1939, border occupation. Swiss men in uniform spend their time in the service. The only diversion is the excursions to the Cerf country pub. At the center of this 1940 classic is the innkeeper's daughter Marguerite.

Autumn 1939: A Swiss anti-aircraft battery is on active service in the village of Châtillaz in western Switzerland. Their commander is Captain Zollinger, a personality whom the crew looks up to with respect. Equally important for the whole company is 22-year-old Marguerite, the daughter of the village innkeeper. People meet at the Cerf. This is where parties are celebrated, troubles are buried, worries are discussed. The center of all these activities is Margritli. Four soldiers are at the center of events: the subtle Bernese sculptor Ernst Burri, the young married Vaudois merchant Jules Burdet, the robust Ticino farmer Tonio Bossi and the Grisons chauffeur Nöldi Buser. With wit and cunning, but also with energy and commitment, they get through the difficult time away from family and work. The longer the period of service lasts, the more obvious it becomes that there is more than just harmony in the troop. But when two comrades are buried in the explosion of an ammunition depot, the unity is suddenly restored.