SONS OF OUR EMPIRE EPISODE 2 : Glimpses of the British Navy in war time [Main Title]

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  • Title: SONS OF OUR EMPIRE EPISODE 2 : Glimpses of the British Navy in war time [Main Title]
  • Film Number: IWM 130-03+4
  • Other titles: GLIMPSES OF THE BRITISH NAVY IN WAR TIME [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: The British battle-cruiser squadron base at Rosyth, July-August 1916.
  • Description: I. (Reel 3) The Royal Naval Air Service at Felixstowe. First their marching band. Then aircrew running a Curtiss H.2 flying boat, possibly one of the first two purchased from the Curtiss company, out of its hangar for launch. Note that the Anzani engines are running. This is followed by the prototype Porte F.1. These and other seaplanes in the air, including a Sopwith Baby. The Felixstowe (?) practises bomb runs against a partly sunken wreck. The Porte F.1 and a Short 184 are brought in by tugs. Commodore Caley and Flight-Commander Porte pose in a group with Commander Lynes. The seaplane carrier HMS Engadine launches a Short 184, which flies on patrol and returns to the ship. Some of the seaplanes stunt flying. II. The submarine service. E.23 is loaded with torpedoes, and moves off surfaced, submerges, surfaces and fires her 12-pounder, before returning to the base and being dry docked. III. (Reel 4) The battle-cruiser force, starting with a view of HMS Lion. Admiral Beatty's dog. Filming from a small boat in the harbour, the camera shows HMS Tiger, HMS Chester, with the 5.5-inch gun beside which Jack Cornwell died, and some of his shipmates, HMS Birmingham with a destroyer escort passing under a bridge, the hospital ship HMS Garth Castle collecting wounded from a drifter, and unloading others onto the shore. The wounded are taken by train to a convalescent home. HMS Princess Royal at medium distance in sunlight on a dappled sea, and at anchor. HMS Yarmouth (? possibly HMS Phaeton) at anchor. Torpedoes being loaded and fired from the destroyer HMS Firedrake, in rough weather at "15 knots an hour" (sic). Members of the crew display the ensign and a lifebelt captured from the submarine UC.5. A King Edward VII Class battleship fires a broadside.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1917
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: War Office Cinema Committee (Production sponsor) Topical Film Company (Production company) Jury, William F (Production individual) Engholm, F W (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Porte, F (person) Caley (Commodore) (person) Lynes (Commander) (person) Royal Navy (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air Service (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: aircraft, British naval - seaplane: Felixstowe F2A flying boat (object name) aircraft, British naval - seaplane: Short 184 (object name) aircraft, British naval - seaplane: Sopwith Baby (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Lion (object name) ships, British auxiliary - aircraft carrier, seaplane: Engadine (object name) ships, British naval - submarine: E23 (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Tiger (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Chester (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: Birmingham (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer (object name) ships, British auxiliary - assistance: Garth Castle (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Princess Royal (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: Yarmouth (?) (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: Phaeton (?) (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Firedrake (97) (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: King Edward VII Class (object name) weapons, British naval - torpedo: 15-inch (?) (object name) transport, British civilian - rail (object name) medical, British naval - movement (object name) operations, British military - routine (object name) training, British naval - combat: torpedo firing (object name) training, British naval air (object name) animals, mammals: dog (object name) ceremonies, British - display: marching band (naval) (object name) 12/3(261.2).7 (event) Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, UK (geography) GB, Scotland & Rosyth, Fife (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 2 Footage: 2473 ft; Running time: 42 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Intertitles: it is unthinkable that a Royal Navy censoring bureau could make the mistake of "15 knots an hour" in this episode, and this points strongly to censoring by MI7 at the War Office. Summary: for this episode see the naval material in IWM 577, IWM 580 and IWM 595. Note that despite the claims of this episode, although submarine E23 did torpedo SMS Westfalen on 19th August 1916, the ship did not sink.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    IWM 130-03+4

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    IWM 123 (WESTERN FRONT (rough material) [Allocated Title]) IWM 233 (LA GUERRE ANGLAISE : grand film documentaire en 4 parts - les tanks anglais a la bataille de la Scarpe [Main Title]) IWM 349 (GERMAN PRISONERS - SCENES AT LA BOZELLE (sic) [Main Title])
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