There were seven in the crew - seven very young and very inexperienced airmen who, nearly every night, flew their heavily laden Lancaster bomber into the exploding skies over enemy Germany. On almost their first flight Piers, the navigator, managed to get them lost and Van, the pilot, nearly crashed the plane on landing, Charlie, the rear gunner, who was only seventeen but who had lied about his age, spent his time reading poetry and trying not to spew his guts out on every flight. They were from mixed backgrounds and nationalities, but somehow, heriocally, they welded together into a courageous fighting unit, helping each other and desperately hoping they would survive their thirty bombing raids. And on the ground were the women who waited. Assistant Section Officer Catherine Herbert, in love with Van but already committed to another man. And Peggy, the little waitress who found herself being ardently wooed by the aristocratic Piers. There was Ruth, the land-girl, falling in love in spite of herself. And Charlie's young and pretty widowed mother, living on the edge of the airfield, praying every night that her son would come back.