Willie's War plot
Ten-year-old Willie is evacuated from London to the countryside during wartime. He is chosen by the 13-year-old Zander, the son of an army captain, to spend time together in and around an old and dilapidated house. Zander's upbringing has turned him into a snobbish bully, and Willie doesn't enjoy the common activities at all, such as shooting birds, playing with toy soldiers and boxing. His only other friends are Zander's nanny and a young soldier named Blake. Then Willie's father shows up in the nearby woods; he has deserted.