A Dangerous Act of Kindness
In 1940, Oberleutnant Lukas Schiller is flying over England in his Messerschmitt, its engine overheating. Following a bombing raid, he is desperately trying to return to base in occupied France. Shutting the ignition off and attempting a restart proves unsuccessful, and although he manages to parachute out, the airplane crashes into Millie Sanger’s farm field in Oxfordshire. Millie finds Lukas in her barn and, taking pity on him, treats him for his injuries. Having studied in Dublin before the war, Lukas speaks English. Although Lukas was to depart soon, a blizzard breaks out confining him to the farmhouse. Millie, a young widow, is troubled about her past, and when Lukas shows sympathy, her attraction to him turns into love and intimacy. Millie must hide Lukas from her neighbor, Hugh, who’s keen on her, and from other London evacuees. But her friend Brigsie, a Land Girl, betrays her, and Millie’s dangerous act of kindness could lead to imprisonment.
Although there are numerous novels about Allied POWs being assisted in Europe, this is one of a few stories about downed Luftwaffe pilots in England. L. P. Fergusson has acknowledged in the Author’s Note that this novel is loosely based on stories of a Luftwaffe pilot, Franz von Werra, the only German POW to escape from British captivity, and the downing of a German bomber in the Berkshire Downs. While the novel has the usual set of coincidences, the strong writing, with its attention to detail, wonderful descriptions and authentic dialogue, holds our attention. While the treatment of German POWs during their internment in camps and their use as farm laborers is well known, the novel’s account of some of them assisting British military intelligence in translating German recordings is remarkable. Although the story’s romantic ending is classic, it’s heartwarming nonetheless.
