Bill Nelson was a regular in the pre-war army, a survivor of Dunkirk and latterly an instructor at Pirbright for the trainee guardsmen. His death in an air raid sparks reminiscence about him from several sources, each story being given its own chapter. Through the varied voices a picture of the man emerges – or pictures, as inaccurate memories, argument and differing viewpoints both conflict and combine to move the reader to a better knowledge of Sergeant Nelson.