The Sabre Squadron - Plot Summary

Plot Summary

The story takes place in Göttingen in 1952. The young mathematician Daniel Mond (of Jewish-German descent but born in England) arrives to study “The Dortmund papers”, a collection of notes left by the German mathematician Dortmund (died 1938). Mond is a student of Lancaster College which appeared in Fielding Gray. Early during his stay he gets to know the American historian Earle Restarick who is friendly for a while and then withdraws.

Mond meets a large number of soldiers from The Sabre Squadron in the Earl of Hamilton’s 10th Regiment, among them his comrade from Lancaster, Julian James. Fielding Gray is also in this group and the two men have many discussions. Mond follows the soldiers during a “night on the town” (the first of many) but goes on picnic with Gray and his chauffeur Michael Lamb the next day. Gray tells Mond about the reason for the army’s presence in the area: to handle a nuclear war. A big exercise called “Apocalypse” will be held in September in which the soldiers will practice what to do after a nuclear war.

Mond is present at several dinners with the squadron and meets a former German officer, Pappenheim, who is very curious about Mond's research. His German colleague, Dr von Bremke, is also rather curious. Mond is trying to reveal the story about Fielding Gray and his failure to attend Lancaster, but the rumours are too vague after seven years. During a meeting with the officers Leonard Percival and Pappenheim, Mond is told that his friend Restarick (and the US) are supporting former Nazis to save West Germany from influence from the Soviet Union. They offer Mond protection if he reveals what he has found in the Dortmund papers.

During an evening on the town Mond is humiliated by the antisemite von Augsburg, who is challenged to a duel by the officer Giles Glastonbury. This results in von Augsburg ending up in hospital and Glastonbury in jail. As a key witness, Mond is now prohibited from leaving Germany. This news is delivered by Tuck (from Fielding Gray) who is now a member of the Allied Control Commission. As Mond will later discover, the whole affair was arranged to keep him in Germany. Glastonbury is, however, freed when his friend Captain Detterling (from Fielding Gray) arrives on his way to Baden Baden. Detterling can’t prevent Glastonbury from being sent to Hong Kong and Fielding Gray is suddenly head of the Squadron.

During a visit to Dortmund's grave, Mond is harassed by Restarick and a number of soldiers. Shaken, he tells the truth to Fielding Gray. In the papers, Mond has found a way to create atomic chain reactions much more powerful than those of an atomic bomb. Mond is really scared about what this knowledge could lead to and will not tell a single person something of substance about how to achieve this.

Gray and his squadron show a touching loyalty to Mond and promise they will help him escape. Mond gets a guard consisting of soldiers Lamb, Bunce, Chead and Mugger and he is dressed up as “Trooper Lewis.” In this guise he will escape during Operation Apocalypse, earlier mentioned by Gray. All goes well except for the fact that Mugger is severely beaten up in a fight with fusiliers. During the trip Mond also meets the genial journalist Alfie Schroeder, who recognises him but is persuaded to keep quiet. Mond is handed over to Captain Detterling who, after some hesitation, smuggles him out in an ambulance.

Mond is put in an anti-radiation costume, but the zipper jams and he is, for a while, afraid that he will not get out of the suit before the oxygen expires. When, after a long trip, he steps out of the ambulance he finds himself face to face with Restarick and Percival. He faints but wakes up without the suit and in Strasbourg. Percival and Restarick try to threaten him into giving away what he knows. When Mond refuses they threaten to destroy the career of Mond and his squadron since they’ve broken a number of rules to get Mond out of Germany. Mond gives up and asks for his paper. When he is alone he thinks about the motto of the Squadron (Res Unius, Res Omnium – one for all and all for one) and, touched by the loyalty of Gray and his men, he cuts his throat with a penknife.