THE SACRIFICE
By
MILLER CALDWELL
FADE IN:
EXT 1918 LAVENTIE TRENCH 23RD APRIL DAY
Mist rolls over the resting Seaforth Highlanders in the Laventie Trench where letters are being read, tea drunk from tin mugs and Sergeant RUARI GRANT passes by giving words of encouragement. He stops briefly beside a private holding three letters.
SERGEANT GRANT
What, more letters for you?
PRIVATE REID
Aye Sarge. ‘Am a loved man.
A gentle roar greets Private Reid’s comment.
SERGEANT GRANT
Easy lads. The Hun’s got big ears.
Sergeant Grant proceeds along the trench and the mist lifts enough for him to see a column of men marching slowly along behind the trench. They look downtrodden. Some wear bandages on their heads and have an arm held out and on the shoulder of the man in front. He does not seem to recognise them at first. He approaches the column. They are German prisoners of war. Sergeant Grant walks slowly up on to the road and looks at the dejected men. As he trawls his eyes along the column, he stops and focusses on one man.
SERGEANT GRANT (CONT’D)
Mattias? Mattias Baur?
The German soldier looks up. For a moment he is confused. Then a smile breaks out.
MATTIAS BAUR
Ruari! Oh Ruari you are still alive!
SERGEANT GRANT
And you are too Mattias. Wonderful.
The men embrace warmly. They continue to talk excitedly. A Major of the Suffolk Brigade looks sternly at the verbal engagement. He orders one of his lieutenants to arrest Ruari. The officer approaches Ruari, draws his hand gun and pulls him back by his collar.
LIEUTENANT
You are under arrest.
SERGEANT GRANT
Get off me. I am a Seaforth Highlander. A sergeant with the men down there.
MATTIAS BAUR
It’z true. Hees a good man, my friend. Let him go.
The Lieutenant pushes Matthias Baur forward.
LIEUTENANT
Keep moving. Raus!
INT NEUVE CHAPPELL BRITISH BARRACKS COURT MARTIAL HALL DAY
Sergeant Grant is seated in front of a table. In front of him raised on a dais is a long table with the Coat of Arms of Neuve Chappelle on the wall behind. A military policemen stands beside Ruari. An orderly opens the door to the Court Martial.
ORDERLY
Court Martial Rise!
Brigadier Scott enters along with spectacled Major Rimmer and Captain Armstrong. They take their seats.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
Sergeant Grant. Do you realize the seriousness of the charge which you face? That of fraternizing with the enemy?
SERGEANT GRANT
I am of sound mind.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
I did not question your sanity. I ask if you realize that fraternizing, if found guilty, requires this court to pronounce the death penalty.
There is a moments silence.
BRIGADIER SCOTT (CONT’D)
Very well, the case against Sergeant Grant please. Captain Armstrong.
Captain Armstrong rises with a brown folder which he opens. He reads from it.
CAPTAIN ARMSTRONG
On 23rd April 1918 at 11.35 alongside the trench at Laventie, Sergeant Ruari Grant was seen speaking to Mattias Baur, an officer of the German Fourth Army under General Sixt von Arim. When arrested by Lieutenant Paul Swain of the Suffolk Regiment, Sergeant Buar did not deny speaking to Matthias Baur in both English and German.
Captain Armstrong then sneers as he speaks.
CAPTAIN ARMSTRONG (CONT’D)
He greeted him like an old long lost friend! He then engaged in conversation which was not only heard but in flowing German. The effect of this on his men in the trench below, can not be underestimated. He was fraternizing with the enemy.
Captain Armstrong took his place at the table once more.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
You have heard Captain Armstrong’s evidence. Do you have anything to say?
Ruari stands up and walks in front of his table.
SERGEANT GRANT
Gentlemen. You read the papers. You take for granted the process of printing which delivers your daily paper.
Shots of a Glasgow printing press appear with Ruari in rolled up white shirt sleeves in a junior management position. The process where the dye is added to the press is shown.
SERGEANT GRANT (CONT’D)
The dyes used in the printing trade come from Germany. Between 1910 and 1914 I went to Germany to secure printing dyes from their manufacturer at Dusseldorf. I went twice a year. That’s how I learned to speak German.
Views of the Baur family home in 1913 with Ruari seated amongst them singing and laughing.
SERGEANT GRANT (CONT’D)
I stayed with the Baur family for two nights each time and got to know them very well. They were of course in the printing trade too and we were friends. That all came to an end in 1914. I had not seen Matthias Baur since then.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
And when you saw him, what did you tell him?
Ruari sighs.
SERGEANT GRANT
What do you expect...Sir. After all I had not seen a good friend for almost five years and for both of us to have survived thus far in this stalemate war made the encounter all the more unexpected and enjoyable. We spoke of the good times.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
Would you have preferred not to have seen him in the first place?
