This Above All (1942) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Clive went AWOL because he became disillusioned with fighting for England after experiencing the trauma of Dunkirk. He felt bitter about the English class system that oppressed and humiliated people of his lower social standing, believing the war was being fought for the benefit of an elite that despised people like him. His Distinguished Conduct Medal acknowledged his bravery, but he could no longer stomach fighting for a cause he saw as unjust.

Foreshadowing: During their holiday, Pru overhears Clive talking in his sleep, hinting at his inner turmoil over his experiences at Dunkirk.

• clive briggs
• awol
• desertion
• dunkirk
• class prejudice
• ww2 soldier

Nurse Emily Harvey chose compassion over duty. After treating Clive's wrist injury, she deliberately withheld reporting him to the police, allowing him to leave. This act of mercy reflects the film's theme that individual kindness can exist even amid wartime conflicting loyalties. Her decision gives Clive the opportunity to make his own choice about surrendering.

• emily harvey
• nurse
• mercy
• deserter
• compassion

The rector's act of kindness stemmed from his understanding of human nature and the weight of conscience. Despite hearing that a suspected German spy with an injured wrist was loose in the area, he invited Clive in and spoke with him. This conversation ultimately helped Clive decide to turn himself in, showing how compassion and understanding can guide someone back to doing the right thing.

• rector
• compassion
• surrender
• moral choice

A conversation with the one-armed rector prompted Clive to surrender. The rector's kindness and the opportunity to discuss his inner conflict helped Clive realize he needed to stop running and face the consequences. He then telephoned Pru to arrange to meet in London and get married before giving himself up to authorities.

• clive surrender
• decision
• rector
• phone call

While heading to Charing Cross railway station during a German air raid to meet Pru for their wedding, Clive heard that a child was trapped in a burning building's cellar. He rushed in with another man to rescue the child and another person, but the building collapsed onto him, causing a serious head injury. He was taken to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

• charing cross
• air raid
• building collapse
• rescue
• head injury

Dr. Roger Cathaway, Prudence's father, put aside his initial disapproval of Clive to save his future son-in-law's life. When Pru went to him after Clive failed to appear at the station, Dr. Cathaway learned Clive had a head injury and would need surgery within the hour. He performed the operation alongside two other doctors, ultimately stabilizing Clive enough for the wedding to proceed.

• dr cathaway
• surgery
• father
• help
• marriage

When Clive tells Pru she was right, he means that before he can fight for his own grievances against the class system, he must first fight for the principles Pru embodies, democracy, freedom, and justice against Nazism. His realization shifts his priority from personal resentment to the larger cause, suggesting his redemption comes through embracing the values Pru has championed throughout their relationship.

• clive beliefs
• fight
• principles
• redemption
• marriage vow

The film ends with an uncertain note about Clive's recovery. He undergoes surgery and manages to marry Pru before the credits roll, but his ultimate survival is left ambiguous. This bittersweet ending reflects the film's wartime reality, hope exists through their union and Clive's change of heart, but the outcome remains uncertain just as the war's conclusion was uncertain in 1940.

• ending
• survival
• recovery
• ambiguous
• resolution

Prudence joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force because she wanted to contribute meaningfully to England's war effort rather than simply maintaining her privileged lifestyle. Her aunt Iris and uncle Wilbur disapproved because she chose to serve as a private instead of an officer, but her sense of duty and desire for independence drove her decision. Even the butler Parsons privately supported her choice.

• pru waaf
• join
• family disapproval
• duty
• patriotism

Clive's sleep-talking revealed his psychological trauma from the Dunkirk evacuation. Twice during their holiday on the southern coast, Pru overhears him speaking in his sleep, likely reliving the traumatic events he experienced during the retreat. When Pru wakes him the second time, he refuses to discuss it, indicating the severity of his psychological wounds and his reluctance to confront his experiences.

• sleep talking
• trauma
• dunkirk
• psychological
• nightmare

Monty, Clive's friend, urged him to return because Clive had been given only a month's sick leave after Dunkirk, but had already exceeded that by two months. Monty was trying to help Clive avoid being officially posted as a deserter, which would carry serious consequences. Despite knowing about Clive's Distinguished Conduct Medal, Monty understood that desertion charges would ruin his friend's military record and life.

• monty
• friend
• desertion
• duty
• distinguished conduct medal