After the Nazi advancement had accelerated, the vet and his crew were all set to carry out their first long distance run to Scotland far sooner than planned, an exercise which could see them encounter enemy fire.
But just as James was about to take to the skies, he collapsed and was rushed to the medical wing.
Instead of being felled by the Luftwaffe, he was grounded by brucellosis, a bacterial disease he picked up from treating an infected herd a year prior.
After some uncertainty about his future, James’s superior declared him unfit to fly, which he initially contested, and was instead ordered to carry out manual labour.
But when it became clear that he was wasted digging ditches and would be “of more use elsewhere” after helping to birth a calf, he was discharged and allowed to return to Darrowby.
“You’re a trained vet, and as I understand it a very good one,” said his commander. “There aren’t too many of you around right now.”
But while James was eventually thrilled to be reunited with Helen and baby Jimmy, he initially appeared conflicted.
Not only did he desperately want to do his bit, both for his crew and the war effort – “I have a duty. I owe it to these men, I can’t just walk away, not now” – he believed that had he been flying the plane, his men might not have been shot down and lives might not have been lost.
But fate had other ideas, leaving him with no other option than to head back to Skeldale House, and what a welcome it was.
As for Tristan, he’s finally set to return later this season following his season 4 absence.
He went on to say that “Tristan, as a character, means so much to so many people within the house, so it was a joy having him back”.
“Seeing him interact with Carmody (James Anthony-Rose) is a lot of fun because they are both so different,” he added. “And Callum is just a great laugh – a great guy to have around both on and off set. It was a real treat.”
All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1-4 are available to watch on My5. Season 5 continues on Thursday 26th September at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5. You can order James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.
If you’re looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Podcast.
