This is the story of a conflict between two senior officers in the cloistered environment of a Scottish military regiment. Major Jock Sinclair has been the acting Colonel of the Regiment for a lengthy period of time. He is admired and respected by officers and men alike and there is a general assumption that he will be made their Commanding Officer. To everyone's surprise, they learn that Lieutenant Colonel Basil Barrow has been named to the post. Although a member of the Regiment, Barrow left as a young subaltern, made his career in staff functions, and is basically unknown. Barrow is a strict disciplinarian compared to Sinclair's easygoing approach, and as he tries to impose his own style of leadership on his command, he struggles to gain the loyalty of his officers, particularly that of Sinclair, who bristles at being a second-in-command with little to do. A final confrontation between the two men leads to tragedy for both of them.
—garykmcd