No Neutral Ground

Rolf Schilling was an enthusiastic member of the Naval Hitler Youth in Cologne, Germany, until he was kicked out for being half Jewish. His father divorced his mother rather than lose his job or leave Germany. The rest of the family fled to America, and Rolf is angry. As Rafe Martell, he sails on the Queen Mary for England and the war zone in 1944, and meets Jennie Lindquist, en route to Sweden.

            A B-17 navigator, he flies bombing missions against Germany. He knows not all Germans are in favor of Hitler and the war, but as he recalls despicable actions he witnessed, he hardens his heart. When their B-17 Flying Fortress is severely damaged on a mission to Berlin, Rafe and his crew head to neutral Sweden.

            Jennie assists the OSS at the American legation in Sweden. She expected to work behind the scenes, but is pushed into a more active role. Her dad is a military attaché working with the American air crews who can’t make it back to England and land in Sweden. An artist, Jennie hopes to create a Swedish art exhibit and focuses her attention on Sweden through the eyes of the interned air crews. She accompanies her dad to Malmö to southern Sweden where most of the planes arrive. They witness Rafe’s plane crash land.

            Rafe joins Jennie in black propaganda intended to demoralize the enemy with rumors and sow discord among them. During a visit to the Stockholm airport, he spots an old friend working as a Lufthansa mechanic. Bertil tells Rafe his dad did him a favor by rejecting him, leading to him escape from the madness in Germany.

            When Rafe visits distant relatives in western Sweden, he witnesses a father’s distress over his young son’s death and realizes how his own father may feel. He determines to avoid a life of regrets.