The Artificers (1974)

The Artificers is a recruitment film produced for the Royal Navy by the Central Office of Information. Features footage of artificer apprentices at HMS Fisgard and outward bound training.

Followed by footage of marine engineering artificer training at HMS Caledonia and aboard HMS Amazon (a newly built Type 21 frigate at this time).

Followed by footage of air engineering training at HMS Daedalus with decriptions of 3 types of air artificer and extensive footage of the Lee-on-Solent Search and Rescue flight.

Followed by footage of electrical and weapons engineering training at HMS Collingwood, some tricky problem solving aboard a nuclear submarine, followed by firing the ASW mortar on HMS Argonaut (Leander-class frigate).

The Silent Enemy (1958)

Independence Eve, 3 July

Just a bit of fun.

“Last Call” (1965) with HMS Bulwark and the Far East Fleet on Exercise Dark Night

Feature length documentary (61 minutes) demonstrating a Royal Navy and Royal Marines exercise in the Far East. Filmed during 1964/65 and based on Exercise ‘Dark Night.’

With 40 Commando, 42 Commando, and 845 NAS aboard the commando carrier HMS Bulwark (R08). The “Rusty B” was deployed East of Suez with the Royal Navy’s Far East Fleet throughout the 1960s and served during the Konfrontasi with Indonesia.

Also features strike carriers HMS Victorious (R38), HMS Eagle (R05), and the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne (R21). Aircraft include the De Havilland Sea Vixen and the Blackburn Buccaneer.

Also the (new for 1964/5) County-class guided missile destroyers HMS Kent (D12) and HMS London (D16). Additional escorts include Battle-class destroyers HMS Barrosa (D68) and HMS Corruna (D97), C-class destroyer HMS Caesar (D07), Type 61 aircraft direction frigate HMS Lincoln (F99), Australian destroyer escort HMAS Derwent (DE49), New Zealand frigate HMNZS Otago (F111), and Type 15 frigate HMS Zest (F102).

Ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary include the replenishment oilers RFA Tidepool (A76), RFA Tidesurge (A98), and RFA Bayleaf (A79).

Get To Know – The Battle of Jutland

CWGC Commissioner, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, visits the CWGC Chatham Naval Memorial to mark the centenary of the Battle of Jutland. He gives an overview of the battle, and its significance within the First World War– and explains why he thinks it is important that we mark this poignant anniversary.

New project for the New Year: US Navy archive movies

A new project for 2016. I’ll be uploading US Navy documentary and training films from the archives to YouTube. I’ve created a new YouTube channel for this, US Navy Movies, which will keep the content separate from my Royal Navy channel.

Here are a few samples.

‘Perpetual Motion’ The Avro Shackleton (1992)

‘Hermes Joins Royal Navy’ (1959)

British Pathe b&w newsreel of Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (R12) joining the fleet in November 1959.

Operation Hurricane (1953)

Operation Hurricane was the test of Britain’s first atomic bomb on 3 October 1952. The test took place at the Montebello Islands of Western Australia. This documentary film from 1953 was produced for the Central Office of Information for the Ministry of Supply.

Med Patrol (1971)

‘Med Patrol’ features aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (R09), Leander class frigate HMS Galatea (F81), combat stores ship RFA Lyness (A339) and fast fleet tanker RFA Olna (A123).