make amends by doing meritorious deeds

Five American prisoners of war, unable to endure the abuse from the military police while being escorted to a military court, instigated a riot and fled together to the neutral country of Switzerland. However, upon reaching the border, they encountered German troops and were subsequently surrounded by French guerrillas. It was then discovered that the German soldiers they had killed were in fact American servicemen with critical missions, such as Lieutenant Yeager and others. Consequently, they decided to atone for their crimes by completing the mission for them, which led them back into the enemy-occupied territory.