Episode 4 SS-GB

This programme contains some violent scenes

and scenes which some viewers may find upsetting from the start.

You were all ready to pass the atomic plans to someone

at the American Embassy.

I hope you're not saying I had anything to do with the murder.

I'm not a spy, Douglas.

You're not seriously suggesting

that the German Army are going to help free the King?

A certain few will do everything they can to help.

I've got friends who don't go in fear and trembling of the Huns.

You wouldn't understand that, would you?

Too busy doing their dirty work for them!

I'm a bloody fool for not having guessed.

You're Resistance.

EXPLOSION

SCREAMING

MAN YELLS IN PAIN

Miss Barga is most public spirited.

You know Molotov, Goebbels and Von Ribbentrop all walked away

without a scratch?

And yet the explosion came from the grave itself, wouldn't you say?

I didn't see, but it would be the obvious place.

Kommen sie.

They must have got in here last night.

Got poor old Karl out of his nice new wooden overcoat

and stuffed it with explosives.

You can bet our incompetent army had no guards here.

Always obey orders!

-Are you all right?

-Yes.

Springer!

Springer!

Springer!

-Aus dem Weg!

-HE CHOKES

Albrecht!

Alles wird gut.

HE SPLUTTERS

WOMAN WAILS

MAN CRIES OUT

We can't just pull them out of school!

Yes, we can.

It'll be martial law by the end of the day for sure.

You'll have to pack some things.

Look, I don't understand.

Joyce, they're going to be making a lot of arrests.

It's going to be dangerous on the streets.

So I called Harry Woods.

You're going to go to the unoccupied zone.

It'll be safer there, all right?

GUNFIRE

It's starting.

What is?

The crackdown.

Wait here.

Don't talk to anyone.

I won't be long.

PLANE FLIES OVERHEAD

Hurry it up, Doug.

Well, say goodbye to Douggie for me.

And it's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

And I should be out there helping.

No.

No, you should look after yourself.

I'll see you later.

-Hello again, Superintendent.

-Arthur.

I really appreciate this.

It's nothing. You've been good to me in the past.

About one stop over-exposed, but that's not a bad fault.

Hope it's all right, I couldn't make head or tail of what I saw.

Don't worry about that.

I'm just glad I never managed to chase you out of

the artistic photo business.

Glamour. We need it more than ever now.

Whatever it is you're up to, you be careful, Superintendent.

Arthur will take you half the way, then another car will take you on.

It's all arranged.

You're going to go and spend some time with Uncle Harry's cousin.

Get some fresh air and a taste for the country.

I wish I could come with you.

Why can't you come?

Well, your father has important work to do, Douggie.

I want to be with you, Dad.

Bob said you nearly got blown up.

I did.

But I'm still here.

And I always will be. All right?

Your dad will come to us, when he can.

Come here.

Be a good boy, Douggie.

-Thank you.

-Yeah.

-Keep him safe.

-Mm.

HE SIGHS

Sir?

Come in and pour yourself a drink.

That's an order.

The bottle's empty.

Plenty more in the cabinet.

Water?

A casualty list.

They keep dying.

Well, it was a hell of a blast.

A blast, that's right.

Dig up old Karl after half a century in the phosphate-rich soil

of North London and don't be surprised if he farts in your eye.

Yes, they keep dying.

We lost a good friend, Archer.

Springer was my angel at the court of King Heinrich.

I gave him a seat at the back near the naval staff but...

the damned fool had to move closer to the grave, to see better.

What a mess.

Had you known him a long time?

I can tell you stories, Archer, from the early days.

Things you would never believe.

I was with him when we watched die-hard Nazis shout "Heil Hitler!"

before the firing squad, not realising it was the Fuhrer's

own death squads that were killing them.

HE CHUCKLES

Funny, huh?

Not very.

It taught me a lesson.

I watched those idiots die and I vowed that I would never

listen to any kind of political claptrap ever again.

Amen.

At first they were a joke,

but then, very quickly, almost while we weren't looking,

it was utterly obvious the Nazis would win.

They had mean, efficient brains and determination.

I like winners, Archer, that's my weakness.

Like my bastard of a father.

Nazis are winners.

Don't be tempted into working against them.

What will you do now that Springer's dead?

Will it mean that the Spode murder investigation will be dropped?

