Episode 1 Harriet's Army

It's Harriet.

Get down...

Any signs?

Nothing. I know they're out there, though.

Hey...by the ditch.

Right - circle round, make a noise and I will try and get it.

-Hey!

-Who was that?

It's Jimmy Cruickshank!

Oi! Give that back!

You're dead.

-Hey! Give that back!

-Quick...

-Come back!

Run! Keep going!

Hey! I mean it! You give that back.

-Or what?

-These are our woods.

-You can't own a wood.

-Well, that's our flag anyhow.

All the good boys and girls,

playing together with Harriet's daddy.

Oh!

HE GROANS IN PAIN

WHISTLE BLOWS

Scouts win. Who got the flag?

Actually, it wasn't the Scouts, sir, it was some other boys.

What boys?

Where's Harriet?

Harriet?

How much trouble am I in?

Mrs Davies says you have to leave the Guides.

You fight too much.

I don't care about that. Never wanted to be a Guide anyway.

I meant my dad.

I don't know. You'll have to go home sometime.

Not necessarily. I could stay here.

What, live in a tree?

If anyone could, you could.

What's that supposed to mean, Violet Croft?

Just that you're clever at making things happen.

Pity you're so thick about everything else.

THEY LAUGH

CHURCH BELL RINGS

Has it happened?

We're at war. Postmaster got a telegraph.

Are we really going to fight the Germans, Daddy?

Yes, Sam, we are.

Harriet too?

No. Not Harriet.

Lucky for the Germans.

What about you? Are you going to go?

No. Not yet, at least.

Old teachers have been told to stay at home and teach.

It'll be the young men who'll be going.

And you'll be taking that uniform back to Mrs Davies.

You nearly broke that boy's nose.

I didn't mean to hit him. I meant to hit Jimmy.

Girls who are very nearly young ladies

shouldn't be "meaning to hit" anyone - do you understand?

Yes. Sorry.

There's enough conflict in the world already.

MUSIC: "It's A Long Way To Tipperary"

That's it - well done, well done. Thanks.

Look, there's your Stephen signing up.

-What do you reckon?

-Don't be daft. You won't pass for 19.

Stephen! Stephen!

I'll catch you up...

-You did it?

-Aye - your brother's a soldier now.

Salute when you talk to me.

Did they give you a gun?

Not yet - have to get trained up first.

We can't all be natural-born fighters.

-You heard.

-Whole town heard, I reckon.

You should come, be a Pal with us -

-Germans won't know what hit 'em.

-What's "Pals"?

Everyone together, like.

Barry, Tom and Fletch are signing up.

Whole village more or less, all going as one battalion.

Everybody's doing it.

-So you can stick together?

-Yeah, that's right.

So there's no need for you to fret about me -

I'll have this lot with me.

That's it, lads...

Three pairs of socks, two jumpers.

That's it. Well done.

See if Mrs Davies needs any help.

-What's all this, then?

-Haven't you heard?

The Scouts and Guides have volunteered

and the government said yes this morning.

-Looks like you just missed the boat.

-Volunteers for what?

We're going to be the second line of defence.

-I don't believe you.

-We are so.

The Scouts are guarding railways, bridges, that kind of thing.

-Dad's working out the patrols now.

-Patrols? For what?

To catch spies and saboteurs.

I've got to go.

-Can I help?

-It's confidential.

Stop it! Dad said no more fighting!

You're fighting with girls! You'll get the strap!

-You don't count!

-Tell me or I'll kick you in the goolies.

Pax? Pax?

Pax.

You're supposed to be a young lady now.

Why do I have to be a young lady when you're so good at it?

-At least I'm helping the war.

-What would spies want to do, anyway?

Blow up bridges. Disrupt transport.

You should put Jack Morgan and Ollie Cooper together.

They live on the same street.

And you don't need patrols

on the Ridgeway tunnel south

and on the sidings,

because anyone going to the Ridgeway tunnel will pass there anyway.

Oh.

Thanks.

Bore da.

Anything for number 62?

Aye - as it happens, I think I do.

Here you go.

-Mam? Mam?

-Yeah - what is it?

It's not meant for us. It's for the Browns next door.

How long have they been here?

-Couple of months is all.

-Less, even.

-And the daughter's abroad.

-She married foreign.

She married German, you mean.

And now this.

Sally Brown getting letters from Germany the moment we go to war.

You know what I reckon?

-What you up to?

-Sh!

I reckon they're spies.

Spies?

You know what people have been saying, Mildred.

Even Boy Scouts are out looking for spies.

The Browns is new.

They haven't been here less than two months.

That's mighty convenient, if you ask me.

Oi...Thomas! Thomas Brown!

Hey!

Hey! What was that for, Johnny Briggs?

-For being German.

-I'm not.

You and your sister and your mam.

-And that loopy brother of yours.

-We're not.

We're at war with likes of you.

That was clean on this morning.

Sorry.

Have you been fighting again?

No.

What was it about?

Was it about Julie?

They know, don't they?

Dear Lord, you'd think people would have better things

to do with their time.

Is that from Julie? What does it say?

