In 1943 a sixteen year old boy is beaten and raped by guards in occupied Jersey. Officer arrives, kills guards arrests boy who is sent to Paris for exercution. Boy escapes, joins the resistance movement in occupied France, is recruited into British Secret service,operates from a barge rescuing Allied airmen and helping to fly them to England. Operating from an active river barge he is able to do considerable damage to bridges and to harass the German forces.A plan is made ready to persuade War Crimminals with their stolen gold, to take a journey to freedom in South America. However on the way they will be quietly exercuted and their gold recovered.This is the subject of part two 'Escape to Death' of the trilogy 'Once Upon a Bridge'. Part three is 'Play the Last Card'.