Go inside.
Hurry up.
This way.
Hurry up.
Yeah, this'll do. Which one are you gonna have?
- I... - No, that's mine.
Allez hup!
How far are the trees, Danny?
Over 200 feet.
Yeah, I'd say 300.
Long ways to dig.
We'll get Cavendish to make a survey. I wish Big X were here.
Willie, you think X got away?
He'd have sent us word somehow if he had.
- Gestapo, you think? - Either that or he's dead.
- Group Captain Ramsey? - Yes.
I am Hauptfeldwebel Strachwitz. Will you accompany me, please?
- I'll look after your gear, sir. - Right.
Gruppenkommandeur Ramsey.
Good morning, Group Captain.
I'm Captain Posen, Von Luger's adjutant. Since you're senior British officer,
you are to be liaison between the prisoners and the colonel.
He wishes to make clear to you certain matters of...
the word is "policy"?
Yes.
Thank you.
Gruppenkommandeur Ramsey.
I am Colonel Von Luger. Please sit down.
Group Captain Ramsey, in the past four years
the Reich has been forced to spend an enormous amount of time,
energy, manpower and equipment
hunting down escaping prisoner-of-war officers.
At least it's rather nice to know you're wanted, isn't it?
For us it's not a matter for levity. There will be no escapes from this camp.
Colonel Von Luger, it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape.
If they can't, it is their duty to cause the enemy
to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them
and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability.
Yes, I know.
The men under your authority have been most successful.
This man, Ashley-Pitt, for example.
Caught in the North Sea, escaped, recaptured, escaped, recaptured.
Archibald "Archie" Ives: 11 escape attempts.
Even tried to jump out of the truck coming here.
Dickes, William.
Known to have participated in digging of 11 escape tunnels.
Flight Lieutenant Willinski: four escapes.
MacDonald: nine. Hendley, the American: five.
Haynes: four. Sedgwick: seven. The list is almost endless.
One man here has made 17 attempted escapes.
Group Captain, this is close to insanity.
- Quite. - And it must stop!
Colonel, do you expect officers to forget their duty?
No.
It is because we expect the opposite that we have brought you here.
This is a new camp.
It has been built to hold you and your men.
It is organised to incorporate all we have learned of security measures.
And in me, you will not be dealing with a common jailer,
but with a staff officer personally selected for the task
by the Luftwaffe high command.
We have in effect put all our rotten eggs in one basket,
and we intend to watch this basket carefully.
Very wise.
You will not be denied the usual facilities.
Sports, a library, a recreation hall,
and for gardening we will give you tools.
We trust you to use them for gardening.
Devote your energies to these things.
Give up your hopeless attempts to escape.
And, with intelligent cooperation,
we may all sit out the war
as comfortably as possible.
- What do you do here by the truck? - I'm stealing tools.
- For stealing tools, cooler. - I was only kidding.
- Oh, you're American. - Yes, and you're a German.
Of course. Why do you come to Germany?
- Why fight for England, your enemy? - Enemy? What are you talkin' about?
- In 181 2 they burned your capital. - That's propaganda.
It's in the history books. I read it.
Now go away from here. If you steal tools, cooler.
Yeah. No tools.
Hey, Virgil.
Hey, did you see the cooler?
Boy, is it ever a big one!
- I think they expect a lot of business. - Yeah.
Those two guys who were with us in the old camp, in hut 14, I can't find them.
- You think the goons left 'em behind? - I guess.
What were their names? It was Jackson and...
- And Dexter. - Dexter. That's right.
I'm gonna see who else I can find. I'll see you later.
Hey, Danny. Who are they?
Russian prisoners. They cut down trees.
- They keep them here? - No, they take them out.
Willie, cigarettes.
Danny and I have a blitz in mind. Could you put on a brief show for the goons?
Sure, man. What'll it be? An all-out go?
- Choir practice? - Knuckles, eh?
- Yeah. Knuckles will be fine. - Give him the coat.
- What are you doing with my coat, mate? - What? It's mine!
Are you pushing me?
That's mine, you son of a...
Stop it! Stop this nonsense!
It's all right, mate. We're just having a friendly little argument.
- No more fighting. No more! - All right.
- Back in your huts. - Yes, sir.
You, too!
Get away! Get back in your huts!
Go on!
Hey, Hilts. Looks like there's only one other American in the whole camp.
Some guy named Hendley in the RAF Eagle squadron.
Hey, you got something goin' already?
See the way the goons got those towers placed?
- There's a blind spot through the middle. - A blind spot?
