Where the Fruit Hangs Low

Based on the novel 'Where the Fruit Hangs Low' by Rob Lofthouse. The story begins with Bruno Feltz, an SS Colonel in a seedy Berlin hotel with his lover for the evening. Commotion outside startles them as the door crashes in, and the police execute a violent arrest. In the struggle, a gunshot rings out and Feltz fears his lover has been killed. Unable to confirm the death, the police bundle him out of the hotel to a waiting car, hooded but naked. At an abandoned airfield in liberated Holland, the hood is pulled off. Feltz is tied naked to a chair, a lamp shining in his face. A lone figure, Archibald Kade paces about the room. Feltz is enraged that such an action be taken against a Colonel in the Waffen SS. Kade mocks him as he turns on the lights, revealing the damp, squalid cell they are in. Two SS uniformed officers enter the room and join Kade. Feltz is confused until they all start speaking in flawless, unaccented English. Feltz learns quickly that he has been captured by British agents. Kade gives him the ultimatum as he puts photographs of Feltz activities on the table before him. Feltz has no choice and accepts. Feltz and others captured due to their indiscretions are briefed by Kade. Armed with a bogus ‘Fuhrer Directive’ they will parachute behind German lines and move into garrison towns where child soldiers have been identified. They are to use their position as senior SS officers to win over their commanders and lead the children through British lines to safety. Feltz parachutes in with an SS Captain, Manfred Russ as his deputy. They land east of Minden, and Russ injures his leg in the landing. As they limp into town, Feltz learns from Russ that he was snatched by the British hiding the body of a man who was blackmailing him and his Jewish Au Pair. They arrive in Minden and deliver the bogus directive to the garrison commander, Colonel Martin Koltermann. The directive is seen as genuine and has his driver take them to the village of Kutenhausen, just to the north of Minden. In Kutenhausen, both Feltz and Russ exploit their ranks and infamous reputation of the SS to get what they want and have the children prepare for a mission to hunt British tanks further west. Russ is mortally wounded in an artillery attack. Before he passes, he begs Feltz to take care of the Au Pair and his two orphaned little girls. Feltz agrees. In the dark of night, in pouring rain, Feltz leads the children out of Kutenhausen, past British patrols and into their positions. The surrender is tense, and one of the fanatical teenage NCO’s escapes back to Kutenhausen. He informs Minden garrison of the treachery, and they in turn deploy their reserve force to attack the British and the traitors: A Waffen SS company. Feltz has to explain himself to the British, who find the whole story rather bizarre, but are interrupted by the SS assault. Feltz orders the children to be taken further west into a safer area, whilst he assists the British holding off the attack. Feltz is a veteran of tank hunting in France and Holland and assists his former enemy in defeating the attack. Feltz is badly wounded in a gunfight with his former comrades and dies. The British, now aware of the whole situation pass on his and Russ I.D discs back to Kade. The story concludes in Hannover. Katrina Plastow, Russ’ Jewish Au Pair, who has managed to hide in plain sight under Russ’ protection is raided by the Gestapo. The arrest is rough, and the two little girls are chastised into the arms of their Jewish guardian. The supposed Gestapo officers apologise, but the arrest needs to look genuine. One of the officers introduces himself as Archibald Kade. He promised Manfred that he would get them all out of there.