Victor Canning: characters, themes and locations

Albert (Green Battlefield)

Drinking companion of Bonpart who was insulted by a German soldier in a bar, which enrages Bonpart.

Archer (Green Battlefield)

Dead airman, navigator of Patrick's aircraft. He drew pictures of Canterbury Cathedral before his last flight.

Armée del'air (Green Battlefield)

The French Air Force, to which Hugo Resant belongs.

Bideford (Green Battlefield)

Patrick's home town, often mentioned and compared to Normandy.

Blenheim (Green Battlefield)

British bomber. Patrick sees one go over during their flight, and we can assume he has flown them himself.

Bonnet, Georges (1889-1973)(Green Battlefield)

French Foreign Minister at the time of the invasion of France, somebody described with bitterness by Hugo.

Bonpart, Raoul (Green Battlefield)

Handyman working for Arlenne. Father of three sons killed in the first world war. In a drunken rage he takes a gun to the soldiers billeted at Arlenne's farm, killing five of the six and precipitating Arlenne and Patrick's flight.

Bonpart, Madame Félice (Green Battlefield)

Bonpart's wife and cook/housekeeper for Arlenne.

Bucknell Hartland (Green Battlefield)

Fictitious Devon village that Patrick thinks about as he comes down in his parachute,

Camillot, Jean (Green Battlefield)

Patriot who, having ben denounced by Georges Raymonde, was imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo, thereby leading his fiancée Augustine to murder German soldiers as she encounters them.

Canterbury Cathedral (Green Battlefield)

Archer has drawn sketches of the cathedral before his last flight, so we can assume their airfield was close, presumably Manston.

Carnac (Green Battlefield)

Coastal resort on the French Atlantic coast where Arlenne and Hugo spent childhood holidays during which Hugo failed to learn to swim.

Charmont (Green Battlefield)

Village near where Patrick lands in his parachute. There are six places called Charmont in France, none of which is in Normandy. The closest would be Charmont in Val d'Oise north-west of Paris which is about 200 miles from Cherbourg but well within 100 miles from the coast as suggested in the book. This would also fit with the reference to Madame Bonpart's sister visiting from Chartres and being just with travel restrictions.

Cherbourg (Green Battlefield)

Important Channel port. The goods train that Arlenne and Patrick ride is bounbd for Cherbourg.

Daladier, Edouard (1884-1970) (Green Battlefield)

Prime Minister of France at the outbreak of the Second World War, described with scorn by Hugo.

Devon (Green Battlefield)

Patrick is a Devonian, as was Canning himself.

Edgeworth, Gunner Reg (Green Battlefield)

Artilleryman and companion to Jimmy Grey, who has been sheltered by André Gigot. He is killed in the shootout at the barge after Magarinet's report to the Germans.

Elangère (Green Battlefield)

Fictional coastal town near Cherbourg where much of the action at the end of the book takes place.

Gant, Sylveste (Green Battlefield)

A dealer in ships supplies in Elangère whose name is given to Patrick by M. Girandoux.

Gigot, André et Mme. (Green Battlefield)

Owners of the first farmhouse where Arlenne and Patrick are befriended on their flight. They have also sheltered Jimmy Grey and Reg Edgeworth aboard his barge moored in a gravel pit.

Girandoux, M. Agricole (Green Battlefield)

Barber in the town near the Gigots' farm where Patrick is sent to find help in escaping.

Grey, Bombardier Jimmy (Green Battlefield)

Badly injured artilleryman who is sheltered by André Gigot. He is killed by a German soldier who attacks the barge after Magarinet has betrayed the presence of British refugees.

Hugo (Green Battlefield)

See Resant, Hugo

Kay (Green Battlefield)

Dead airman, member of Patrick's crew.

Laval, Pierre (1883-1945) (Green Battlefield)

Vichy politician, executed for high treason in 1945, described with scorn by Hugo.

Lorette, La (Green Battlefield)

Name of the fishing boat belonging to the Piquerry family on which Patrick and Arlenne escape.

Magarinet (Green Battlefield)

An "old poacher, tramp sort of fellow" who hangs around André Gigot's farm and is responsible for betraying the soldiers on the barge to the Germans.

Manston (Green Battlefield)

Wartime airfield beside Ramsgate, now the site of Kent International Airport.

Orleigh, Patrick (Green Battlefield)

Central figure of the biik. Bomber pilot, shot down over Normandy who falls in love withArlenne and manages to escape with her back to England.

Patrick (Green Battlefield)

See Orleigh, Patrick

Pegoin (Green Battlefield)

Neighbour of the Piquerry family who takes over the organisation of Patrick and Arlenne's escape after the Germans move in to arrest Augustine.

Pétain, Philippe (1856-1951) (Green Battlefield)

Head of the Vichy government, regarded with bitterness by Arlenne.

Piquerry, Nicolas (Green Battlefield)

Son of the family that organises patrick and Arlenne's escape.

Piquerry, Berthon and Maman (Green Battlefield)

Older generation of the family that organises Patrick and Arlenne's escape.

Piquerry, Augustine (Green Battlefield)

Daughter of the family that organises the escape from Erlangère. She has a pathological hatred for Germans arising from their torture of her finacé, Jean Camillot.

Raymonde, Georges (Green Battlefield)

Collaborating Frenchman in Elangère who engages Patrick in conversation in the bistro. He is found stabbed to death several days later.

Resant, Arlenne (Green Battlefield)

Farm owner and heroine of the book. After Bonpart's killing of the Germans billeted at her farm, she flees with Patrick and finally escapes to England, there no doubt to marry him.

Resant, Hugo (Green Battlefield)

Brother of Arlenne. Airman, missing presumed killed. Bears some resemblance to Patrick.

Reynaud, Paul (1878-1966) (Green Battlefield)

Politician, Prime Minister at the time of the German invasion, despised by Hugo.

Rudel, Joachim (Green Battlefield)

Name of the German soldier murdered by Augustine Piquerry.

Slight, Sgt. (Green Battlefield)

Heroic artillery sergeant remembered by Grey and Edgeworth.

Vichy (Green Battlefield)

Headquarters of the puppet French goverment in the southern unoccupied zone of France.

Werder, Capt. Erich von (Green Battlefield)

Sympathetic German officer who wants Arlenne to encourage the villagers to co-operate with the Germans.

Yeo (Green Battlefield)

Devon river where Patrick has spent his childhood.