Major Charles Carrington (David Niven) is arrested for taking £125 from the base safe. He also faces two other charges that could finish his distinguished service career. He decides to act in his own defence at his court martial hearing, his argument being that he is owed a lot of money from the army for his various postings that have cost him out of his own pocket. To further complicate the proceedings, Carrington alleges he told his superior, the very disliked Colonel Henniker, that he was taking the money from the safe. A man's career, his marriage, and quite a few reputations all hang in the balance.