SCENES ON BOARD THE CRUISER HMS KENT WITH THE 5TH CRUISER SQUADRON IN THE FAR EAST (PART 3) [Allocated Title]
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- Title: SCENES ON BOARD THE CRUISER HMS KENT WITH THE 5TH CRUISER SQUADRON IN THE FAR EAST (PART 3) [Allocated Title]
- Film Number: MGH 2734
- Other titles: CAPTAIN BLUNDELL AMATEUR FILM [Alternative Title]
- Summary: Silent 8mm colour footage shot by Lieutenant-Commander George C Blundell showing scenes in Hong Kong harbour in the summer of 1939 while HMS Kent was being repaired in Kowloon.
- Description: START 00:00:00 Colour Kodak Safety Film logo. Scenes filmed in the Whampoa Docks in Kowloon showing two ratings standing on the quarterdeck of HMS Kent holding the template for the ship's crest that they are going to paint on the cliffs overlooking the docks and the cliffs themselves where previous warships' crews have added their crests onto the bare rock. A brief view looking down steep steps leading into the floor of the naval drydock (?) at Whampoa. Views from the top of the cliffs where there are several naval ratings and HMS Kent down below in a drydock; her aerial recognition markings - the Union Jack on the roof of A turret and the ship's initials 'KE' on B turret - are especially prominent. Shots showing the party of naval ratings on the cliff top, several safety lines and the ship's artist at work painting the ship's crest onto the rock face with the help of a template design. A view from HMS Kent's bridge of the cliff face with outline and the detail of the ship's crest, the county of Kent emblem, clearly visible. Scenes on the cliff top where a pot of bright red paint is lowered down to the ship's artist who uses it to complete his work and one naval rating holding another tin of red paint. A view of the completed work, a red hexagonal crest lined with yellow with a rampant horse in white at its centre. 00:04:12 Views of shipping in Hong Kong territorial waters from a yacht (?) showing an Insect Class river gunboat (flying what looks like a French Tricolour but could also be a signal to boats taking part in a regatta to get ready) at sea with a full set of canvas deck awnings in place, a French Navy Amiral Charnier Class destroyer/seaplane carrier at anchor, a British merchant ship with a Union Jack displayed conspicuously on its hull just below the bridge and a former cargo passenger liner now serving as a naval depot ship (identity unknown) 'dressed overall' with brightly coloured flags. 00:06:02 Views of several of the six 60-foot motor torpedo boats belonging to the 2nd Motor Torpedo Flotilla at its base in Hong Kong and a stern view of MTB 10 as it heads away from the camera at high speed. Scenes filmed on board an MTB, most probably MTB 10, as it heads at high speed through the waters off Hong Kong and the flotilla commander, Lieutenant-Commander D G Clarke, on the bridge. Views looking aft from the bridge showing the wake produced by the MTB as it travels at high speed - a Union Jack flag is spread out across the deck as an aerial recognition sign. 00:07:10 Scenes filmed in a stretch of water known as Lei Yue Mun (Blundell refers to it as Lye Mun Pass) on board HMS Grampus, a mine-laying submarine, looking along the foc'sle with its aerial recognition Union Jack clearly visible and Lieutenant-Commander 'Mousey' Moore peering through his binoculars on the bridge. Shots of an open watertight hatch leading down below from the bridge of HMS Grampus and several officers on the bridge who smile at the camera; one of them, identified as Lieutenant Collett, walks past the camera. A view of a boom defence vessel (either HMS Barlight or HMS Barlane). A naval signaller sends a message with flags from the bridge of HMS Grampus. Views looking fore and aft from the bridge of HMS Grampus as the submarine cruises on the surface. 00:08:37 Scenes filmed on board the harbour oiler RFA Ebonol with a brief view of its name on the grey painted hull and members of its mixed British and Chinese crew. Shots as RFA Ebonol is underway at sea showing members of the crew using a ship's boom to lower a paravane into the water on the port side, making a big splash as it hits the water and running on and under the sea at the end of a line. Shots showing a paravane being lowered into the water on the starboard side of the oiler and it racing alongside the ship on top of and underneath the water. Shots showing four naval ratings leaning against the ship's railing watching as the starboard paravane is lifted out of the water and swung on board by a boom. The portside paravane is lifted clear but the half dozen or so crewmen operating the lifting boom have difficulty in lowering it on to the deck and an officer steps forward to help them. Scenes on board the harbour oiler showing RFA Ebonol's captain, a Lieutenant (wearing sunglasses), on the bridge, a Chinese helmsman (wearing a cap with a 'Royal Fleet Auxiliary' headband), a smiling Chinese Petty Officer, a British naval rating on the starboard bridge wing and another officer on the bridge. 