A guy could stand at that wire and not be seen by either tower.
They'd never see me, especially at night.
- You're crazy. - You think so? Let's find out right now.
Now, the next step's a little tricky.
- You're not goin' out there? - Not while they're lookin', I'm not.
I think I'll take a little walk.
- Danny, you speak Russian? - Only one sentence.
Let me have it, mate.
- What's it mean? - I love you.
I love you? What bloody good is that?
I don't know. I wasn't going to use it myself.
Out. Out!
- Your friend, yes? - Huh?
And who vouches for you, Lieutenant Willinski?
Get out, Sedgwick.
Hold it, hold it!
- Your name? - Ives.
Ives.
Ives. Oh, yes. Archibald Ives. Scots.
The photograph doesn't do you justice.
I'd like to see one of you under similar circumstances.
I will not take action against you now.
This is the first day here and there has been much stupidity and carelessness...
on both sides.
Hey! Get out!
Don't shoot!
You fool! To cross the wire is death!
- What wire? - This wire! The warning wire!
It's absolutely forbidden to cross it. You know that.
But my baseball rolled over there. How am I gonna get my baseball?
- You first ask permission. - Oh, OK.
- Gettin' my baseball. - Stop this! Get over the wire immediately!
- OK. - You stay there!
Out of the way. Out.
What are you doing over here by the wire?
Like I told Max, I was trying to get my...
- What were you doing by the wire? - Well, like I told Max...
I was trying to cut my way through your wire, because I wanna get out.
Do you speak German?
Wire cutters.
I have had the pleasure of knowing quite a number of British officers in this war.
And I flatter myself that we understand one another.
You are the first American officer I have met. Hilts, isn't it?
Captain Hilts, actually.
- 17 escape attempts. - 18, sir.
- Tunnel man, engineer. - Flier.
I suppose what's called in the American army a "hotshot pilot".
Unfortunately, you were shot down anyway.
So we are both grounded for the duration of the war.
Well, you speak for yourself, Colonel.
- You have other plans? - I haven't seen Berlin yet.
I plan on doing so before the war's over.
Are all American officers so ill-mannered?
About 99 per cent.
Perhaps while you are with us, you will have a chance to learn some.
10 days isolation, Hilts.
- Captain Hilts. - 20 days.
Right.
Oh, you'll still be here when I get out?
Cooler.
- Name? - Ives.
Flying Officer Ives.
Cooler. 20 days.
- Cooler, Ives. - Pleasure.
- Hilts. - Yeah?
What did you do in the States? Play baseball?
No, I was in college.
- Say, Ives. - Aye?
- How many escapes have you tried? - Four over, seven under.
- Tunnel man, huh? - Sure, I am that.
How tall are you, Ives?
Five feet four. Why?
Oh, just wondering.
What did you do in college? Study physical education?
Chemical engineering. Did a little bike riding, though.
Bicycles?
Motorcycles. Flat tracks, county fairs. Picked up a buck here and there.
- Helped pay my tuition. - I did a wee bit of racing myself.
- In Scotland. - Bikes?
No, horse racing. Jockey.
Jockey.
Hilts?
Are you there, Hilts?
Yeah, I'm here.
Don't you have them in the States? Jockeys?
Sure.
They were the days. Saturday nights in towns like Musselburgh and Hamilton.
You had to fight off the birds.
You know, birds.
Girls, man. Girls.
Do you not have them in the States?
Hilts?
Are you there, Hilts?
Ives.
What?
You know the kind of clay and gravel we got here in the compound?
How many feet do you think you could get through in eight hours?
I could go through this dirt here like the bit on an end of an auger.
But you know it's not the digging. It's the shoring up with wood
and getting the dirt out - that's what you've to worry about.
No, it isn't, Ives. You don't have to worry about that.
How are you going to get the dirt out?
- What do they call a mole in Scotland? - A mole.
Aye.
Well, what do you think?
I must say, it's an interesting first 20 minutes.
I'd say we made fools of ourselves.
As the sergeant out there says, this is only the first day.
Eric.
Don't take too much notice. The goons may not know who he is.
- I'll pass the word. - I'll tell the old man.
He has arrived.
The prisoner Bartlett is discharged into your custody, Colonel Von Luger.
I suggest this prisoner be kept
under the strictest security confinement permanently.
Make a note of Herr Kuhn's suggestion.
We have reason to believe he is the leader
of numerous criminal escape attempts.
Squadron Leader Bartlett has been three months in your care,
and the Gestapo has only "reason to believe"?
