April 1941

In a night bombing raid over the south of England, a German plane is hit. Three airmen bail out over farmland.

***

Next morning

On the farm, two members of the Women's Land Army are going about their morning duties: Rose Henshall is working a horse-drawn plough and Joan Dillon is herding cows across the farmyard.

Barbara Hicks emerges from the farm cottage and smiles good morning to Hugh Jackson, the farmer, as she mounts her bicycle and rides off. Jackson, with sour face, does not acknowledge the greeting.

***

In response to a call from the Home guard, Sam drives Foyle and Milner to the area of Jackson's farm and stops the car beside a field in which lies the body of one of the members of the crew of the stricken German plane.

The captain of the local Home Guard unit greets the occupants of the Wolseley and suggests that Sam does not join the others in looking at the body, as the man's parachute hadn't opened and, consequently, "he's a bit of a mess." Sam stays by the car, disappointed at not being allowed to participate in the investigation of the scene.

On examining the body, Foyle notices that the man's holster is empty and the ripcord handle in his hand has nothing attached to it. Milner observes that the ripcord appears to have been cut away.

The captain reports that two men came down. They ran off, but the dogs have picked up their scent. He shows Foyle a map of the area and says it seems the men were heading back towards their crashed aircraft.

***

To the delight of the Land Army girls on Jackson's farm, a brand new tractor is delivered. Barbara Hicks returns in time to watch its arrival and says cheerfully, "God bless America, eh?"

Jackson snaps about it having been paid for and the Yanks making money out of war. He spits. Barbara asks him why he has to be so rude and he responds by asking her why she has to stay on the farm and not in the hostel like the other women. Barbara explains that she was billeted by the Land Army and Rose and Joan stay on the farm. The two other women sneer at her, Rose saying she has cows to milk at five in the morning and Joan asking if she wants to help. Barbara does not reply but heads for the farm cottage.

Curling, a neighbouring farmer, arrives and demands to know how Jackson got the tractor, as he put in for one months ago but didn't get one. Joan says he won't need one if they take his farm off him. Curling snarls that if Jackson and his pals on the committee threaten his farm, he'll blow their heads off. The two men engage in a fistfight, which ends with Jackson throwing Curling off the premises.

***

Foyle and Milner examine the wreckage of the German plane, leaving Sam, once again, waiting by the car.

Foyle notes the electronic equipment scattered on the ground. A member of the Home Guard explains that the burnt-out aircraft appears to be a Dornier and would have carried three crewmen. When he indicates a body still in the wreckage, Foyle queries the number of crewmen, but the Home Guard assures him it would be three. Foyle puzzles as to why the two who landed safely would head back to their downed aircraft. He and Milner join the search for the missing airmen.

Joan reminds Jackson that his son Tom will be home in two days. He tells her gruffly that she won't get his son and she won't get the farm.

Milner spots the two airmen.

Joan and Rose are in the middle of sowing a field by hand when Joan says she is tired and needs to take a break. She walks a little way off and sits down, but, looking back sees Jackson approach Rose and a squabble begin, ending with the farmer pushing the woman to the ground and walking off.

***

The German airmen are captured. Milner takes a pistol from one man, but finds no weapon on the other. Foyle discovers that both men speak English and is told by one of them that it is normal. Foyle tells them that the other airman who jumped was killed and that his parachute cord appears to have been cut, but the airmen do not respond. However, when he walks away, one talks to the other in alarmed tones. Behind them, the DCS listens as they speak in German and, when they stop talking, he asks them their names. One gives a Heil Hitler salute and firmly announces that he is Oberlieutenant Schimmel; the other meekly gives his name as Sabartovski.

A military vehicle arrives as Foyle is in the middle of asking the men to explain why there were four men on the Dornier. A major and a private alight from the vehicle and, completely ignoring Foyle, the officer approaches the prisoners. The soldier roughly orders the airmen to put their hands up, but the major interrupts, telling him to treat the Germans with respect. He salutes the two men, introduces himself as Major Cornwall from the Prisoner of War Interrogation Service and, shaking their hands, welcomes them to Britain. He then orders the private, Tom Jackson, to carry on.

Foyle has been waiting patiently and reminds the major that he is there by asking for a word with him. He begins to say that he has spoken to the prisoners and something is amiss, but Cornwall cuts him short by saying simply, "Well, thank you for the tip off." Foyle tries to speak again, but the major silences him by saying that while they are grateful for his help, they'd really prefer that people didn't speak to enemy prisoners and left the job to them. "We are the experts and we run a very sophisticated show. Amateur sleuthing is of course understandable, but, er, unhelpful."

Foyle realises that there is no point in persuing the matter and replies simply, "Right."

As Cornwall climbs into the army vehicle, Milner looks at his boss with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. Foyle responds with a humorous "get that!" expression, dipping his body briefly with a little bend of his knees.

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