在第二次世界大战中，一位不称职的英国军官被他的叔叔 — 战争办公室的一名准将——选中，参加一项秘密行动，从纳粹手中"追回"被掠夺的艺术品。

David Wilton, John Aynesworth, and Smith are among a group of cadets hoping to become pilots in the Royal Air Force. David, however, has poor height perception and cannot master his landings. Therefore he is sent to navigator's school, but finds it hard to concentrate on his new job due to despondency over losing his chance to be "something important," a pilot. His friends and teachers join in an effort to show David the vast importance of the navigator, something he learns for himself over the target city of Berlin.

天真的斯坦利·温德拉什从战争中归来，他一心想在商界取得成功。令他自己非常沮丧的是，他很快发现自己必须从底层开始，一路向上，而且管理层和工会都把他当作争夺权力的工具。