If he once more falls into our hands, he will not be so lucky.
Air-force officer prisoners are the responsibility of the Luftwaffe,
not the SS,
or the Gestapo.
At present, yes, Herr Oberst.
That is why he is returned for the moment to your care.
Of course, if the Luftwaffe is not up to the task,
the prisoners will find themselves totally in our charge.
We regretfully are not so professionally understanding.
Squadron Leader Bartlett,
if you escape again and be caught, you will be shot.
Herr Kuhn.
- Eric. - Hello, Roger.
- They dumped you here, too. - What's this one like?
Well, it's new.
Here. Let's find you a bed.
Thanks.
Come in.
- Hello, Roger. - Hello, sir.
- I'll put your bag in your room. - Thanks, Eric.
- How are you? - As well as can be expected.
The fellows wanted to put up a welcome committee, but that's for later.
- I saw Willie and Willinski with Mac. - A lot of old friends here.
- How long have you been here, sir? - Arrived today.
New camp, expert guards, the elite.
You met the commandant?
Yes, I did.
What were the Gestapo and the SS doing with you?
They wanted to find out who helped me to the border.
Who else is here? Cavendish?
- Nimmo and Sorren? - Griffith, Haynes.
- Blythe? - Yes.
Almost the whole X organisation.
Almost. They cleaned out all the other camps and dumped us in this one.
As Von Luger put it: "All the rotten eggs in one basket."
There's madness in their method.
What about Tommy Bristol?
No, but there's an American - Hendley.
Is he a scrounger, blackmailer?
- MacDonald says he's the best. - Good.
Last of the tea until the Red Cross gets through again.
I scrounged this from Sedgwick.
Did the Gestapo give you a rough time?
Not nearly as rough as I now intend to give them.
Roger, personal revenge must be kept out of what we have to do here.
Too many lives are at stake.
What my personal feelings are is of no importance.
You appointed me Big X, and it's my duty to harass,
confound and confuse the enemy to the best of my ability.
- That's true. - That's what I intend to do.
I'm gonna cause such a terrible stink in this Third Reich of theirs
that thousands of troops'll be tied up here looking after us.
How?
By putting more men out of this
perfect camp of theirs than have ever escaped before.
Not two or three or a dozen, but 200, 300. Scatter them all over Germany.
- Think that's possible? - The men are here to do it.
The goons have put every escape artist in Germany here. You said so yourself.
Have you thought of what it might cost?
I've thought of the humiliation if we just tamely submit,
knuckle under and crawl.
Surely you don't advocate that, do you, sir?
I have to point out one thing to you, Roger.
No matter how unsatisfactory this camp may be,
the high command have left us in the hands of the Luftwaffe,
not the Gestapo and the SS.
Look, sir, you talk about the high command of the Luftwaffe,
then the SS and the Gestapo.
To me they're the same. We're fighting the bloody lot.
There's only one way to put it, sir.
They are the common enemies of everyone who believes in freedom.
If they didn't approve of Hitler, why didn't they throw him out?
I have no argument with you, Roger.
As senior officer, I'm merely pointing out a pertinent fact.
When are you calling a meeting, X?
Tonight.
Gentlemen, no doubt you've heard the immortal words of our new commandant.
"Devote your energies to things other than escape
and sit out the war as comfortably as possible."
Well, that's exactly what we're going to do.
We're going to devote our energies to sports and gardening,
all the cultural pursuits as far as they're concerned.
In fact, we're going to put the goons to sleep.
Meanwhile, we dig.
Now, even a superficial look at the compound
shows us that huts 104 and 5 are closest to the woods.
The first tunnel goes out from 105,
directly east under the cooler and the wire.
But that's over 300 feet, Roger.
- Did you make a survey, Dennis? - Only a temporary one, sir.
- I make it just over 335 feet. - Tell me when you've got an exact one.
Willie, this time we'll dig straight down 30 feet before we go horizontal.
That'll rule out any question of sound detection or probing.
All right, Roger, but did you say the first tunnel?
I did. There'll be three.
We'll call them Tom, Dick and Harry. Tom goes out directly east from 104.
Dick goes north from the kitchen, and Harry goes out parallel to Tom from 105.
If the goons find one, we'll move into the other.
How many men do you plan to take out, Roger?
250.
There'll be no half measures this time. Identification papers for everyone.
And, Griff, we'll need outfits for the lot.
- 250? - Mostly civilian clothes.
Yes, but...
OK, Roger.
Mac. Maps, blankets, rations, compasses for all the walkers.
