! - Go on, mate, get in! Oh! Stop that boat! Thank you! That's all right, mate.
Go, go! Bring them all back, eh? Damn! Blast! He's out to the sea and ships, plus fours and all.
Salt of the Earth.
Ah, brave as they come.
Can't wait to have another go.
He may never come back.
Hey, I'll tell you something, Ernie.
If we had men like him running this war, - we'd have won it by now.
- I know.
Clearing up begins on the French coast.
The fleeing British forces leave behind them shattered armaments, a fitting souvenir for the victorious German forces.
Much work will have to be done before life returns to normal.
Now that hostilities have ended, the long road to reconstruction will have to be started, after the ruthless English bombing.
It'll take a long time for this work, but our troops will set about it with a will, winning the hearts of these war-weary people.
Naturally, there's suspicion at first.
But a fresh petrol ration soon brings out the smiles, as it is realised that Germany is truly a good friend.
Soon, all Europe will know it.
But the task of liberation is not yet finished.
And our enemy across the channel still lurks like an injured dog.
It is not yet time to relax our vigilance.
How many can you take? What? I said, how many can you take? Well? Fifteen! Fifteen, right.
Next 15.
Come on, hurry up.
We haven't got all day.
Come on.
On the double.
Look lively.
That's it.
Left, right.
Right, come along.
Come along, the rest of you.
At the double! Come on.
Left, right.
Hurry up.
First two men help all the others get on board.
Where are you going? I have a message for the beach commander.
Oh, well.
I'll give it to him.
No, it is personal.
It's for From his mother.
- Where is he? - Oh, well, he's up there.
Hurry up.
It isn't very safe round here at the moment.
From his mother? Stop.
Wait! Come back! Come on! I hadn't a clue where the road went.
And it did look suspiciously like a private drive, but anything was better than waiting on the main road.
I could, after all, still have been shot as a spy if I'd been captured by the wrong side.
As I suspected, it wasn't a proper road and my last chance of a complete getaway vanished when a small turning, which might just have been a way through, ended up as a sort of high class tradesman's entrance, leading to the back of an enormous chateau.
It was even more grandiose than the front.
Very French, set in beautiful grounds with vast flights of steps that wouldn't have shamed versailles.
I got out of the hearse and looked for a back door.
The whole house looked as though it had been shut up.
And the only way in I could find was locked.
However, the greenhouse had been left open, which suggested that in their hurry to escape the advancing German Army, the owners had forgotten to lock everything.
But then, when I got through to the front of the house, I began to wonder why they'd left the Rolls behind.
And why the front door was wide open.
Still, I was dog-tired and I hadn't eaten since I left Germany, and frankly, I'd ceased to care what happened next.
I would've done anything for a good meal and a sleep.
Anyone at home? And who, may I ask, are you? Mmm.
Of course I do Oh! I do beg your pardon, I was just a bit tired.
You see, I thought your drive was a roadway and And when it wasn't, I just wandered in here.
Then you can just wander out again.
Well, you see, I haven't eaten for a couple of days and I was hoping to buy some food up here.
This isn't a cafeteria.
Shut that case.
Bring it down to the car.
Oh! - It won't start.
- What? Do something, the entire German Army will be here any minute.
Fetch the crank.
- What? - The starting handle, get it.
Well, no wonder it won't start.
- There's no petrol in it.
- Rubbish, I had it filled this morning.
Well, somebody's emptied it this morning.
- Stolen it? - Lf you prefer.
It's been siphoned off.
One of your servants, perhaps.
Those thieving menials.
The swine.
There's your French worker for you.
Thieves, swindlers, all of them.
Is that Monsieur Gaston? This is the Countess.
That car you're trying to sell, does it have petrol in it? I'd like to buy it.
How much is it? Ooh.
But I want to buy your car, not your house as well.
Well, I see.
I'll take it.
Now, I can't give you cash, of course, but I have some jewellery.
Why not? But I don't have cash.
Ooh, Monsieur Gaston Monsieur Gaston? Oh, little bourgeois pig! Yoo-hoo! Is that your hearse? - Yes.
- Will it start? Has it got petrol? Yes, madam, it has.
Come up here.
And stop calling me madam.
It's Countess, actually.
I'd like to buy your hearse.
Naturally, I can't give you cash, the banks weren't open this morning.
But I suppose you'll take this? I couldn't possibly sell my hearse, I need it.
Typical.
All the French worker thinks of these days is himself.
No wonder France is on her knees.
I'll buy the jewellery off you, though.
What with? You don't suppose I'll take a cheque, do you? Would £5,000 be acceptable? Five Did you say pounds? Yes, English, five-pound notes.
English currency.
Where did you get it? That's a long story.
Is there anything else in the chateau you fancy? Well, I'd hate to deprive you of anything of great sentimental value.
Even things of very great sentimental value can be bought.
They just cost a lot more, that's all.
Is that a man's dressing gown? My husband's.
He left that behind, too.
Well, madam, I would quite like to buy lots of things in this chateau, but to be honest, it's um It's you that fascinates me.
Oh, I see.
Well, you did say things of great sentimental value could be bought.
Yes, of course.
Of course.
I did say, too, that they cost a lot more.
That's no problem.
Money's no object.
Well You surely don't expect me to stand here and name the price? Oh, no, no.
Of course not.
Nothing so vulgar.
Let's say I reconsider my offer, and I give you £20,000? - £20? - For the necklace and a lift in the car.
What would you say to that? I'd say, you certainly know what you like.
- Shall we begin? - Oh, no.
No Well, there's no hurry.
But the guns, monsieur Oh, but they're miles away, madam.
We don't have to worry about them.
Quite honestly, this little situation of ours intrigues me.
I can't tell you what it does to me.
I'd like to savour it, not rush it.
If you have in mind some unspeakable practices peculiar to yourself Oh, good heavens, no.
I just thought we could do this in a more civilised way.
A spot of luncheon before we began Nothing elaborate.
A little pâté, omelette, some cheese and a good wine, bottled here on the chateau.
And then afterwards, we'd go for a stroll in the grounds and if we felt like it, which we surely will, we'd, um, come up here for a rest in the afternoon.
Do you suppose we have all day? Well, we don't want to worry about a little gunfire.
Do you know, I think I'll dress for lunch.
Mmm.
It really was excellent, my dear.
You should have had some.
I wasn't hungry.
Would you like to come upstairs now? - Just a little more cheese.
- Oh.
I suppose you think this is all a little curious? A little.
Do you think it odd? To try and forget the war, just for a moment? No, I think it's very clever of you, considering the world is falling around us.
This moment represents to me an oasis in my life, which I shall probably never stumble upon again.
Now, can you blame me for taking advantage of it? To eat a meal in these exquisite surroundings, prepared by a woman of breeding and beauty, whom, if it were not for an accident of birth, I might have called my wife.
Oh, really? I can't tell you the happiness these few moments have brought me.
And it cost you so little.
I feel, Countess, like a man about to enter paradise.
It'll be paradise for both of us if we don't get on with it.
Will you come upstairs now? Guess they must be closer than I thought.
It'll be now or not at all.
Oh, please.
Don't let's spoil the fantasy.
I mean, let's be tasteful.
Preserve the decency.
I mean, the refinement, the leisure.
Your class has taught us so much.
I mean, the refinement, of course, of human feelings.
Will you come upstairs now, or do you want it on the floor? I beg your pardon! Where do you want it? Car key, car key.
Oh.
Oh.
Right.
Ah.
Yes.
Yes, out.
Yes.
Communist pig.
Oh, my dear Ugh! Oh, no.
Hey, don't go without me! Countess! Please!