For king, country and - France! - John L. Stonehouse

Several Scouts from different backgrounds meet in Vichy at the time of the German invasion of France in 1940. Led by Ben Dart, a recently orphaned boy from England, who brings them together in a new troop. They start by helping local people, until they meet Tomas Bajak, a Scout from Czechoslovakia. He gets a job at the luxury hotel, the Pavillon Sevigne, weeks before the French Government arrives.Marechal Petain takes up residence at the hotel and Tomas realises he can over hear conversations and passes information to Ben. Through a local amateur wireless man and with his own code he manages to relay information to London. As they realise what the new government is going to do, a nucleus of them decide to change from helping the local people to helping the allies.A Polish officer uses them to help a French scientist to escape, but the Germans capture Ben. One of the German guards, an ex Scout, helps him to escape and when reporting that he is safe, London asks him to help a senior French civil servant to escape and arranges a pick up on the south coast. With the German deserter, two small Jewish children, his Aunt Cecile, Cousin Madeleine and the civil servant they head south, hotly pursued by his uncle and his cousin, Jeremy Dart, who has been pursuing him so he can dispose of Ben and inherit the Bickford title and estate. With the changing attitudes of the French people, not knowing who to trust and the occupation under the Vichy government this wartime story covers a uniquely dark period in the history of France.