British Network Television

‘Father Brown’: S03.E04. “The Sign of the Broken Sword”

Father Brown visits the local barracks for the unveiling of a Dunkirk war memorial

Screen Capture: Jamie Ballard and Craig Whittaker as Major David Rawlings and Major Desmond Murray, respectively, in “Father Brown”

This episode opens with a flashback to the Second World War. Shortly before the Dunkirk evacuation, June 1940, we find two British Army officers trying to evade the enemy whilst making their way towards the port.

One of the officers, Major Desmond Murray (Craig Whittaker), has been wounded significantly and is potentially close to death. Major David Rawlings (Jamie Ballard), not seeing how he can get his colleague to the port without first being discovered by the enemy, puts the major out of his mystery.

The authenticity of the scene, with it being filmed in black and white, adds a degree of historical accuracy to the episode. The Dunkirk evacuation, for the British military, is considered one of the lost points of the conflict.

Sidney “Sid” Carter (Alex Price), immediately after the opening credits sequence, is driving Father Brown (Mark Williams), Mrs Bridgette McCarthy (Sorcha Cusack), and Lady Felicia Montague (Nancy Carroll) to the local British Army barracks where they are scheduled to attend a ceremony. The ceremony, dedicated to the unveiling of a Dunkirk war…