-Says she's coming home.

-How come?

Felix thinks...well, maybe it's not such a good idea,

her staying in Germany.

So she was going to make her way back through Holland.

-Just till the war's done with.

-What do you mean, "was"?

I don't know love. This is a fortnight old.

So she might nearly be here!

I just wish there was more news.

You boys go out for a spell, all right?

Lewis is right in under my feet. Take him out, will you?

Lewis?

-What is war, anyway?

-What do you mean?

I mean, what happens?

You know what happens. You're always playing at soldiers.

Yeah. But in soldiers, when you win, you change over and do it again.

That's not war, is it?

No, it's not.

Hey - look there.

That's one of the Browns. The brother.

-It's his mam who's a spy.

-What's he doing here?

He's spying!

We should capture him. Come on!

You're under arrest, spy!

You have to come with us for questioning.

LEWIS YELLS

Get off me! Get off! Get off me! Get off! Get off me, get off!

-Are you not right in the head or something?

-Stop it! Stop it!

Hey! Stop that!

Get up, will you?

Can't.

Take your boot off then.

Will you stop that?

What is wrong with you? Will you be quiet?

What you doing? Don't touch him!

Are you all right, Lewis? It's OK, don't fret.

TRAIN WHISTLES

Take your boot off!

Take it off!

-Take it off!

-Help me!

-I can't do it!

-Pull his leg out.

Help me!

-I can't untie it!

-Pull his shoe out!

-I can't do it! I can't do it!

-Pull!

Help me! Help me!

I can't untie it...Sam!

Get him out!

TRAIN WHISTLES

Why'd you say that to him?

He's more right in the head than you are.

He didn't mean it - it was just a game.

Yeah? Funny sort of a game, calling someone a spy,

saying they're not right in the head.

-He's fine, all right? He's fine.

-All right!

Sorry.

Sam, say sorry.

Sorry.

You're idiots, the pair of you, acting like that.

You should know better.

Sorry.

You're the one hit me in the face.

That wasn't meant for you. That was meant for Jimmy.

Best be off. Come on, Lewis.

Wait.

Come home with us. I'll give you some of Edward's clothes.

I'll get those clean.

-I'll be fine.

-Please.

I'll wash everything.

-Nice socks.

-Wool were cheap.

I can imagine.

Must be strange, wi' your da being a teacher.

He's just my dad.

You throw a nice punch for a headmaster's girl.

What's wrong with him?

There's nothing wrong with him.

He's just different, that's all. He can't handle people.

He likes numbers and drawing pretty patterns.

Not people.

-Has he always been like it?

-Yeah.

-So you look after him, then?

-Course.

Is it true your sister married a German?

-What's it to you?

-I'm just asking.

So what if she did? We wasn't at war then.

We didn't knew a war was going to happen.

It's not her fault. It's not mine, neither.

Course not.

So, is she...you know... helping the Germans?

-No.

-What is she doing, then?

Trying to get home.

Over there, she's the one that's a foreigner.

Got a letter saying she was coming back.

But we haven't heard nowt.

-What about your dad?

-Gone.

My mum, too.

I want to do something.

-What do you mean?

-I mean...everyone's doing something.

Joining up, if they're old enough, and guarding things.

I can't be a Scout and the Guides won't have me

and all I want to do is...do something.

Why don't you start your own army? Go and fight for England.

Punch a real German in the face, see how he likes it.

Yeah!

Maybe you can't be in the Scouts or the Guides

cos you're too young, or they won't have you or whatnot,

but you can be in my army.

You follow the rules, you take orders

and you'll help us win the war.

What orders?

First of all, we look for spies. That's the most important thing.

I've already got patrols out looking, but we need more.

What's "spies"?

Foreigners or Germans trying to find out secrets.

What about him, then? He's foreign.

-I'm about as foreign as you are clever, Jimmy Cruickshank.

-You what?

Don't be daft. Thomas isn't foreign.

Since you're here, how about you join up?

-What's she talking about?

-Come and be in my army.

-You ain't got an army.

-What is this, then?

I ain't going to be in some girl's pretend army.

It's not pretend. There's a war on, Jimmy Cruickshank.

Now, I know you.

It was you nicked Simon Tallow's bus money.

It was you broke the window in the church, wasn't it?

-It was you who...

-You shut that mouth!

I ain't done nowt.

Well...maybe they were mistakes, or accidents.

But it doesn't matter now does it?

Cos no-one is going to have you.

Except us.

We will.

Come and be in my army.

You too, Callum Watkins.

-We got one!

-What?

Got the German. Come on!

What've you done?

You're under arrest.

Am I now? Who are you, then, the police?

Er mwyn popeth! What have you done to my bike?

See? German.

Welsh!

We were only trying to help.

By vandalising the replacement postman's bicycle?

-What were you thinking?

-We were looking for spies.

Wearing an old suit and coming from Wales doesn't make a man a spy.

I just don't know what's got into you.

If your mother were here...

Just...try, will you?

Try and think before you do things.

Not just...hurl yourself into them like a yahoo.

-How long will you be away?

-Don't know.

