This Land Is Mine 1943 The Nazis have just invaded and are now occupying another Western European town in an Allied country, the Nazi District Commadant being Major Erich von Keller Walter Slezak Like other such occupied towns, the Nazis are keeping it a supposed free city in return for citizen cooperation Some of the towns leading citizens, such as Mayor Henry Manville Thurston Hall and the railway station master George Lambert George Sanders, encourage that citizen cooperation outwardly to maintain peace, while such persons are able to profit individually in being in von Kellers proverbial back pocket Paul Martin Kent Smith, a railway switch man and Georges best friend, has gone even further by befriending occupying German soldiers On the other side, the school headmaster, well respected Professor Sorel Philip Merivale, and young schoolteacher Louise Martin Maureen OHara, Pauls sister and Georges fiancee, openly but quietly resist although do not totally defy Nazi orders Louises fellow schoolteacher, middle aged Albert Lory Charles Laughton, is a timid man, his self admitted cowardice exacerbated by his overbearing mother, Emma Lory Una OConnor, coddling him, she in return expecting that he never leave her Albert is secretly in love with Louise, which most in town know, it being more of a joke to them than anything as they know he will never admit such in his cowardice Someone or some faction in town has been clandestinely printing and distributing anti Nazi leaflets In addition, an act of sabotage at the railway yard which was intended to thwart the Nazis resulted in two German soldiers being killed As such, von Keller is determined to find out the person or people behind these acts If he is unable, he will not hesitate to imprison and execute innocent people to make them examples to the townsfolk When the supposed saboteur is discovered and shot by the Nazis, Albert gets caught in the middle, with his life on the line In this situation, the townsfolk may get a true picture of what it means to be a coward or a hero