FROM THE WOLF'S DEN

Effy gives birth to a healthy baby girl, and Harry is elated. Stefan and Sid meet the new baby, and Harry tells Stefan some unexpected yet wonderful news. To show his gratitude, Stefan names the baby after someone meaningful to Harry. Harry and Effy agree to marry following the wars end, and life takes a turn for the better for Stefan, the Shackletons and the MacIvors. As Stefan reaches adulthood, he struggles to find his place in the world, and following advice given to him by Harry, Stefan decides to venture back to the beginning to find out the truth about his past.

Another air raid occurs, but with heartbreaking consequences for Harry – Foxglove Cottage is destroyed, leaving him devastated. Heading up to Shackleton Farm to find shelter, Harry, Effy, Sid, Stefan and Trigger are met with an eerie silence, but find that the Shackletons are hiding in their own Anderson shelter beneath a trap door in the barn. Stefan realises he has forgotten his gas mask, but manages to slip out of the shelter unnoticed following a heated argument between the Shackletons. A raging thunderstorm circles overhead and Stefan runs into some trouble after falling down a mine shaft, but luckily, a friend is there to comfort him. Eventually the two are rescued, but the drama becomes too much for Effy who goes into labour.

Heavy bombings cause substantial financial losses for the Shackleton family and troubles for the Land Girls, but farm life must continue on. Crisis talks get underway at Foxglove Cottage, during which, Effy reveals she is pregnant. Fearful of what is on the horizon, Effy voices her concerns to Harry, but he insists that everything will be okay. Whilst Stefan and Sid are on a paper round with Ruairidh, cycling by the Thames, German POWS arrive in Gravesend. Stefan is furious after encountering one of the POWS who happens to be someone from his past, and following the confrontation, Stefan runs off in the chalk tunnels to calm down, but the apparition of Finch makes an unexpected return.

Heartbroken following the death of his best friend, Stefan becomes withdrawn and distances himself from everyone around him. He is struggling to come to terms with what happened. The MacIvors suffer their own devastating loss, and Molly too receives upsetting news. Christmas arrives once again, but Stefan isn’t in a mood to celebrate. In an effort to clear his head, he and Trigger go out for a walk in the snow, but a trail of blood leads them towards a shocking discovery.

The residents of Foxglove Cottage take a rare visit to a tavern, located along a nearby street, which is unexpectedly bombed by the Luftwaffe. Stefan, Harry, Effy, Sid and Trigger hide in the taverns cellar as the raid continues, but the walls collapse, trapping them. After managing to escape through a small window onto the street, Stefan becomes disoriented in the manic crowds, and finds himself separated from Harry. Afraid, confused and injured, Stefan is tackled to the ground by a young boy – seemingly by a stranger – as a bomb detonates in the next street. But this boy isn’t a stranger, and he makes the ultimate sacrifice.

The Blitz arrives in Gravesend, leaving destruction at every turn. Stefan, Sid, Harry and Effy visit the village hall to hand out supplies to those who lost everything in the air raids, and whilst doing so, Stefan runs into an old foe who reveals some home truths about Ebenezer Finch. The residents of Foxglove Cottage are then startled by an intruder in the Anderson shelter who puts Stefan’s life in danger. A familiar face manages to save him – but at a cost.

The Shackletons become sick with worry after Albert is reported missing in action, and as a result, emotions run high in the farmhouse. Maria receives a letter from her second eldest son, George, who is alive and well after a short hospital stay, but still there is no word from Albert. Despite the hard times, some positive news arrives in the form of Molly’s new baby, but tragedy is never far away. A telegram from the War Office arrives at Shackleton Farm as the Battle of Britain begins.

Harry tells Stefan the truth about his past, and surprisingly reveals that Cal MacIvor helped him through the tough times he faced in his adolescence and young adult life. The reason why Tommie and Ruairidh are at loggerheads with Cal is revealed, and when a thunderstorm ensues, their frightened and disorientated grandfather, Ivor, is found outside of Foxglove Cottage, wearing only his pyjamas – and he is not in a good way. It is a difficult winter for everyone, especially for Stefan who struggles to deal with the return of his nightmares. The Phoney War occurs, and following the evacuation at Dunkirk, the Shackletons receive some worrying news.

The residents of Gravesend are struggling to cope whilst the men are away fighting in the war. Stefan gets to know those around him a bit better, and after returning an escapee Labrador to Shackleton farm, it is revealed that land girl, Molly, is pregnant. Stefan bonds with Tommie and the Shackleton children until the weather takes a turn. November rain confines Stefan, Sid and Trigger to Foxglove Cottage, and when their boredom gets the better of them, they venture into the attic where they find an intriguing briefcase filled with papers. Stefan and Sid discover a shocking secret about Harry.

The newest arrivals at Foxglove Cottage settle into their new home. Stefan has another nightmare which leads to Harry arranging a meeting with a psychiatrist, however, it does not go to plan. After witnessing the aftermath of an aviation accident, Stefan begins to isolate himself before Harry steps in to help. The two bond over Harry’s artwork, but an unfamiliar girl makes numerous appearances – who is she? The time has come for the Shackleton family to bid an emotional farewell to George and Albert as they leave for the RAF and Royal Navy.