During in air-raid somewhere in Italy British Lt. Halliday and American Sg. Braddock manage to escape from a prison train. Dressed as civilians they set out to reach the Swiss border. As they hide in a goods train they helplessly have to witness the deportation of Jews. As they march to a village in the mountains they are intercepted by the partisans who take them to the local priest. The priest introduces them to his secret guest, the Britisch major Telford. With the help of a mountain guide the three men prepare their exppedition. the village is a transit spot on the way to Switzerland. The only hotel hosts twenty civilians, Jews of all nationalities, all of them waiting for an opportunity to escape. The landlord calls the SS, who attacks the villagea and shoots all of the men of the village and the priest. The three officer manage to escape but the other refugees, women, children and elders beg to take them with them. The strong ones helping the weak they make their way through the difficult terrain. In a ski-hut they find shelter. A German patrol passes wothout noticing the group. Since the road they intended to take is blocked, the soldiers come up with a dangerous plan. In order to distract the German guards one young man of the group will draw the guard`s attention on him. Because of his sacrifice the rest reaches the safe pass. Halliday is killed as he trys to help an already dead refugee. At the Suisse border post the Allied soldiers vehemently support the other refugees cause and they are all eventually admitted to enter Suisse territory. They bury Halliday on a snow covered grave-yard.