Jerry is back with Captain Frank Randall in A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows section 5, and it’s time to learn more about the mission. Jerry also learns exactly why he was picked for this.
You see, it had little to do with him being a pilot. Sure, that helped, but there is something he can do that many other pilots can’t: speak Polish. If he is shot down while flying, there is a slim chance that he’ll be able to ask for help, but Frank knows that it unlikely.
Breaking down A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows section 5
We start off with Jerry speaking a little bit of Polish, which is when we find out that he can speak the language. As I’ve not read on, I don’t know how he knows Polish or why. This wasn’t something those joining the RAF needed to know, so what made him learn the language? Now I’m more intrigued by his family history.
Knowing Polish is a huge asset. At first, Frank wants to know who Jerry’s pension needs to go to and where his body should be sent should something happen. Yes, this is Wartime and it could happen regardless, but there is something more in Frank’s phrasing that makes it clear that this is much more likely to happen. Then we find out what the mission is.
Jerry will need to fly close to Poland’s land area, as the aim is to get pictures of the Nazi work camps. The British need to know what they are dealing with, and Jerry will need to train for two weeks to learn how to get low to the ground to get these photos. So, it makes sense now why it’s such a dangerous mission.
Jerry could be shot down at any moment. If he has a chance, the he could get to some Polish people and have a hope of escaping — I guess Frank and MI6 had no idea what the Polish were doing to their own, then. Like they would help a British RAF pilot.
Could this section be adapted for a TV series?
We would need this section adapted if A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows was ever adapted into a series. This gives us the mission that Jerry was sent to do, and there’s a weight to it all. This is one of the most dangerous missions that any pilot would be asked to do, and Frank and Jerry both understand this.
Jerry has some doubts about volunteering for this. He could have said no, but that wouldn’t make him a good soldier, would it? I would like to see this play out in some sort of way, especially as Frank thanks Jerry for doing this.
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