The year is 1936, a young Austrian maritime officer faces a decision that will change his life forever. The clouds of war are closing in all too fast. Leaving his ship without permission puts him on the run, away from the life he loved so much as a seaman! His destination was to drive to Vienna Austria to get his mother, sister, and nephew out of Europe. Along the way, he reunites with a longtime girlfriend in a romantic interlude in Innsbruck Austria before arriving in Vienna. With a very quick turnaround, he sets out once again with his mother, sister, and her baby in the car, they embark on the dangerous drive across Europe, eventually arriving in Ostend Belgium. Karl barters his car to obtain passage on a ship bound for Dover in England. His family now safe, Karl seeks asylum for himself without knowing what will happen to him.