I won't let that happen.

I will go to Berlin and talk to the Reichsfuhrer-SS

and perhaps to the Fuhrer too.

They'll have to give me Springer's job

because there's no-one else with all the information.

Information that would allow the SS to take over

the nuclear experiments from the Army?

Do you realise, this bomb,

it could really work, if we put enough resources into it?

The Army don't believe in it because it would make them

and their troops redundant.

SS leadership is the only way it will come to pass.

Under your control?

Do you want to stay with me, Archer, on my personal staff?

You can come all the way to the top.

Well, I wouldn't know what to do. I'm a policeman.

You are also a survivor.

A winner, perhaps.

I'll make you a German citizen and bring you into the SD immediately.

No more rationing, travel restrictions or finance control.

Well?

How can I say no?

But it is a no.

If the Resistance thought I was working for SS Intelligence...

The Resistance will be finished within weeks.

Well, then there's General Kellermann.

Kellermann!

He'll be gone too.

You don't know about his bank accounts in Zurich,

all his bribes from the contractors building the new prisons.

-KNOCKING

-The only thing he cares about is saving his perfumed pink skin.

For you, Superintendent.

Archer.

All right, I'll look into it.

Harry Woods didn't turn up for a meeting with the Crime Super today.

You don't think he could've been picked up?

Why on earth not?

He's had it coming.

If he's been arrested, find a replacement.

Someone that speaks German.

I need staff I can rely on.

Hey, stehen bleiben! Stehen bleiben!

GUNFIRE

SCREAMING

WOMAN CRIES OUT

GUNSHOT

Barbara, it's me.

It's getting dangerous. You should keep your head down, darling.

Don't worry, I've seen enough.

Blood in the gutters, mass arrests. They're gathering them in warehouses

then bussing them to Wembley Stadium.

With this press blackout, I can't publish a damn thing.

Right now they're looking to blame anybody.

Even my Sergeant, Harry, has disappeared.

You've got to keep safe until tomorrow night.

Why? What's happening then?

A meeting, and it's important.

Meet me at 6pm. Hanover Gate.

I'll take you there.

He only came back to check I was all right.

He was putting on his coat to go back into work

when they turned up.

12 of them.

Did he fight back?

Even Harry realised 12 was too many.

Sit yourself down.

Who made the arrest?

Some young PC from Hounslow division.

Never heard of Harry Woods, he said.

Doubt if he'd heard of Scotland Yard either.

Why didn't he show them his warrant card?

Well, he did.

The German officer made out he couldn't understand him.

And you know how hopeless Harry is with all this German.

If you'd been here, of course, it would have been different.

You know how to speak with them, Harry always says.

You should have phoned the Yard, Joan.

I couldn't get through to anyone, could I?

Official calls only.

Well, that's because it's martial law now, Joan.

They want to be sure the Highgate explosion wasn't the start

of some large-scale armed uprising,

so they're arresting thousands and drafting in interrogators

from all over the place...

All I'm saying is, it might take a couple of days

before we track him down.

Then don't worry about the tea, Mr Archer.

Go and find him.

You owe Harry that.

You're with the Metropolitan Police. You traitor!

Oi!

Bisschen schneller hier!

Noch zwei.

Noch funf.

Guten Tag.

Noch funf.

Komm bisschen schneller hier!

Noch zwei.

Out! Out!

Out!

Out!

You! Out!

What are you doing here? Leave us alone.

It was you, wasn't it?

I saw you at the cemetery. You're mad! I should pull you in.

Go on, then, let the Gestapo have their way with me!

You might get an Iron Cross for that one.

Does he know you were involved?

Of course not! I didn't know that...

-Doug.

-Harry.

Here you are.

Got those off the guards.

It's criminal, what they're charging.

You two, er, sorting out your differences?

We were just talking about the Highgate bomb,

and how her lot played right into the Germans' hands.

Martial law is exactly what the Army wanted!

It won't last.

And it shows the others who have some fight left in them

they're not alone.

-We're still here!

-What? In here?

I'm going to try and get you out.

I'll talk to Kellermann.

What, just me?

What about Sylvia?

For Christ's sake, Doug, don't blame her for the attack on you.

I shouldn't have told you where she was.

Yeah, well, it's done now.

Yeah, well, forget about us. We're going to get out anyway.

