It's 1914, the Great War rages, millions of men have shipped off to join the fight, yet in the sleepy English village of Rittle-on-Sea, three young chaps, Cecil (Bird), George (Thomas), and Bert (Sweet), have stayed behind. Cecil would love to have earned his battle stripes and has all the makings of a brave soldier, but isn't physically fit to fight on account of his flat feet. Pacifist teacher George, on the other hand, has no intention of being a part of the conflict because he fundamentally disagrees with it, and Bert, well, he hasn't got a clue what's going on, an outstanding liar and unscrupulous cad who should be in the army and has no legitimate reason not to be. Lumping the boys together and labelling them cowards, the ladies of Rittle-on-Sea are none-too-pleased about their decision to stick around, including Cecil's sister Agnes (Emerald Fennell, Any Human Heart), and Winky (Sarah Daykin, Dead Boss), George's increasingly embarrassed fiance.