Buy Foyle's War

Series premiere. England, May 1940: Set against the backdrop of Hastings, East Sussex, during World War II, Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle is thwarted in his attempts to serve his country in the war effort. Instead, his duty is to serve his local community, effectively sitting out the war, by investigating petty crimes and an occasional murder or two.
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It's May 1940 and the war news is grim. The Germans are rolling across Europe and invasion fears are affecting everyone. Sgt. Paul Milner, who has been invalided out of the army, settles into his new job at the station. His wife is having difficulty accepting his disability, however. Foyle investigates the activities of Edith Johnson, a maid at the White Feather hotel, who was caught cutting telephone wires. When the owner of the White Feather, Margaret Ellis, is shot Foyle finds himself investigating a murder. The actual target was likely Guy Spencer, the leader of a fascist pro-Nazi movement known as the Friday Club. The case takes a particular twist when Foyle learns that Spenser may be in possession of a letter stolen from the Foreign Office and that Military Intelligence is actively monitoring Spencer and his group.
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June 1940: Foyle investigates the death of David Beale, who hung himself while in police custody. He had been placed in custody for breach of the peace for causing a ruckus in the aftermath of having been refused conscientious objector status. Soon after, the judge presiding at Beale's hearing, Lawrence Gascoigne, has a brick thrown through his window with a threatening note attached. The case becomes a murder investigation when a member of Gascoigne's household is killed. Foyle must determine if this is as a result of Beale's death or another, as yet unknown, motive. Sgt. Milner's wife announces that she's going to visit her sister in Wales. Italy enters the war with tragic results for Foyle's friend, restaurateur Carlo Lucciano.
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August 1940: During the blitz, a man is found in his bombed-out house, stabbed in the chest. The man was a lorry driver who was transporting works of art to Wales for safekeeping. Foyle suspects that the man's job and the art work are somehow related to his death. Foyle's son Andrew, an RAF pilot, stops in en route to his first operational assignment. Disappointed at not being assigned to a squadron, he finds that he is to assist in the development of a new technology - radar. Things get dicey when Andrew is accused of giving information to the enemy. Sam receives a visits from her clergyman father who insists that she pack it in and return home.
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September 1940: DCS Foyle investigates the murder of Richard Hunter whose body is found on a nearby beach. Although made to look like a suicide, Foyle has his doubts. Hunter was a heavy drinker and not very successful in life, but Foyle learns that he went to Oxford university. Howard Paige, a senior American government official is in the UK on top secret business. Foyle becomes re-acquainted with his first true love, Elizabeth Lewes, who he was unable to marry when her father refused them permission. Samantha Stewart finds herself homeless when her boarding house is bombed and, unable to find suitable lodgings, has taken to sleeping in the cells.
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September 1940: When the police and the civil authorities suspect that petrol is being stolen from a local depot, Foyle agrees to let Sam Stewart go undercover as a driver to see if she can find out what is going on. Sam is partnered with Connie Dewar who is in love with a flying officer, Rex Talbot who just happens to be Andrew Foyle's best friend. It becomes apparent to Sam that Connie is involved in the petrol thefts and when she is found dead, there are a number of suspects. Connie is also several months pregnant but she didn't tell anyone who the father was. For DCS Foyle, the case becomes especially complicated when it turns out his son Andrew was perhaps the last person to see her alive.
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October 1940: A young secretary falls to her death out the window of her office. Foyle plays referee to the Home Guard's war games, but there's live ammunition and one of the Home guard ends up dead. The local children collecting paper and metal for the war effort prove instrumental in solving the case.
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October 1940: Someone's stealing supplies to sell on the black market. Foyle is accused of spreading alarm in a London bomb shelter and so he ends up at home with his despondent injured son. The 'funk hole' houses elites willing to pay to live in a safe place in the country.
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Detective Chief Inspector Foyle is still itching to make a greater contribution to the war effort and there is the possibility of an appointment to Naval Intelligence in Liverpool. Sgt. Milner's wife has left him and returned to Wales and he too is considering leaving Hastings and to start afresh. They first have to investigate the death of a young man who died in an explosion. The body was badly disfigured and the only thing they have to go on is the man's gold pocket watch but they believe him to be William Messinger, the son of Sir Giles Messinger. Foyle traces the younger Messinger to a secret training school, Hill House, and determines that they're dealing with a clever deception and competition between military intelligence and the newly formed Special Operations Executive.
