Passage to Marseille Page #2

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?

Well, 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?

- Well, they're taking them in the hangars.

They lead the cows in

and lead the planes out. Come on.

They go in as the spearhead

of the attack tonight.

They go in to light up the 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, Captain,

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. Clear. You may take off.

Vfor Victor. Clear. You may take off.

N for Norman, take off. Good hunting.

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?

Well, now they're in the air, it's not.

- Berlin again.

- Good. How many?

There'll be 2,000 bombers

over the target tonight.

- Two thousand? 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.

This is the story of a little group

of whom Matrac was one.

For many years, they suffered every pain,

humiliation and indignity

that men can have heaped upon them.

I chanced to meet these...

Well, but let that come in its place.

To begin,

I'll have to take you far away from here.

The outbreak of the war brought orders

for my return to France

from service in New Caledonia.

I was forced to take passage

on the Ville de Nancy,

bound for Marseille

with a cargo of nickel ore.

The Ville de Nancy was

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes