An English flyer joins the squadron defending World War II Malta.

All the danger, excitement and triumph of World War II explodes on the screen in this riveting portrayal of the battle for Malta and the courageous people who fought to keep it free. It's 1942 and a tenacious British defense force hangs on to Malta, a strategically placed dot in the Mediterranean that holds the key to both Allied and Axis supply lines. Alec Guinness stars as an RAF reconnaissance photographer who risks his life and his romance with a local girl to relay enemy movement to British headquarters. As Luftwaffe air raids increase and vital supplies are cut off, a besieged Malta prepares for invasion and a desperate British force mounts a last ditch effort to save their troops and their toehold.