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DCS Foyle and Sgt. Milner investigate a series of strange events at a local manor house that has been converted to a hospital to treat RAF pilots suffering from extensive burns. Most of the incidents verge on the side of bad jokes, but when a more serious attempt is made on the life of an RAF Group Captain, they take a more serious interest. They learn that an RAF Sergeant with a criminal record, Gordon Drake, is living on a cottage on the estate and has a connection with the estate's owner, Sir Michael Waterford who may not appreciate the way the RAF has commandeered his home. Foyle also learns that Drake was having an affair with the wife of a doctor, Brian Wrenn, who also works at the burn hospital. Foyle's son Andrew, an RAF pilot, has also had several run-ins with Drake. Andrew is also suffering from fatigue and goes AWOL ending up at Sam's flat.
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DCS Foyle investigates the death of Hugh Jackson who is found sitting in his living room, shot to death. It has all of the earmarks of a suicide and it's confirmed that Jackson had lived a lonely life since his was ran off with another man several years before. Jackson had recently had a quarrel with a neighbor. His son Tom also stood to inherit the man's farm and get a military deferment as well. Finally, there are three young women at the farm who may have reasons of their own to do him in. The night Jackson was killed, three German airmen were shot down in the area and while all were captured, Foyle believes one of may information relevant to the investigation.
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DCS Foyle and Sgt. Milner investigate what they believe is a black market operation in the docks area. They set up a dummy company, with Milner at the head, to see what they might find and soon enough, they are approached by someone working at Talbot's shipyard. By chance, the station desk sergeant's daughter works at Talbot's and has important information for Foyle. When her boyfriend, a sapper with the Royal Engineers, is called out to Talbot's to disarm an unexploded bomb, he and his mates find something else that leads to one of them being murdered. Throughout all of this, Foyle is hounded by Assistant Commissioner Rose who insists that Foyle drop everything and investigate the activities of Raymond Carter a so-called communist agitator who is staying in Hastings.
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March 1942: The US Army Corps of Engineers arrives in Hastings to build an aerodrome and Foyle needs to calm a local farmer whose land has been requisitioned by the government. Foyle also gets hooked into giving a lecture to the American GIs on local customs. It all takes a more serious turn when a local barmaid, Susan Davies, is found strangled. She had been seeing one of the GIs and was pregnant, but was also involved selling unlawful whiskey for her employer, Alan Carter. Meanwhile Sgt. Milner investigates the death of friend, Will Grayson, who died in a house fire. He had been drinking at Carter's pub but wasn't drunk when he left and Milner can't quite figure out why his friend didn't get out of the burning house in time. Finally, Sam gets unhappy news from boyfriend Andrew.
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August 1942: A lone aircraft drops a bomb over farmland. Nearby sheep start dying, then a farmer's wife, and Sam falls ill. Then cows fall sick and mysteriously disappear. Foyle's inquiries lead him to work on biological warfare and the search for a cure for Sam, as her illness looks terminal. Meanwhile, Sgt. Milner investigates the murder of a war hero by a conscientious objector, who happens to be the brother of a past love of his.
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December 1942: DCS Foyle investigates the death of Grace Phillips who died in what appears to be an accident in a munitions factory. Grace, who had been living with her boyfriend Harry Osborne, had become very sad of late and had mysteriously mentioned something about thievery to a fellow worker just a week before her death. Sgt. Milner's estranged wife Jane, whom he's not seen for over two years, visits him unexpectedly. Jane knew the dead girl and had important information for her husband, but she is killed while on her way to tell him. When evidence points to Sgt. Milner as the perpetrator, Foyle is forced to suspend him. Meanwhile the staff at the police station are overly preoccupied with the evidence gathered in a racketeering case - especially a plump turkey.
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March 1943: Foyle receives a visit from his goddaughter, whom he has not seen for 10 years, and her young son who is shell shocked from when his school was bombed. When she runs off leaving her son, Foyle must locate her. A new Assistant Commissioner is after Foyle to crack down on unlawful gambling. Sgt. Milner is assigned to the case and goes undercover with mixed results. Milner sees two young lads gambling lots of cash and decides to find out where they're getting their money. Foyle is also investigating a group of saboteurs. When a murders occurs near a military research facility, Foyle believes he has solved the crime but the new AC insists he release the subject in question. Foyle in turn feels he has only one option open to him.
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April 1944: The Allies have stepped up their war effort, and it seems the end of the war is in sight. Foyle has resigned as Detective Chief Superintendent, Sam has found a new job, Milner is fed up with his new boss, DCS Meredith. And then there are murders to investigate.
