Silent Dust

Simon Rawley is reported killed in the last days of World War II, and his blind father Robert decides to build a cricket pavilion in his memory in the local village. The project becomes a central focus for the community as a memorial. The plan is presented as honoring a fallen son.

Three years pass while planning and construction proceed. During this time, Angela falls in love with Maxwell Oliver, the local doctor's son, while both are posted to Occupied Germany after the war. The romance complicates Angela’s ties to the memory of Simon.

Robert cannot help feeling that extending the dedication to all local servicemen would be disloyal to his dead son. His second wife Joan pressures him to let Angela seek happiness again. The tension foreshadows a conflict over the pavilion’s final form.

The pavilion’s planning and construction are completed after a lengthy period. Plans are laid for a grand dedication and opening that would honor the local men who served. The milestone brings the family under additional scrutiny and expectations.

That evening, Robert surprises an intruder in the house. Angela arrives and recognises the intruder as her ‘dead’ husband, Simon. He signals to her not to reveal his identity and maintains a calm, controlled exterior.

Simon offers elaborate excuses for his apparent resurrection and the lack of contact since the war. He pretends to be the same man Angela married, attempting to reassure her while avoiding exposure. Angela sees through the deception but must cope with the mismatch between memory and reality.

It is revealed that Simon did not die heroically but was a deserter who faked his death. Since the war, he has lived on the wrong side of the law as a black-market operator. His return is driven by desperation and a plan to extort money.

Angela must share the truth with Joan about Simon’s return, and the two women work to shield Robert from the shocking reality. They fear that the truth would destroy the memory of his son. Their alliance maintains the illusion for the moment.

Simon learns of Angela’s new attachment to Maxwell and demands £5,000 to depart for good. He uses the leverage to press for payment, underscoring his moral decay. The threat heightens the peril around the family.

Robert gradually realises that something very strange is happening and pieces together that Simon is hiding somewhere in the house. His blindness does not prevent a growing sense that danger lurks within the walls. Clues accumulate toward a final confrontation.

Robert tracks Simon down and the two engage in a physical struggle. The confrontation ends with Simon falling to his death from a balcony. The truth about Simon’s betrayal is finally revealed, changing the course of the family’s future.

A visiting Lord Clandon suggests removing the portrait of Robert's son from view before the police arrive to deal with the intruder. The suggestion reflects a desire to manage appearances and preserve memory. It foreshadows how the family will handle the aftermath.

With the truth about Simon exposed, Robert agrees to change the pavilion’s dedication to honor all local heroes, as Lord Clandon had urged. The decision reconciles memory with public duty. The pavilion becomes a broader tribute rather than a personal memorial.