Title:ROYAL NAVY AMENITY SHIP MV MENESTHEUS - THE FLOATING BREWERY [Main Title]
Film Number:MGH 3657
Other titles:
Summary: Technical documentary illustrates the brewing plant installed in 1945 on board a converted Blue Funnel Line Amenities ship for the supply of beer to British servicemen in the Far East.
Description: View of white-painted MV Menestheus in port (presumably at Hebburn-on-Tyne after return in 1946 from maiden cruise from Vancouver via Far East to UK) introduces detailed views of the technical processes and equipment necessary to brew beer at sea. Diagrammatic flowsheet dated 31 August 1945 summarises the elements of brewing: distillation plant, dissolving vessel for malt extract, hop concentrate, fermenting vessel (Head Brewer Lieutenant Commander George Brown RNVR pointing), Bright Beer Tank, container filling, pasteuriser and container cold room (with Chinese coolies at work). (Rust marks under the pumps indicate that the plant had been in successful operation.) Technical examination of installation concludes with view of Lieutenant Ken Morison and Captain Peter Purkis consuming English Mild Ale at 9d per pint on 'the world's only floating brewery' in the ship's own Davy Jones bar.
Production Details: Briant and Harman, Consulting and Analytical Chemists (Production company)
Oliver, J H (Production individual)
Oliver, J H (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Purkis, Peter (person)
Morison, Kenneth Ernst John (person)
Brown, George (person)
British Navy & Menestheus (regiment/service)
Keywords: ships, British civilian - supply: Menestheus (object name)
supplies, British, movement [RA] - food: beer (object name)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour (Kodachrome)
Sound format: Silent
Soundtrack language: None
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 16mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 400 ft; Running time: 10 mins