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Foyle has a number of apparently unrelated investigations under way. The most serious is the murder of Dr. Julian Worth who worked at a nearby hospital for mentally disturbed soldiers and airmen. He is found in his office stabbed in the chest with a letter opener. Worth was much disliked by his colleagues and was about to leave for a new job. The police also search for a 15-year old boy who has run away from his London home and may have returned to the area to where he was evacuated. Finally, they investigate the murder of a German POW who spent his days working on a local farm but who was no longer welcome when the owner returns after spending five years as a German prisoner of war.
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It's early May 1945 and the formal announcement that the war is over is imminent. The station is being relocated and Foyle is definite that he is going to retire. DS Paul Milner anxiously awaits news of a possible promotion to Inspector. Sam is trying her best to find a job, but finds it a hard slog. Foyle's son Andrew also re-appears and wonders if Sam will have anything to do with him after the way he treated her. On the policing front, Foyle investigates the murder of Dr. Henry Ziegler, who was stabbed on the street. Ziegler was a transplanted Austrian but had recently faced the brunt of anti-German feeling in the community. When one of his patients soon after commits suicide, Foyle and Milner must determine what, if any, connection there might be between the two deaths.
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SPOILER! SOME KEY FACTS REVEALED BUT NOT THE MURDERER. With the war in Europe ended Foyle is keen to resign but, in the face of staff shortages, agrees to stay another month, whilst Milner is now an inspector in Brighton and Sam the housekeeper for painter Sir Leonard Spencer-Jones. Brigadier Wilson, Foyle's commander in World War One and now military top brass, arrives in Hastings, looking for Ivan Spiakov, an escaped Russian ex-P.O.W. who fought with the Germans,and is heading for the 'Russian House' in London. Ivan asks Nikolai,another ex-P.O.W. and Sir Leonard's gardener, to go with him but the teenager is scared to go to the house and, reasonably so, as Duveen,who runs it, hands Ivan over to Wilson for extradition to Russia. Sir Leonard is murdered and the prime suspects are his estranged son Maurice, cut out of his will in favour of Nikolai, and Tom, his ex-gardener,whose job went to the boy,who is now missing. Foyle and Milner now have a common case to work on though Foyle and Sam feel that Milner has become more brusque than he ever was before. Russian cafe owner Elsa tells Foyle the 'House' is a haven for anti-Stalinists who were pro-German and Foyle takes Sam to London,where Duveen lies about seeing Ivan and they are chased by a gun-man.In fact the house is far from Elsa's definition of it and Foyle realises that Wilson and the British War Office are working with the paranoid Stalin to return all pro-German Russians to him for execution. A whole boatload were murdered,a fact that Ivan found out, but Foyle must remain silent. Nikolai returns to work for Elsa,Sam meets a nice young man, Adam,and Sir Leonard's killer is revealed.
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Sam moves in with Adam to help run his guest house though,due to his shyness,they are not a couple. One of the tenants, Mandy,is having a tough time, raising a baby fathered by black G.I. Gabe. Her old boyfriend Tommy is devastated when he returns and makes the discovery, To Foyle's dismay segregation is enforced in Hastings to prevent inter-racial fights and Gabe is beaten up for dancing with Mandy in public. They plan to move to New York but she is murdered on the night a robbery takes place at Gabe's barracks.Two pleasant boarders at the guest house are not what they seem but, with Mandy's killer behind bars, Gabe has an unusual offer of help to mind his child until he can return from New York for her.
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DCS Foyle is replaced and is free at last - he's resigned his position and planning to travel to the United States for an extended tour. Before departing however, he's asked to look into the case of James Devereaux, a young man who joined the Nazi British Free Corps during the war. He was taken prisoner by the Germans and refuses to explain to anyone, including Foyle, why he agreed to join the Free Corps in the first place. In a related case, DI Paul Milner investigates the murder of Agnes Littleton who was strangled with a nylon stocking. The woman worked as a secretary for James' father, Sir Charles Devereaux. Agnes was living with the Devereaux's now retired cook, Mrs. Ramsay and from all accounts was quite happy there. She also had a friend named Jack who did something hush hush during the war. A case of mistaken identity and events from James' childhood are key to solving the mystery. Sam Stewart and her friend Adam Wainwright meanwhile have lost the support of the bank who have refused to increase Adam's overdraft. In fact they've asked him to pay what he owes forthwith. The news that developers may want to buy the property doesn't provide much solace as the proposed new development would destroy the village green, something Adam and Sam decide they will work against.
