High Barbaree

Alec Brooke commands the PBY High Barbaree during a WWII bombing mission against a Japanese submarine. The aircraft is shot down and only Alec and Lt. Joe Moore survive, left adrift in the open Pacific. The other crew members perish as the crippled flying boat floats.

The two survivors lash together a makeshift raft of hope as they drift. Tokyo Rose's taunting voice intrudes, triggering memories from their past and turning the sea voyage into a memory-laden ordeal. Alec and Joe trade reminiscences to stay alert.

Alec recalls growing up in a small Iowa town and his dream of becoming a doctor like his father. He studies medicine for two years before choosing aviation, foreshadowing the dual path that will define his life. The memory anchors his present struggle with a longing for a simpler past.

Before the war interrupts him, Alec advances to vice-president of Case Aviation and wins the hand of the boss's daughter, Marilyn Maxwell. The flashback pairs professional ascent with a bright love life, contrasting with the hardships ahead. The intertwining of ambition and affection haunts his choices.

Nancy Fraser returns to the town and the company, stirring old feelings. A tornado destroys the town and the business, sending victims to the improvised hospital in the town auditorium. Alec takes charge of emergency medical care as the crisis unfolds.

Nancy is distressed by Alec's engagement to Marilyn and his career path, and she leaves as soon as the airport reopens. They lose contact, and he cannot tell her that he has reconsidered his decisions. The romance appears permanently fractured in the wake of the disaster.

With war in full swing, Alec serves as a skilled pilot in the PBY flying boats, harassing Japanese fleets and earning a reputation for courage. He remains exceptionally successful, further detaching from his former medical ambitions. The war becomes the defining crucible of his life.

On a final mission, Joe Moore dies and Alec is knocked unconscious, slipping into a coma. The memory-filled narrative blurs the line between reality and dream as High Barbaree seems to fade in and out. Alec fights for life as the rescue horizon appears distant.

Uncle Thad Vail steers toward the location Alec had charted, bringing a glimmer of hope. The rescue at the last moment redefines the men’s fate and makes the dreamlike voyage feel almost real. The High Barbaree quest culminates in a tangible salvation.

Alec is brought aboard Thad's ship and begins to recover from his coma under medical care. Nancy's presence in the Pacific theater anchors the past and offers a path toward reconciliation. The reunion promises a future after the ordeals.

On deck, Nancy and the recovering Alec are finally reunited, their bond repaired by shared trials. The moment bridges the memory-drenched past with the uncertain future that lies ahead. The mythical High Barbaree remains a dreamlike symbol in their story.

The narrative closes with the sense that High Barbaree, the mythical island, may always exist as a memory rather than a literal destination. The survivors carry forward with resilience, bound together by love and shared survival. The sea keeps their story afloat until perhaps another reunion.