Too Late the Hero

Lieutenant Lawson is pulled from a quiet role and ordered to join a British commando unit in the New Hebrides for a dangerous operation. He learns his job will involve intelligence and combat liaison, not just language work. Commander Thompson provides a brisk briefing that underscores the high stakes of the mission.

The British base sits in an open field near the jungle, with a Japanese observation post just beyond the treeline. A patrol is cut down by Japanese rifle fire, showing how dangerous the operation will be from the outset. The men realize this assignment will require stealth and discipline under fire.

The squad is tasked with destroying the Japanese radio transmitter to prevent alerting a naval convoy. They plan to transmit a counterfeit signal in Japanese to buy the Allies another 24 hours. Success hinges on precise timing and staying off the enemy’s radar until the mission is done.

The commando group assembles around Hornsby, a brash officer whose risk-taking strains discipline. Lawson, Hearne, Jock, Campbell, and others bring mixed nerves and experience. The clash between swagger and duty foreshadows future frictions.

The squad reaches the Japanese post and is ambushed, leaving Riddle, Connolly, and Currie dead. Hearne blames Hornsby for a bungled operation, underscoring the fragile cohesion of the unit. The mission’s fragile footing is made painfully clear.

During another encounter, Johnstone is wounded and Hornsby abandons him on the battlefield. The act reveals a lack of leadership and sows deeper mistrust within the group. The squad’s morale continues to deteriorate as the operation devolves.

Sensing an opportunity, Hornsby tries to seize the Japanese radio hut against orders. Lawson refuses to participate, and Scott enters the hut but is shot when the operator recovers. In the ensuing chaos, Hornsby is killed, ending his reckless gambit.

With most of the squad dead or scattered, Lawson becomes the ranking officer. Hearne, Campbell, Jock, Griffiths, and McLean remain as the core survivors, though Jock is wounded and morale is low. They must improvise a path forward under pressure.

Major Yamaguchi speaks through loudspeakers, urging the men to surrender. Lawson and Hearne distrust the ploy, while Campbell is inclined toward surrender, creating a rift within the group. The plan’s psychology becomes as dangerous as the physical threat.

While Lawson and Hearne sleep, Campbell attempts to slip away. Jock confronts him, and Campbell strangles Jock, waking Griffiths and McLean and sending the trio fleeing. The unit’s cohesion collapses further as trust disappears.

Yamaguchi uses Griffiths and McLean as bargaining chips to force surrender. Campbell is killed in a gruesome act after being found with personal items taken from a fallen officer. The group’s numbers dwindle and loyalty frays even further.

Yamaguchi announces a three-minute surrender time with the field covered by Japanese troops. Lawson and Hearne discuss a last-ditch strike, while Hearne suggests killing Yamaguchi to negate the Japanese advantage. The moment crystallizes the desperation of their position.

Lawson and Hearne sprint across the field in zig-zag patterns to minimize exposure. One man falls before he can reach safety, the other limps forward but is left with the memory of a fallen comrade. The operation ends in a costly, heroic culmination.

As the field clears, Hearne declares that the other man was a hero who killed many Japanese. The line emphasizes the sacrifice behind a mission that succeeded in its grim way, even as the cost is paid in lives. The tale closes on a somber, commemorative note.