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1945:- A group of scientists observe the testing of an atomic bomb at Los Alamos in the New Mexico desert. A year later Foyle is approached by Hilda Pierce,now working for MI5. Her boss Sir William Chambers explains that a Russian defector,Gorin,has supplied them with news of the Eternity Ring,a group of Soviet sympathisers bent on betraying Britain's atomic secrets. Sam is now working as a secretary to Professor Fraser,one of the suspects who was present at Los Alamos and Foyle meets up with her,being introduced to Fraser and his colleague Max Hoffman,a Polish communist who escaped Nazi persecution. Both work at Armwell Atomic Research Station. Hoffman connects Sam to Foyle and she is sacked but when uranium is stolen from Armwell and the thief murdered she joins Foyle in investigating the Eternity Ring - as well as helping husband Adam stand for election as a Labour MP. Written by
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Foyle's new boss Sir Alec Meyerson asks him to investigate the deaths of three Russian defectors,who were all in supposedly safe houses. Then another,dying Russian collapses in a hospital,his last words apparently being 'Ten Eye' and Doctor Ross,who tried to save him,is murdered after asking Foyle to meet him.In looking into the doctor's death Foyle discovers the significance of 'Ten Eye' at a secretive military establishment which eaves-drops on Russian transmissions and decodes them for the West. At the same time the disappearance of one of Adam's constituents seems to be linked with the defection of a woman with the same name,who was the safe houses' liaison officer. As Foyle discovers who really betrayed the Russians and killed the doctor for knowing too much Sam helps Adam to political success. Written by
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Foyle is asked to protect Karl Strasser,a former Nazi officer masquerading as a Dutch citizen and now working with MI5 to catch Russian spies.Strasser believes he is being followed and that he is in danger. American colonel Jackson wants Strasser in connection with a war-time atrocity known as Operation Sunflower in which the German's patrol shot unarmed allied servicemen. The sole survivor,Tommy Nelson recognizes Strasser and follows him but when Strasser is killed by a car bomb Foyle finds no shortage of other suspects,including the landlady and fellow tenants at his lodgings,who knew who he was as well as Tommy and the Americans. Meanwhile Adam gets involved with a farmer battling the government to return his land and accusing a cabinet minister of conspiracy. His use of Sam to look into the matter leads him to learn a bitter political lesson but at least she has good news for him. Written by
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1946- Whilst working for MI5 Foyle investigates the murder of a professor, William Knowles, who had been a translator at the Nuremberg war trials. In his pocket is the address of American oil tycoon Clayton Del Mar but Del Mar denies knowing the dead man. Foyle learns not only that Del Mar was recently visited by a high ranking Russian but that Knowles had photographs of German businessmen anxious to trade with Russia for its oil. He travels to Nuremberg but finds another corpse, a former Nazi factory owner who had dealings with Knowles. Meanwhile Sam goes undercover as companion to Del Mar's dying father, a Nazi sympathizer, but puts herself in danger as Foyle discovers evidence of shady dealings by Del Mar dating from the middle of the war.
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An oily Foreign Office minister tasks Foyle's department with providing security at an upcoming conference on the future of Palestine but Foyle is more concerned with the murder of Sir David Woolf, a Jewish shipping tycoon who has been taking Jews to the new state and whose ships have been sabotaged. At the same time Adam attempts to prevent Charles Lucas, the anti-Semitic leader of the International Unity party, from holding a public meeting which, as Adam had feared, leads to a riot and two deaths. Meanwhile local rabbi Avraham Greenfeld welcomes Palestinian medical student Lea Fisher, whose father was killed by British soldiers following a bomb outrage in Jerusalem. The rabbi's son is supervising the sound at the conference - where an effort to sabotage it is averted, whilst Foyle unmasks those responsible for Sir David Woolf's death.
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A young man tries to kill Hilda Pierce, saying "This is for Elise." Visiting her in hospital Foyle meets over-bearing Sir Ian Woodhead, now head of MI6, who, during the war, ran SOE with Hilda, sending undercover agents into occupied France. Foyle learns that Elise was the codename of Sophie Corrigan, an agent killed by the Nazis and that the young man is her brother Miles, out to take revenge on those who sent her to die. At the same time Foyle's department is investigating high powered black marketer Damian White, who has dealings with a Russian diplomat and has corrupt policemen on his payroll. A recovering Hilda tells Foyle that nine agents died in France and the SOE believed that a spy, code-named Plato, was responsible. There are three suspects - one of whom is being blackmailed by White into giving him government papers that he sells to the Soviets. Foyle finally unveils the truth, causing terrible consequences for two people.
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