How?

Sylvia's friends are going to fix one of the officers.

What, bribe him or kill him?

Funny.

Come on, you've told him enough.

You don't have to do this. Leave it with me.

Somebody has to look after her.

Go back to your office, Doug.

Go and be with Douggie outside of the controlled area.

Well, I'd be no use here, then, would I?

What?

I'm willing to do my bit.

But let me get you out.

No.

You've got more important things to do, Doug.

I'm offering you help, dammit! Don't you understand?

Tell Joan I'll be home soon, yeah?

Harry!

The Army will be licking their wounds after the humiliation

of the explosion.

Let General Major Von Ruff think he won his argument

over the King's horses, hmm?

These are delicate times, my friend.

Now...

What is it that you wanted?

The Army have arrested Harry Woods.

You were right to come to me.

But this won't be easy.

I know, sir.

But I'll be very grateful for anything you can do.

Well, at least you weren't rounded up.

I'm American. We're immune.

Maybe you are.

So, where are we going?

Ambassador Kennedy's little place.

Tell me, is this American soil?

Not at the ambassador's residence, sir.

So the Germans could come barging in at any time?

Even they seem to know that would be a little...provocative.

Here we are.

This is Dan Hapkiss, special attache.

I know who you two are.

Good evening, gentlemen.

Not playing cards tonight?

Sit down. We've just started.

-Miss Barga.

-Thank you.

Please.

I'm fine, thanks.

So...

Things are moving quickly, Douglas.

Dan, here, has been my opposite number in Washington

for the last year and he's brought them round to acting on

the intelligence that George's resistance men have gathered.

Which is?

That the Germans seem damned close to producing an atomic bomb,

way ahead of the Americans.

And without Spode's calculations, we're in the dark.

We have no option but to go in and raid Bringle Sands,

steal what we can and sabotage the rest.

Planning that would take months.

It has taken months. The raid's in 48 hours, at spring tide.

I thought Ambassador Kennedy was against America coming into the war.

Shall we say a little marital scandal is keeping him quiet?

But let's be clear, this is not America entering the war.

But in return for our help mounting the raid on the laboratory,

they have agreed to help us with His Majesty.

Good God, the German Army are really going to go through with it?

They know nothing about the raids, of course.

To them they're consolidating power,

squeezing the SS out by humiliating them.

Their infighting is our good fortune.

It's a chance we really need to seize.

It's not helped by those bloody renegades setting off

a bomb at Highgate.

Because of that, half of our men are in hiding now.

I'm having to go down there myself to organise the patrols

to support the attack.

Without them, it could be a damn calamity.

So, with George down there,

caught up with all this...

You want me to get the King to Bringle Sands.

Right now, you're our only chance of success.

With that pass of yours you can get through any roadblock.

Now, there's an airstrip near Bringle.

I've set aside some men to secure it.

An American plane will fly His Majesty out to the Ark Royal

but only if we can get the King there in time.

Well, Douglas?

You're our best chance by a country mile.

And that Resistance attack on you puts you above all suspicion.

It does, doesn't it?

Convenient for you.

For God's sake, Archer.

I'll do it.

If we can get the King away,

the people will realise the bastards can be thwarted.

Good man. That's grand.

You'll meet Captain Hesse at The Grenadier public house

at 1800 hours tomorrow.

He'll fill you in with all the details.

Now, the codename for His Majesty will be Blue-Jacket.

Have you got that?

I'd like to have Harry Woods at my side.

Hopefully Kellermann can have him released in time.

Harry was involved in a shooting incident earlier today.

-What?!

-He's just hurt, along with the girl that used to be your clerk.

Sylvia.

They got through the perimeter fence at the detention camp.

Trying to escape, the sentry said.

Was she hurt too?

-How badly we don't know.

-She got away,

but we have no idea where she is, poor thing.

So where's Harry now?

The SS secret police have asked the Army for him.

They say because he's a police officer

that the Army have no right to hold him.

I have to get to Gestapo Headquarters immediately.

That might make them take an extra interest in Harry -

and you.

I'm sure they'd take a special pleasure in sitting you down

and tearing out your fingernails.

Well, that's a risk I'll have to take.

That's as maybe, but it's not a risk that the organisation

-can afford to take.

-Doug.

He's right.

Well, I have to do something.

