Title:COLOUR FILM SCENES SHOWING THE BATTLESHIP HMS NELSON ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN THE ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN, 1941-1942 [Allocated Title]
Film Number:MGH 2745
Other titles:CAPTAIN BLUNDELL AMATEUR FILM [Alternative Title]
Summary:A lively and dramatic silent 8mm colour film record made by Commander George C Blundell of active service on board the battleship HMS Nelson in 1941 and 1942, culminating in Operation 'Pedestal' (10 - 15 August 1942) in which heavy losses in ships and men were sustained in a bold but costly effort to re-supply the besieged island of Malta.
Description:START 00:00:00 Scenes at Scapa Flow filmed on 4 March 1941: a port side profile of the battleship HMS Nelson in a dark grey paint scheme used by the Home Fleet on its large warships at this time in the war; she carries two Unrifled Projector (U/P) rocket mountings on B turret and a single U/P mounting on Y turret. A game of football is seen in progress between one team of players from Blundell's torpedo men in red and yellow check shirts and the other in navy blue; at anchor several hundred yards away from the goal at one end of the soccer pitch is the County Class cruiser HMS Devonshire, seen here in a distinctive camouflage scheme consisting of dark grey geometric patterns over battleship grey. Two birds - a wader and the second a bird of prey - are filmed in flight. A still life of a serving of ice cream in a glass bowl (?). Two senior naval officers on board HMS Nelson - the one on the right wearing dark glasses may be the ship's captain Geoffrey Miles.
Alternative Title:CAPTAIN BLUNDELL AMATEUR FILM [Alternative Title]