- Timetables for every train. - Right, Roger.
- Sorry I'm late, Roger. - It's all right, Colin. Sit down.
We're going to tunnel.
Splendid.
Willie, you and Danny'll be tunnel kings. Danny, you'll be in charge of traps.
Sedgwick, manufacturer. Griff, as I said, tailor.
Nimmo and Haynes, diversions. Mac, of course, will take care of intelligence.
Hendley. We haven't met.
- Scrounger? - Right.
Dennis, maps and surveys.
Colin, you'll take your usual job. Eric, how are you gonna get rid of this dirt?
Usual places. I hadn't anticipated three tunnels, but we'll manage.
Roger, who's going to handle security for all this?
You are. I want a system of stooges covering this compound
from front to back, checking every goon in and out.
I want a signal system so perfect that if ever a ferret gets within 50 feet
of any of the huts in which we're working, we can shut down without a sign.
Well, I don't think there's much point in discussing any more now.
I'll meet each of you on the exercise circuit, and we'll pound out the details.
Nothing else, is there, Mac?
I shouldn't think so, Roger.
Oh, hello.
My name's Blythe.
Hendley.
- For birds. - I used to do a little hunting myself.
Oh, not hunting. Watching.
Oh, a bird watcher?
Yes, that's right. Watching them and drawing them.
I suppose you have bird watchers in the States?
Yes, we have some.
Tea?
I only drank tea once, in the hospital.
Where's your kit?
This is it. The rest was confiscated in the last shakedown.
The goons didn't appreciate some of my more personal items.
Such as.
- You're the scrounger. - Yes, that's right.
I'll need a camera.
- What kind? - A good one.
A 35mm f2.8 with a focal-plane shutter should do all right.
All right.
- And film, of course. - Oh, of course.
Oh, Hendley. I need a pick. Big heavy one.
- Only one? - Two would be better.
I'm afraid this tea's pathetic.
I must have used these wretched leaves about 20 times.
It's not that I mind so much.
Tea without milk is so uncivilised.
Yeah.
I'll get our wood.
Close up! Close up!
Close up!
- No me sprechen the English. - Close up!
Splendid.
Blythe, what are you doing here?
I'm in Photographic Aerial Reconnaissance lnterpretation.
Went for a joyride to see for myself. It's my own silly fault.
The aircraft bought it. Got shot down. Terrifying.
- No, I mean, what do you do here? - Here?
I'm the forger.
Forgers are installing themselves in the recreation hut.
- Sedgwick? - I'm in 1 10.
- Griffith. - Well, I'd like to work in 109, Roger.
109? Right.
I'll work in 107. For now, Danny, Willie and their trap team will be in 104.
I want to take a chance on the tunnels and press ahead without any shoring-up.
We will need timber for the shafts and the entrance chambers.
Hendley figures there are 36 empty bunks.
We can tear up 1 5 and move the men around so the goons won't miss them.
The rest will come from strips off the wall.
- Is Hendley taking care of this himself? - Not yet.
He's working on some steel for a pick that Danny needs.
Hey! What the hell is going on here?
Turn the water off! Get your hands away!
Get away!
Hey! What the hell's going on there?
Stop this nonsense!
Get away!
Turn the water off!
Somewhere!
In the stove, we keep fire burning always. The goons will not feel like moving it.
- Good. - Hendley, two tiles, they are chipped.
- We need new ones. - There's some in 1 1 3's washroom.
- Should match perfectly. - Good.
It's going to be a bit tricky, Danny.
Not when you're organised, Mac.
- We're ready. - Big enough?
It's perfect. Right through the middle of the foundation.
Good luck to us, Danny.
Why 17?
This is the 17th tunnel Danny's started.
All right?
It's good.
It's very good.
Get out! Get out!
You're not in your hut? What are you doing here?
Mopping up.
- And you? - Shower. I need a wash.
I'm watching him. I'm a lifeguard.
Put on warm clothes. You might be outside all night.
No. I vote no. Look, we've put the goons to sleep exactly like you said.
But just one little thing like this and we're up the creek without a paddle.
- Ives, sit down, won't you? - Hello, sir.
Hello. Squadron Leader Bartlett, Captain Hilts.
Flight Lieutenant MacDonald.
I understand you two are contemplating a blitz-out.
Where'd you hear that... sir?
MacDonald. It's Mac's job to know everything that goes on.
We thought perhaps we might talk it over.
Why? It's only a two-man job.
Everybody in the camp is supposed to clear all escape attempts in advance
with Squadron Leader Bartlett here.
