For Strategic Reasons
by Harry V. Kershaw
Episode Number: 8 Director: Tim Jones |
CAST
| Philip Ashton | Keith Drinkel | |
| Eddie Chappell | Michael Williams | |
| Sergeant Connor | Ray Smith | |
| Dominique Brehaut | Prunella Ransome | |
| Madeleine Brehaut | Marty Cruikshank | |
| Lieutenant McCartney | Derek Anders | |
| Captain Leyland-Smith | Jeremy Wilkin | |
| Corporal Jenkins | Richard Vanstone | |
| Private Galt | Colin Prockter | |
| Private Abrahams | Bill Lyons | |
| Albert | Bill Jarvis | |
| Mr. Brehaut | James Bree | |
| Mrs. Brehaut | Margaret Ward | |
| A Frightened Woman | Billie Hammerberg | |
| Marie | Debbie Bowers |
GUERNSEY, JUNE 1940
| Company HQ, Beaucamps | Two officers, Captain Leyland-Smith and Lieutenant McCartney, discuss their new posting on the Channel Island of Guernsey, where a German invasion is feared. |
| The Barracks Hut | Sergeant Connor explains to the men that they are billeted at Les Beaucamps, headquarters of the Royal Guernsey Militia. He says they will continue their machine gun training and then probably be assigned to a machine gun battalion in England proper. There will be two nights to see the island's main town of St. Peter Port. The sergeant announces that three men, including Philip Ashton, have been promoted to lance corporal. When the sergeant leaves, Philip reads a letter from home. He passes along to Private Eddie Chappell the disturbing news that his brother-in-law, John Porter, has been posted missing, believed killed. |
| Company HQ, Beaucamps | Captain Leyland-Smith reveals to Lieutenant McCartney that no further reassignments will occur, leaving the men on Guernsey to defend the island. |
| The Barracks Hut | Sergeant Connor tells the men that Philip and six privates will be transported to Fort Doyle for twenty-four hours of guard duty. Still, that leaves one night off to see St. Peter Port. |
| Canteen in St. Peter Port | A shy private named Albert is talking to two girls, sisters Madeleine and Dominique Brehaut, when Eddie Chappell and Philip Ashton join them at the table. Albert says he must leave for his duty station on the Liverpool docks, and he receives a decidedly impersonal farewell from Dominique. Eddie begins dancing with Madeleine, so Philip takes the opportunity to ask Dominique if she would like to go for a walk in the morning. She accepts his invitation, with the understanding that first she would be attending church services. |
| A Beach at St. Peter Port | Philip and Dominique kiss and then agree to meet again the following night. There is guard duty tonight, and Philip quips that he and his comrades will be protecting her from the dreaded Hun. But Dominique says that she likes the Germans—"If that nice Mr. Hitler hadn't started the war, I'd never have met you." Dominique asks Philip if he really thinks the Germans will invade Guernsey. No, he replies, because he already has the only thing on the Channel Islands worth having—her. It is clear to see that Dominique is fearful of an invasion, and she maligns Philip as being very young, very ignorant, and not very clever at all. He pleads guilty to the first two charges but not the third, and she laughs. They resume their romantic walk, hand in hand, and then they share an impassioned kiss and embrace before lying together on the grass. |
| The Machine Gun Range | Eddie and Philip practice setting up a machine gun, and Eddie aks him if he would be able to squeeze the trigger to kill Germans. Philip does not answer, but Eddie serves notice that he "bloody could." |
| The Barracks Hut | So maliciously does Eddie persist in teasing Philip about the Spanish Civil War that finally Philip takes a swing at him, bruising his lip. Just then, Sergeant Connor comes in and tells both men to save their animosity for the Germans. Philip and Eddie reconcile with no hard feelings. |
| The Brehaut Home | Philip, Eddie, Dominique, and Madeleine are chatting with the sisters' parents. As the parents are about to leave, Mr. Brehaut discloses the shocking news that all cinemas and other entertainment facilities will be closed indefinitely by 10 o'clock in the morning. If the Germans plan to invade Guernsey, he explains, they will do so very soon. Alone in the kitchen, Madeleine tells Dominique that she has decided to stay at home with Eddie, rather than going to see the Akim Tamiroff film. When Dominique tries to caution her younger sister, Madeleine lashes back, revealing that she secretly watched when Dominique had a summertime tryst with "that Scottish boy." Not denying the accusation, Dominique hurries out of the kitchen. Philip and Dominique depart for the cinema, leaving Madeleine and Eddie behind. |
| Canteen in St. Peter Port | After the cinema, Philip and Dominique are having coffee. Philip wonders aloud why Dominique has been so quiet all evening, and he speculates that it is because they made love. |
