Punishment Camp Recapture — Fails lead to weeks of harsh detention in punishment camps.
Dentist's House Connection — A town visit introduces a key ally and romantic interest.
Winning Erika's Affection — Corporal connects with the dentist's teenage daughter during treatment.
Planning the Final Breakout — Uses precise measurements to map a safe exit through camp gates.
Civilian Disguise & Departure — The group secures shelter and proper attire for the next phase.
Erika's Shelter & Clothing — Erika provides safe haven and civilian clothes for the escapees.
Train Journey Begins — The group boards a train to continue their flight toward freedom.
Train Crisis & Bombing — External threats and sudden violence disrupt the escape plan.
Passenger Identification — A fellow traveler spots them as foreigners, triggering suspicion.
Allied Raid & Jump — A bombing raid forces everyone to abandon the train and flee.
Countryside Refuge — The escapees find unexpected help from a fellow Frenchman.
Farmer Encounter & Aid — A farmer reveals himself as another escapee and provides food.
Safe Route to Frontier — The farmer guides them along a secure path toward the border.
Parisian Liberation — The journey concludes with separation and ultimate freedom.
Parting with Companion — The Corporal and his remaining friend part ways on a Paris bridge.
Achieving Freedom — The Corporal stands as a free man among friends in Paris.
An upper-class corporal is captured by the Germans during their 1940 invasion of France. Assisted and accompanied by characters as diverse as a morose dairy farmer, a waiter, a myopic intellectual, a working-class Parisian, and a German dental assistant, the corporal tries to escape from prison camps, sometimes making it a few yards, sometimes reaching the border.
