Stories of the men of the RAF Hornet Squadron during the early days of World War II.
As Britain declares war on Germany in September 1939, the RAF's Hornet squadron is in good shape for their upcoming transfer to France. They have been together for a year and are, all in all, good pilots. The squadron has come under the command of Squadron Leader Rex whose predecessor died in a bizarre accident on the ground. One of the pilots, 'Fanny' Barton, come face to face with the reality of war when he learns that the JU-88 he shot down was actually an RAF plane. Once in France, the men settle into their new billet, a French château. They get a warm welcome from the locals and one of the pilots, 'Moggy" Cattermole, even flies his plane under a bridge. The squadron also welcomes a new pilot, American Christopher Hart.
Hornet squadron is despatched to France to await a possible German invasion. Billeted in a luxury manor, the pilots live well although one, Moggy Cattermole, shows himself to be a vicious bully, singling out vulnerable characters Pip Patterson and Dicky Starr. In a dangerous stunt, Moggy flies his Spitfire under a low bridge, goading Patterson and Starr to do the same. Starr is killed whilst attempting to do so and Moggy shows not the slightest remorse. A new pilot arrives, an American named Chris Hart who has fought in the Spanish Civil War and is unimpressed with the gentlemanly tactics favoured by Rex. Two of the pilots, Fitz and 'Flash' Gordon start romances with two local schoolteachers, a young French woman named Nicole and an expat Englishwoman named Mary. An exonerated Barton returns to the squadron.
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