We don't necessarily want to interfere.
It's just that... well, what sort of blitz were you contemplating?
We sneak out at night to a spot I found near the wire - a blind spot.
Then we dig down, take the dirt, spread it on top so it won't make a pile,
and then straight out.
Ives here is a tunnel man, so he digs in front, pushes the dirt behind him.
I stash it behind me, then we burrow through the dirt like a couple of moles.
By dawn we're under the wire, across the open space, into the woods and gone.
Well...
When do you intend to try this?
- When do you intend to try it? - Oh, tonight.
Hilts, this may not be quite the right time for this sort of thing.
Look, sir, I've been in the bag nearly three years now,
bloody close to being wire-happy.
It's a blitz-out for me, or forget it.
It'll work. I know it will.
Good luck.
Thank you.
- Hilts, um... how do you breathe? - We got a steel rod with hinges on it.
We shove it up and make air holes as we go along.
Good night, sir.
Now, why didn't anybody think of that before?
It's so stupid, it's positively brilliant.
But it'll bring every goon in the camp down on top of us.
I don't know. Perhaps we're being too clever.
If we stop all the breakouts,
it may only convince the goons that we must be tunnelling.
I hope it works. If it doesn't, they're going to be in the cooler for an awful long time.
- Good, huh? - Danny, it's bloody beautiful.
- This is the dirt from the compound. - This is from the tunnel.
Wherever we put it, they're going to spot it a mile away.
Maybe we could put it under the huts. The dirt's dark there.
It's the first place the ferrets would look. I saw one measuring yesterday.
Maybe we could dry it to the same colour.
- There are 50 tons of it. - I was just thinking out loud.
If you must think, for God's sake, think clearly.
Where the devil is Ashley-Pitt?
We can't destroy the dirt and we can't eat it.
The only thing left to do is camouflage it.
That's as far as my thinking takes me.
Didn't they teach you promptness in the RN?
You'll never believe it, but I think I have the solution.
The problem is somehow to get rid of this tunnel dirt over the compound.
Well, of course.
Would you mind?
Now...
you fill these bags with the dirt from the tunnel.
Then, wearing them inside your trousers,
you wander out into the compound
where you pull these strings in your pockets.
Out come the pins.
- Eric, it's good. - All you have to do is kick it in.
Unless you're a fool, the ferrets won't see a thing.
It's indecently brilliant. What do you think, Roger?
- We'll try it first thing tomorrow. - I already have. It works.
Mac, this is what we'll do.
- A little present from Tom, sir. - Thank you, Nimmo.
Nice garden you've got, sir.
All right. Let's look sharp.
That looks sharp.
Sir.
Please, gentlemen, continue. This is merely a routine inspection.
- Good morning, Squadron Leader. - Good morning, sir.
I am sorry the soil here isn't better suited to your men's purpose.
We'll manage, sir.
I must say I am surprised with the extent of this activity, Group Captain.
- Pleased, of course, but surprised. - Surprised, Colonel?
Fliers are gentlemen, not peasants to dig in the earth. So I am surprised.
The English are keen on gardening.
Oh, yes, but flowers. Is this not so?
You can't eat flowers, Colonel.
Good point.
I have the nasty feeling he knows exactly what we're doing.
- Maybe he does. - You don't really think so, do you?
If he does, we'll find out soon enough.
- Morning, Bob. - Andy.
Here we are. Now, let's see.
Biscuits, two packets.
Coffee, two tins.
Bovril, one jar.
Cigarettes, six packets.
Strawberry jam, Sorren's. Black currant jam, Cavendish.
And marmalade, mine.
Danish butter, Von Luger's. I liberated it from his mess supplies.
Oh, yes. And Dutch chocolate. Two bars.
That cleans out the gift food for the entire organisation.
Now, the first thing we need is the new form of travel permit.
The forgers have no idea what it looks like.
I'll see what I can do.
And, of course, any other identity cards, personal papers,
documents you can put your hands on.
- Anyway, put 'em to work, Bob. - Right.
Good luck.
O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye
O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels
O come let us adore Him
Louis, where the hell is the air pump?
Patience is a virtue, Roger.
Yes, I know, but the diggers can only work when the trap's open,
and this is holding us up very badly.
- Is it finished? - Of course.
- Why isn't it in? - Working on the air ducts now.
- Well, when will they be finished? - One or two days.
- Does it work? - Of course it works.
- Will it give us enough air? - As much as you'll need.
Mac.
Excellent.
Have it in by tomorrow night.
Christ the Lord