We better move. We'll have to leave through the back.

Dog-walker's passed by three times in the last hour.

Oh, God.

Er, I think that might be down to me.

How long have they been watching you?

Since yesterday. It's, er...

It's all rather unsettling.

You're a good man, Bernard.

You're not coming in?

I have to find Kellermann.

He's the only chance I have of getting Harry out of custody.

Will he still be up?

He's a creature of habit.

He seems to feel at home at Kettner's after midnight.

If you'd met him you'd understand.

You're loyal to Harry.

Of course.

He took me under his wing right from the start.

He believed in me.

I wish I had his knack.

And his bravery.

What you're going to do is the bravest of all.

I sent Douggie away.

In case it all goes wrong.

You should get away too.

I'm not going anywhere.

A good journalist never walks away from a story.

If we get through the next few days...

..I've been thinking.

About what?

Maybe you and little Douggie want to leave all this behind,

come to a safer place?

How could that happen?

You'd just have to ask me to marry you, that's all.

I know, I know, it's...

It's hard to know what we really think or feel.

But I think I mean it.

I think.

Good luck.

Barbara.

Yes?

These are the atomic calculations.

Spode photographed them.

Why didn't you give this to Hapkiss when you had the chance?

Because he and Mayhew may not survive the next few days.

And whatever they manage to get out of Bringle Sands...

..they're always going to need that.

You're the safer pair of hands to get it to America.

You're good at this game.

Be careful.

Good fellow, perfect timing.

You were expecting me?

I sent a messenger to your house but nobody was there.

Take a seat.

I do hope, er, young Douglas is all right.

What exactly am I perfectly in time for, sir?

Oh, there he is, with that buffoon, Sturmbannfuhrer Strauss.

Harry.

Superintendent.

You've been a fool, Sergeant Woods.

If you say so.

Well, I do say so, and so does Superintendent Archer,

and so does anyone else, if they are being honest with you.

Can Sergeant Woods be permitted to sit, sir?

Hmm? Oh, very well, then.

I cannot understand why this police officer should be held

in your custody, Strauss.

Herr Gruppenfuhrer,

the prisoner was only passed into my custody this evening.

The duty officer who...

He should not have been arrested, plain and simple.

That does not excuse his stupid escape attempt,

but he comes under SS protection.

The Army mistakenly arrested

one of our best detectives, you see?

Yes, Herr Gruppenfuhrer.

And don't keep calling me HERR Gruppenfuhrer.

No, Gruppenfuhrer.

So you will take this prisoner straight back to

the Feldgendarmerie and explain to the Army their grave error

so they can release him properly.

Sir...

We need a statement explaining that he was investigating

criminal terrorist organisations.

You will have to describe in full detail Woods's activities

working under Standartenfuhrer Huth.

File numbers, etc, etc, etc.

Should I check that with Standartenfuhrer, sir?

I'm afraid, when asked,

Dr Huth seemed disinclined to help your Harry.

Shall we take the statement immediately?

And do it in German, or Berlin will ignore it.

You will translate for your comrade, won't you, Archer?

Of course, sir.

And sign it, of course, before you leave the building.

Gentlemen...

HARRY GROANS

Home, m'lud.

Hmm?

Oh.

I must have nodded off.

What happened back there, Doug?

He ran rings round us, that's what happened.

Kellermann spinning his bloody web.

He's been sweating ever since Huth arrived,

worried about his own neck.

And after tonight's charade, he's got the file numbers

for everything we've submitted to Berlin,

so he can look for all the dirt that Huth has on him.

My heart bleeds for the fat bastard(!)

It looks like Joan's turned in for the night.

I was wondering if I could come in for a minute.

I've got something... something important to discuss.

I knew you were up to something.

But the King!

I can hardly believe it.

I know.

If we do go through with this...

..and I get caught...

..you know what will happen to Joan.

I can't do that to her.

I shouldn't have asked you, Harry.

Not after what you've been through.

Dammit, Doug!

DOOR OPENS

Oh, Harry! Oh...

Oh, my Harry!

I'm all right, gal. Just a few bruises.

I thought I might never see you again.

Don't be daft.

Thank you, Superintendent.

DISTANT THUD

Doug.

Sylvia.

I didn't know where to go.

Then I remembered you'd packed Douggie off. Is it all right?