| A Beach at St. Peter Port | Philip and Dominique have strolled to the seawall, and she asks him whether they can see each other the next day. Philip tells her no, that he has drills all day long and then nighttime guard duty at Fort Doyle. Dominique says, "Well, we better make the most of tonight then." |
| Fort Doyle Guard House | After playing cards, the men still have a half hour before they must return to guard duty, so Eddie and Philip discuss the Brehaut sisters. A little girl named Marie comes in, carrying a bowl of bread pudding from her mother, and Philip, Eddie, Galt, and Abrahams share the treat. |
| Company HQ, Beaucamps | Sergeant Connor reports to Captain Leyland-Smith, who tells him that Beaucamps will be evacuated immediately, with troops going to Fort George instead. Lieutenant McCartney arrives, and the captain informs him that both of the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey, are being demilitarised, with all British troops returning to England. The captain tells his lieutenant that the civilians might panic, so the troops should attempt to sneak away while the "civvies" are still fast asleep in bed. |
| Fort Doyle Guard House | The men are finishing their bread pudding, and Marie comes to retrieve the empty bowl for heir mother. They return to their guard duty. |
| Outside Beaucamps | Sergeant Connor leaves on a motorbike for Fort Doyle. |
| A Beach at Fort Doyle | The sergeant informs his guard detail of the change in plans—they will be leaving at once for Fort George, on foot, carrying their kit bags all the way. |
| Fort Doyle Guard House | The men begin to pack up for the long march to Fort George. Eddie complains that Guernsey troops have no heavy artillery, just rifles. |
| The Brehaut Home | Mr. Brehaut receives a telephone call, and he passes the news on to his wife: he must report immediately to the militia. Dominique and Madeleine are awakened by the commotion downstairs, and their father says he suspects that this activation of the local militia means the troops are moving away from Guernsey. |
| A Street in St. Sampson's | The squad is marching at quickstep when a frightened woman calls down from her window. Philip assures her that they are British, not Germans. |
| The Brehaut Home | Mr. Brehaut is now in his uniform, though fussing that he cannot find his whistle. When Dominique asks him if he really believes the troops are leaving Guernsey, he replies, "I hope so. For everyone's sake, I hope so." |
| A Street in St. Peter Port | The squad takes a break from marching, and Eddie tries to convince Philip that they should visit the girls. Philip firmly refuses, but Eddie still insists on going, no matter that the corporal has pulled rank and declined to grant him permission to do so. |
| The Brehaut Home | Dominique answers the door and sees Eddie. Madeleine rushes to greet him, and Eddie explains that the guard has been ordered to Fort George and then perhaps back to England. Eddie tells Dominique that Philip had to stay behind with the guard. Mrs. Brehaut says goodbye to Eddie, and then she and Dominique leave him and Madeleine to themselves. Eddie surprises Madeleine by asking for her hand in marriage, and her face lights up with delight. He says she can live with his sister's family in St. Helen's. Eddie gives her the address and then hurries away, proclaiming, "I love you!" Dominique stops Eddie long enough to give him a message for Philip. |
| A Street in St. Peter Port | Eddie arrives back with the men and receives a chilly reception from Philip. When he says he has a message from Dominique, Philip ignores the comment and orders him to pick up his kit bag and fall into line. Eddie confronts him with "You bastard. You bastard!" and then accuses Philip of toying with Dominique's affections. Despite Philip's university education and the Spanish Civil War, rants Eddie, still Philip has learned nothing. |
| The Brehaut Home | Mrs. Brehaut comforts Dominique, who is despondent. |
| White Rock, St. Peter Port | Frightened children evacuees stare in disbelief as British troops prepare to leave Guernsey. Aboard a cross-channel steamer, the S.S. Biarritz, Philip is busy securing a machine gun mount at the rail, just in case German airplanes try to strafe the ship. A disgusted Sergeant Connor steps in to show Philip the proper way to assemble it. Eddie Chappel is number two on the gun, so the sergeant orders him to join Philip in making ready for action. Thus in forced proximity, Eddie confronts Philip with the message from Dominique. She wanted him to know that she understands him very well. "But not as well as I do, mate!" he snaps. Unable to utter anything in his own defence, Philip looks miserable—and guilty as charged. Some time later, as the Biarritz steams northward, Philip Ashton stands ready at his machine gun post. |
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| Script Excerpt 1 Philip/Dominique | Script Excerpt 2 |
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