Behind the wire and the watchtowers, three prisoners of war begin their journey to fame.

An adventure of escapism and escape, set against the background of war-torn Italy and the lure of post war stardom.

‘I find the whole thing…embarrassing.’ Bob looked at the others. ‘Look, my mum never took me to the theatre or shows. She thought it corrupted the spirit.’ George and Tommy glanced at each other with bemusement. ‘Yes, I know, I know,’ Bob rolled his eyes. My mum had a deeply peculiar religious faith. Anyway, the upshot is that I can’t get out my head that there is something, well, unwholesome about entertainment. I know it’s daft but…’ it was Bob’s turn to take a frustrated kick at a stone, ‘but well, once, a local Morris dancing troupe visited my school to celebrate May Day……The Morris men skipped around behind us hitting kids on the head with an inflated pig’s bladder…….Anyway he got to me and started raining pig bladder blows to my head. They didn’t hurtbut as each one came down, I had an increasing feeling of embarrassment. Not just for me, but him and for the dancers and the performers and all the children who were laughing and clapping. I just wanted to curl up and crawl under the wooden forms and hide.’

‘It was Ron Piper’s job to give feedback from the Christmas show audiences at the first entertainments executive meeting of the New Year. ‘I had extensive discussions with groups of the men following the shows. I asked them to focus on the good bits and the shit bits. I think it’s a good way to get their views. You know getting people to discuss stuff together. I think I might try and sell the idea when I get back to civvy street.’

‘What are you going to call these….groups of people that focus?’ asked Bob.

‘I thought ‘Thinking Tanks’, as most I spoke to were in the Tank Corps.’