SERGEANT GRANT
And deny my friendship with him? No. No I did what was right in my eyes.
There is a pause.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
Have you anything else to say?
SERGEANT GRANT
I have done no harm and my conscience is clear.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
I wish I could sleep as soundly as you seem to be able to do.
The Brigadier turns to Captain Armstrong and nods then to Major Rimmer and nods.
BRIGADIER SCOTT (CONT’D)
Very well, we shall adjourn for twenty minutes to consider our verdict.
ORDERLY
Court martial rise!
All rise as the officers leave the room.
INT COURT MARTIAL HALL LATER DAY
ORDERLY
Court Martial Rise!
Brigadier Scott closes his brown file. He stares at Sergeant Grant.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
Prisoner will remain silent as the verdict is announced. Major Rimmer, your verdict.
MAJOR RIMMER
I have been made privy to your service in the Seaforth Highlanders. It is an impressive war record in which you have served your country proud. Why you lapsed at this most crucial time of the war, I do not know.
Major Rimmer shakes his head then removes his spectacles.
MAJOR RIMMER (CONT’D)
I am satisfied that you did not betray your country. I am equally satisfied that your motive was sincere if naïve and so my decision is to admonish you.
Ruari affords himself a smile but as he does so he sees the Brigadier stare and look disapprovingly at Major Rimmer.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
Lieutenant Armstrong. I am relying on you to show a less passionate and more objective verdict.
Lieutenant Armstrong notices the stern warning from the Brigadier and clears his throat accordingly.
LIEUTENANT ARMSTRONG
I do not doubt the emotion which overcame you when you encountered a former colleague. But in wartime, that colleague was the enemy. Granted he was not armed and indeed like many of his beaten army, was now in our custody. But Sergeant Grant, this fraternizing, for that is what it was, was in front of your own men in the trench below! What a poor example.
Sergeant Grant looks concerned at the tone of the Lieutenant.
LIEUTENANT ARMSTRONG (CONT’D)
The impact on our troops simply can not be measured. If we were to let every rank and file member of the army go in search of long lost friends, there would be no war! No soldier to rely on. I find you guilty.
There is a hush in the court room. Brigadier Scott remains seated. He looks at Ruari.
BRIGADIER SCOTT
What a foolish man you have been. Your actions were seen by your troops in the trench and must have had the most demoralizing effect on their conduct. Their sergeant fraternizing with the German enemy! How could they ever respect you again. I find you guilty. Prisoner stand.
Ruari stands and places his glengarry cap on his head.
BRIGADIER SCOTT (CONT’D)
There is only one penalty for fraternizing with the enemy and I think you can understand how the court in its mercy has come to that decision of guilty. Sergeant, you are immediately stripped of your rank and will be shot tomorrow at dawn.
ORDERLY
Court Rise.
Ruari sits, places his head on his outstretched arms. His hands are placed in handcuffs and a military policeman takes a knife and cuts away his sergeant stripes on both arms of his uniform.
EXT WALLED GRASSY COURTYARD 1 May 1918 DAWN
A wooden stake stands erect three feet from the wall. Four armed soldiers march to a position ten paces from the post. They are drilled to a halt, ordered to turn right to face the post and ordered to stand at ease. Ruari Grant arrives in a white collarless shirt rolled up at the sleeves. He wears his regular soldier’s trousers supported by blue braces. A military Policeman pins a black square of material over his heart. He then marches Ruari to the post. He ties his hand around the post and offers to place a hood over his head.
RUARI
Why shut the light from my eyes prematurely Officer?
The military police officer places the hood in his pocket. He takes a step back and salutes Ruari then marches to the side where he gives the order.
MILITARY POLICEMAN
Detail shun. Take Aim.
Ruari raises his head defiantly.
MILITARY POLICEMAN (CONT’D)
FIRE.
(CUT TO)
EXT EDINBURGH CASTLE 1 p.m. DAY
The One O’clock Edinburgh Castle gun goes off.
(CUT TO)
INT SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT 1st MAY 2018
The Scottish Prime Minister, ALEXANDER YOUNG, stands to address the nation.
PRIME MINISTER ALEXANDER YOUNG
100 years ago today, a Scottish Soldier, Sergeant Ruari Grant of the Seaforth Highlanders, was shot at dawn. His alleged crime was not running away from the enemy but greeting the enemy. A particular enemy who knew him as a friend. It was an error to have reached that Military Tribunal’s decision. I order Sergeant Ruari’s pardon immediately and any record of that verdict to be withdrawn from military record books.
There is tumultuous applause.
PRIME MINISTER
After all, was it not Christ himself who called us to love our enemies?
THE SPEAKER
HEAR, HEAR.
FADE OUT
