Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Holmes uses an oscilloscope to analyze the sound wave patterns from the radio broadcasts. He discovers that the voice has identical waveform patterns, which would be impossible for a live human speaker to repeat exactly. This technical analysis reveals that the broadcasts are actually phonograph records that are recorded in Britain and then transmitted from Germany, creating the illusion of a live operative inside the UK.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show the broadcasts predicting terrorist acts before they happen, establishing the mystery Holmes must solve.

• oscilloscope
• sound wave analysis
• recorded broadcast
• phonograph records
• technology

Before dying from a German dagger wound, Gavin's final word is 'Christopher'. This clue leads Holmes to the old Christopher Docks in London, where the Nazi spies have set up their operations. The docks serve as a meeting point and escape route for the spy network, and it is here that Holmes and Watson are captured by Meade's men.

Foreshadowing: Gavin's murder and his mysterious last words establish the trail Holmes will follow throughout the investigation.

• Christopher Docks
• Gavin
• clue
• spy network
• Limehouse

The Voice of Terror is Sir Evan Barham himself, but he is revealed to be an impostor. The real Sir Evan Barham was captured and executed by German forces during World War I. The current Sir Evan Barham is actually Heinrich Von Bock, a German Secret Service agent who assumed the identity 24 years ago through plastic surgery and meticulous study of Barham's mannerisms and personal life.

Foreshadowing: Sir Evan's initial appearance establishes him as a key figure in British Intelligence, making the betrayal more impactful.

• Heinrich Von Bock
• impostor
• Sir Evan Barham
• spy
• identity deception
• World War I

Von Bock underwent plastic surgery to change his appearance to match Barham's face. He also meticulously studied Barham's background, mannerisms, voice patterns, and personal life to perfect the impersonation. The German Secret Service invested significant resources into this long-term infiltration, providing Von Bock with detailed information about Barham to make his disguise convincing.

Foreshadowing: The depth of the spy operation suggests extensive planning by German intelligence.

• plastic surgery
• disguise
• long-term infiltration
• German Secret Service
• Von Bock

Holmes reveals that the real Sir Evan Barham had a childhood scar on his face. The impostor Von Bock, despite having plastic surgery to resemble Barham, lacked this scar. When Holmes points out this discrepancy and notes the age difference between the surgical scars and the original childhood wound, the impostor's true identity is exposed.

Foreshadowing: Holmes's keen observation of physical details has been established throughout the film.

• scar
• physical evidence
• plastic surgery
• deduction
• childhood scar

Kitty, Gavin's widow, agrees to help Holmes by posing as a thief fleeing from the authorities. She joins Meade and his group, gaining their trust. Through this ruse, she discovers that Meade plans to meet with Sir Evan at his country estate in Kent that very night. She also witnesses a German plane landing at the estate and sees Meade pass a valuable package to the pilot before the aircraft takes off.

Foreshadowing: Kitty's willingness to help despite her grief sets her on the path to heroism.

• Kitty
• undercover
• Meade
• Kent estate
• German plane
• package

When Holmes, Watson, and Sir Anthony Lloyd are captured by Meade's Nazi spies at the Christopher Docks, a group of local East End men launch a rescue attack. During the chaos, Meade escapes through a trap door that leads directly to a waiting speedboat, allowing him to flee before Holmes can apprehend him.

Foreshadowing: The Christopher Docks location was identified through Gavin's dying clue.

• Meade
• escape
• speedboat
• trap door
• Christopher Docks
• East End men

During the final confrontation at the South Coast, Meade, in a desperate attempt to escape, shoots Kitty. She is gravely wounded and succumbs to her injuries. Her sacrifice is acknowledged by Holmes, Watson, and the council members, who stand over her body and swear that her heroism will inspire continued resistance against the Nazis.

Foreshadowing: Kitty's willingness to go undercover foreshadows her dangerous role in the operation.

• Kitty
• death
• Meade
• sacrifice
• wounded
• finale

Holmes and his team, supported by British troops, track the German spies to an abandoned church on the South Coast of England. In the confrontation, they capture or kill the German soldiers and neutralize the spy network. The invasion force is dismantled, and the secret radio broadcasts that were coordinating the sabotage efforts are stopped.

Foreshadowing: The investigation has been building toward stopping the Nazi operation throughout the film.

• German invasion
• British troops
• abandoned church
• spies captured
• radio network

The radio broadcasts known as The Voice of Terror appear to come from within Britain via the BBC, but they are actually phonograph records created in Britain and then transmitted from Germany. The recordings are made using a system that manipulates sound to create a false persona, making it appear that a live operative is broadcasting from inside the UK.

Foreshadowing: The mystery of how the broadcasts originated drives much of Holmes's investigation.

• BBC
• radio broadcasts
• Germany
• phonograph records
• transmission
• deception