Of course. You're safe here.

How bad is it?

It looks worse than it is.

I'm sorry about...

How did you get in? Did the block warden see you?

No, I came up the back way.

I wasn't going to let another one mess it up for us.

Let's get you cleaned up.

Harry's been released.

Oh, thank God.

I tried to go back for him but there was so much shooting.

Was it you who got him out?

You know I'd never let anything happen to the stubborn old bugger.

We should have listened to you.

I can understand why you wouldn't trust me.

That's what occupation does to us.

What are we going to do to get rid of them, Doug?

That doesn't sound like you.

You mustn't let something as little as getting shot

weaken your resolve.

People like you show the rest of us...

..the ones with less courage...

..that there's still hope.

Harry reckoned you got Douggie out of the way because

you're going to take a stand.

Harry Woods knows me too bloody well.

So Harry's right? You are up to something.

Well...

You'll hear about it soon enough.

If it comes off...

..or if it doesn't.

There.

I'll sleep in the boys' room.

Thanks, Doug.

Try and get a good night's sleep.

URGENT KNOCKING

REPEATED KNOCKING

KNOCKING CONTINUES

Don't worry.

If it was a raid they'd have the back covered.

It's clear. Go back to bed.

Morning.

There's been a death in Mayfair, sir.

All right, give me five minutes.

Morning, Doc.

Superintendent Archer.

Please don't disturb the crime scene.

Without you jumping down my throat, I propose ruling out suicide.

You know him?

No, it's just an anonymous civil servant.

You wouldn't happen to have any, er...?

You know, your cigarettes make murder and death just

that little bit more pleasant.

-Well, I'm glad I'm improving someone's life.

-Mm.

No-one saw anyone arrive or leave?

Not that I heard.

Place like this, you think you'd be safe.

I wonder what they wanted.

No safe opened, nothing else disturbed.

Doc, could you...?

Wait for the pathologist?

Outside.

Thanks for the tobacco.

Cairn 0235.

PHONE RINGS

Douglas.

Sydney, I've got bad news.

Bernard Staines is dead.

My God. How?

Beaten to death, from what I can tell,

and they made a proper mess of him.

Well, what, er, what should we do?

If he was tortured, if he talked...

Well, then we're buggered anyway.

Well, I should try to get word to George Mayhew.

No! Everything is in play now.

I want you to stand ready to get out

as soon as I get Barbara Barga to you.

She's not answering her telephone.

Well, I'm sure she's fine.

I spoke to her earlier this morning.

You need to keep the appointment with Captain Hesse.

Good luck, Archer.

Can he be trusted?

Well, he hates the right people, if you know what I mean.

Tomorrow morning, you will be ready?

For Blue-Jacket? Yes.

-You are ready?

-Yes, we're ready.

8am.

You will come to the back of the hospital.

An ambulance is waiting.

You will be met by a man wearing the uniform of a medical officer.

Do everything he says.

Do it immediately and without question.

Do you understand?

Yes, I understand.

What about the guards?

As part of the crackdown, the SS guard will...

will be confined to barracks.

There will be only a skeleton unit.

A skeleton unit?!

There'll be only two of us, dammit!

The skeleton will be lifeless.

Make sure the ambulance doesn't have any number plates.

That way, if anything goes wrong, it may give us a few extra minutes.

Yeah.

Agreed.

Blue-Jacket won't be wearing handcuffs or anything?

We Germans are not barbarians, Mr Woods.

Why should he be manacled?

PHONE RINGS OUT

Barbara?

She's not here.

Cairn 0235.

I think the Germans have arrested Barbara.

Call the American Embassy.

I'll try and find out where she's being held.

Oh, my God. Douglas, it is too risky now.

You mustn't get diverted.

I'm sure they daren't harm Miss Barga.

The most likely thing is that they'll deport her.

No more phone calls, Douglas. Not till it's over.

Doug.

She obviously burnt something in here before they took her.

Good girl.

Why wouldn't she have used the fireplace?

SIREN WAILS

Doug.

-Doug!

-What?!

My vote is that we don't hang around here too long.

Wait.

SS. They're checking identity papers.

Your Majesty.

My government doesn't like its citizens being tortured.

I'm afraid they will never know, my dear.

Let's get Blue-Jacket on his way.

DISTANT EXPLOSIONS