Captured!

Captain Fred Allison bids farewell to his new wife Monica after only six days together. He leaves England to serve in World War I, unaware of the long captivity that awaits him. Their brief marriage contrasts starkly with the hardships he will endure.

Allison is captured and becomes a prisoner of war in a German camp. He endures two years of captivity, tormented by the absence of letters from Monica. The lack of communication gnaws at him throughout his imprisonment.

A fellow inmate shoots a guard, triggering an improvised but unsuccessful dash for freedom. As punishment, the prisoners are locked in a crowded cell for about a month, enduring crowded, brutal conditions.

Oberst Carl Ehrlich takes charge of the camp. Allison persuades him to rescind the punishment, using their Oxford ties and a sense of fairness to push for mercy.

A new batch of prisoners arrives, and Allison is thrilled to discover his oldest friend among them: Royal Flying Corps Lieutenant Dig Digby. Dig is not as pleased to see him, and their reunion remains tense under the strain of captivity.

Digby commits to escaping at all costs and eventually steals an aircraft from the nearby airfield. His bold escape highlights the fragility of discipline among the prisoners.

A coat belonging to Digby is found near the dead body of Elsa, who delivered food to the camp. Ehrlich starts insisting that Digby be returned to stand trial for rape and murder. Allison initially resists until he recognizes handwriting on a letter found in the coat, revealing that Monica and Digby have been carrying on for six months.

Digby is brought back to stand trial, refuses to defend himself, and is found guilty, sentenced to death by firing squad. The real perpetrator, Strogin, writes a note confessing to the crime and then hangs himself. Allison finds the confession but crumples it, choosing not to inform the Germans.

Just before Dig's execution, Allison experiences a moral awakening and shows Ehrlich the confession. He then tells Dig that he will give Monica up, acknowledging his complicity in the truth being revealed.

Allison masterminds a mass escape by seizing the front gate's machine gun and holding off guards while his comrades break free. The plan hinges on chaos and timing, testing the camp's defenses to their limit.

The escaping POWs race to the airfield, overpower the aircrews, and take to the skies in a squadron of bombers primed for their nightly raid. They fly off together, escaping into the night.

Allison is killed by a grenade as the escape unfolds, fulfilling his plan to free his comrades. Ehrlich finds his body and salutes, recognizing the sacrifice of a fellow officer.