Basic training lasts a few months, so they say.

Then maybe they'll let us come back -

say bye before we ship off to France.

-Will you write to me?

-Course I will.

I'll tell you all about it.

FAREWELLS AND CHEERING

Stephen, come on!

Violet!

Look after yourself. Take care.

I'll be back before you can miss me.

SHE SOBS

Mam? What is it? What's happened?

-CHILD:

-German!

-Go home!

-LAUGHTER

It's not Julie, is it?

They've arrested her.

Well, can't Felix do something?

Not the Germans. Our lot.

WE'VE arrested her.

Do you think there's guns and that in them boxes?

I reckon so. For the guard towers, maybe.

What guard towers?

It's a prison, we reckon.

Or a supply depot.

If it is a prison, we should burn it down.

They're locking people up. Anyone from Germany.

-Anyone with German family.

-They can't be.

They've arrested Julie. And Mum's been sacked.

They won't let her work int' factory no more.

-Why?

-You know why.

But it's not true. Just cos your sister married some German...

His name's Felix.

-What?

-My brother-in-law. Felix.

He's a bright one. He wants to be a writer, Julie says,

though he's working in a clerk's office at the moment.

He sent me a pocket-knife once.

Why are you telling me this?

Because he's not just "some German", all right?

He doesn't hate England, or why would he have married an English girl?

He's a nice lad who wants to make his way.

Now them lot are making him be a soldier

and our lot have put Julie in prison or whatever, Mam's lost her job

and now they're chucking stones through our windows.

Who did that?

Some lads. I didn't see who.

It's not the window I'm bothered about, though.

I can cover that up.

But how're we going to live without the money?

LAUGHTER AND JEERING

Get off him!

Can't you see he's upset? Get away!

-Go away. Get out of here!

-Get off him!

All you lot to pick on one little kid!

I know who you are. I'll set my army on you!

You as well?

Didn't do nowt.

"Didn't do nowt".

Didn't do nowt to stop it either, did you?

You coward.

We can't stay here.

What do you mean? Where else can we go?

I don't know. But we can't stay here.

KNOCKING

I've got an idea.

-You've gone mad.

-I have not.

-You can't just...

-Why not? Says who?

-What if you're caught?

-Who is going to catch me?

Edward, for a start.

They've got Scouts all over the place.

I've seen their map. I know where they are.

I can get us through.

"Us?"

Tonight.

Thomas...

Look at me.

This is important. Tell me the truth now.

-This girl...

-Harriet.

Harriet - can she really do what she's saying?

Or is this...just a game, a kids' thing?

Do you understand what I'm asking?

Because if we're seen and it looks like we're running away...

We can trust her.

-What's this about an army?

-What?

Little kids in town were saying "Harriet's got an army",

or "Harriet's in the army", or some nonsense.

Whose are those?

Mine. And maybe I have got an army.

So maybe you better watch yourself.

KNOCKING

We're ready.

ROCKS FALLING

CLATTERING

HARRIET YELPS THOMAS: Come on!

-EDWARD:

-Fox, maybe. Or a badger...

-Have you heard?

-Heard what?

That German family have done a runner.

Hopped it in the middle of the night.

-You're having us on.

-No, really.

Susie Stanner saw 'em go. Her mam called the police.

So they really was spies. So you keep your eyes open, eh?

I'll catch you up.

-ROCKS CLATTER

-What were that?

CLATTERING CONTINUES

-MRS BROWN:

-Come on Lewis, keep up.

Vi, where's the light?

Here.

Not bad.

You'll have to sleep on the floor. Sorry.

How'd you find this place?

Found it last summer. Good, isn't it?

Yeah.

Don't worry about food. We'll sort that.

And there's a well out the back for water.

All right.

We'd better get going.

Thank you. Really. It's a great place.

What'll they do for food?

Don't fret, I've already thought about that.

There's plenty of kids in the Army now -

if they all give a scrap, we'll have enough.

Or we can raid the allotments.

-Listen to you.

-Listen to me what?

Talking like you know what you're doing.

Someone's there!

Go up there! Go on!

Get off me!

-Get off me!

-Argh!

Edward?

-Let go of me.

-No!

It was you, wasn't it? You helped the Browns to escape.

-You're for it this time.

-It's none of your business.

Don't be stupid! Don't you understand?

This isn't a game. It's not playing at soldiers. We're at war.

-Not with them!

-Yes, with them! They're the enemy.

The police are looking for them, did you know that?

-What you've done is aiding the enemy.

-Stop it.

It's treason, Hattie. It's serious. Do you understand?

You've got to come clean.

Come with me.

-Get down...

-I trusted you.

You said you didn't break in.

I trusted you and you're still doing it.

Leave me alone! It wasn't us!

-Have the Germans come?

-No. It's not that.

The supply ship...was sunk.

Did anyone...were there any...?

No...

There weren't any survivors. I'm sorry.

There's lights in the night!

-What is that?

-I don't know.

It's like a signal, maybe.

We saw lights. Like a signal, blinking on and off last night.

It's spies.

Come on... SOMEONE YELLS

-Who was that?

-I don't know!