King Arthur Was A Gentleman

Arthur King is the opposite of thousands of men across Britain: as an expert map-maker in the civil service, he's been transferred to the War Office and his job classified a reserved occupation - but he is desperate to be allowed to sign up and do his bit in khaki!

When an unlikely opportunity arises thanks to his ATS-serving girlfriend, Susan, and her best friend Gwennie, he is therefore swift to ensure his move, and is soon in training to join the 9th Fusiliers, to whom their ATS unit has been attached ahead of an upcoming despatch overseas.

Arthur also happens to be more than a little fascinated by his near-namesake, the fabled King Arthur, and a keen amateur historian of knightly battles. When he realises that the training camp is located right in the middle of the ancient Vale of Avalon, he is therefore more than a little swept up with the excitement of the infamous stories.

Preparing some earthworks on the camp, his new friends Maxie and Jack come across a sword - presumably lost or dumped after a fairly recent Lady Godiva pageant - and almost instantly realise they can sell it to the excitable King as a potential Excalibur. Sure enough, Arthur takes the bait but also takes the find rather too seriously! With passing out examinations approaching, his luck does indeed appear to change now that he is in possession of the sword, but their imminent posting overseas threatens genuine peril.

Still - could this really be King Arthur's true Excalibur, returned to Avalon in her hour of need...?