The Crimson Field

Joan is arrested and charged with aiding an enemy to escape. With news of the killing of British nurse Edith Cavell by Germans her accuser, Colonel Purbright, is keen to make an example of her and only the reappearance of Anton prevents her from being shot. Purbright believes Joan's actions reflect badly on Colonel Brett, himself distraught as he has learned of the death of his son in action, and Matron is perturbed when Margaret returns to give evidence on the colonel's running of the hospital. Although Soper wants Margaret to testify against the colonel as he wants her to be Matron she gives him a glowing reference, saving his reputation, at the same time reminding Matron Grace that she knows of something in Matron's past which gives her some power. Kitty, meanwhile, is still sought after by both the young officers, Flora discovers that orderly Peter is gay but keeps it to herself and Rosalie overcomes her aversion to male nudity to help another damaged patient.

The disruptive Major Ballard, head of a troop of Indian Sepoys, arrives at the hospital, desperate to return to the fighting. Establishing that, like himself, Matron has lived in India, he asks for her personal attention but she discovers that he is going blind. As a career soldier he is angry at the thought of being invalided back home and Matron has to stop him fighting a potentially suicidal duel. After he has gone she pulls out a photo of an Indian man. Jaco, who has been trying to locate Joan's lover Anton, is attacked and, when Kitty tends to his wounds, he mistakes her for Joan, inadvertently revealing her secret. Whilst the volunteers are staging a concert for the patients Joan slips out to meet Anton, who has escaped from a POW train but she is followed by Sergeant Soper, who confronts her.

Kitty goes to a hotel to see Elliot Vincent, who is actually the husband on whom she cheated and who makes her sign papers for a divorce. When he tricks her into thinking she can see her daughter he attacks her and she is saved by Miles, though she later rejects both his and Peter's attentions. The colonel is angry when shell-shocked young soldier Lawrie Prentiss is returned, now epileptic as he had told Margaret to give him a ticket home. In fact she hid the ticket and claimed to have lost it, a fact used by Matron to have her transferred to another hospital. A group of patients calling themselves the Lucky Thirteen arrives, believing themselves to survive provided that they all stay together. The eldest, whom the others call Dad, has pleurisy and Joan is anxious that he stays behind for treatment but the youngest member Charlie discovers that Joan has a German lover and uses it to blackmail her into allowing Dad to join the others when they leave the hospital.