Percy is a promising young athlete and photographer living in Derbyshire during exhilarating times at the dawn of the 20th century. His introduction to professional athletics brings him face to face with the corruption and threats from gambling syndicates with the power of money and hierarchy.

When World War One begins, Percy and his pals are amongst the first to volunteer for Kitchener's army. While training in Nottingham they meet up with girls employed at Players Cigarettes, who supply them with Woodbine Cigarettes from their factory. Consequently, they become known as The Woodbine Boys.

Their first deployment is to Gallipoli, Turkey, where Percy's stash of Woodbine Cigarettes soon makes him the only soldier to have any cigarettes. He supplies his officers, and they promise to return the favour, which might just save his life...