00:12:36 Scenes on board HMS Kent during repairs at Whampoa Dock, Kowloon, showing Chinese dockyard carpenters with the tools - chiefly caulking irons (similar in appearance to masonry chisels and blades), hammers and wire wool - which they use to remove old caulking from between teak deck planks on the quarterdeck and using a pitch ladle to pour new pitch between the planks. Shots showing Chinese carpenters using caulking irons to strip out old caulking material between planks and scraping the deck where old planks have been removed; one of the men is seen wearing a protective cloth over his head. Views of the starboard side of the quarterdeck showing the carpenters arriving with new planks of teak decking and the general clutter while their work has yet to be completed. A very under-exposed shot of a naval carpenter (?) at work. 00:13:29 Scenes showing maintenance work being carried out on HMS Kent's anchor chains (known in naval parlance as a 'cable survey') with general clutter on the ship's foc'sle after one of the main capstans has been dismantled and is lying around in bits. A dockyard worker (?) wearing protective clothing uses a special hammer to determine the wear and tear on each link and shacle and uses a special tool to test the stud in a chain link. Another technician uses an oxy-acetylene welder on a shackle. Shots showing the starboard cable or anchor chain suspended from a dockside crane over HMS Kent's focs'le directly above the opening known as the navel pipe leading directly into the cable locker . One of the cable survey inspectors hammers a securing pin into a shackle. Two naval Petty Officers insert a pinch bar through a chain link level with the navel pipe to prevent it disappearing into the cable locker. 00:17:10 A view over the side of HMS Kent showing a sampan with the ship's letters on it. Views of HMS Tamar, the Royal Navy base in Hong Kong named after the white-hulled vessel (a nineteenth century troopship hulked there from 1897 to 1941) seen throughout much of this section; visible in the background is the new headquarters building for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank built in 1935. Also in the foreground is the river gun boat HMS Robin, and a County Class cruiser at the quayside a short distance away 'dressed overall' in brightly coloured flags to celebrate the promotion of Sir Percy Noble, Commander-in-Chief China Station, to the rank of full Admiral. 3-pounder saluting guns produce clouds of white smoke as they are fired from the Southampton Class cruiser HMS Birmingham and HMS Tamar. A large flag of St George flies from HMS Kent's foremast to indicate that the ship is serving as Noble's flagship. END 00:18:05
- Alternative Title: CAPTAIN BLUNDELL AMATEUR FILM [Alternative Title]
- Colour: Colour
- Digitised:
- Object_Number: MGH 2734
- Sound: Silent
- Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
- Featured Period:
- Production Date: 1939
- Production Country: GB
- Production Details: Blundell, George Collett1904-05-251997-10-19 (Production individual)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations: Noble, Percy (person) Royal Fleet Auxiliary, EBONOL (RFA), oiler (regiment/service) Royal Navy, MTB 10, motor torpedo boat (regiment/service) Royal Navy, KENT (HMS) (regiment/service) Royal Navy, GRAMPUS (HMS) (regiment/service) Royal Navy, TAMAR (HMS), shore establishment (regiment/service) Royal Navy, ROBIN (HMS), river gunboat (regiment/service) Royal Navy, BIRMINGHAM (HMS), light cruiser (1913) (regiment/service) French Navy (regiment/service)
- Keywords: Kowloon, Hong Kong (geography) Whampoa Dock, Kowlooon (geography) Empire & Commonwealth (theme) Far East 1919-1939 (theme) Royal Navy 1919-1939 (theme) Submarines (theme)
- Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
- Technical Details: Format: 8mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 217 ft (ca); Running time: 18 mins 5 secs (16 fps)
- HD Media:
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