A MEMENTO OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR ADMIRAL CUNNINGHAM [Main Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.


  • Title: A MEMENTO OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR ADMIRAL CUNNINGHAM [Main Title]
  • Film Number: MGH 170
  • Other titles: AMATEUR FILM BY COMMANDER HARRY BUTCHER [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: A silent Kodachrome film shot mainly on board the Royal Navy battleship HMS Warspite by Commander Harry Butcher USNR, General Dwight D Eisenhower's naval aide, featuring the surrender of the Italian fleet in September 1943.
  • Description: START 10:00:00 Film title and intertitles "At Algiers on September 6, 1943, General Eisenhower and Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham assigned me to witness the surrender of the Italian fleet... Departing from Malta the evening of September 7, we were first to help our landings in Salerno Bay..." Scenes filmed in colour on board HMS Warspite showing another Queen Elizabeth Class battleship, HMS Valiant, at sea, the Warspite's foremast and its radar array (a Type 271 surface warning radar 'lantern' on the mast platform and a Type 281 air warning radar at the masthead), the fleet aircraft carrier, HMS Formidable off the Warspite's starboard beam in poor light. Intertitle "HMS "Formidable" sends off the dawn patrol." A view in daylight (8th September 1943) showing a single-engined aircraft (a Vickers Supermarine Seafire ?) taking off from HMS Formidable (see technical notes); in the background are HMS Valiant and an escorting destroyer. A group of cheerful Royal Navy officers in tropical whites and light brown uniforms on the bridge of HMS Warspite, including Rear Admiral La Touche Bisset, commander of Force H, who is closest to the camera. 10:01:51 Intertitle "Spending the night of September 8 off Salerno, we first celebrated the announcement of the Armistice... Admiral Bissett (sic) opened his sealed orders to meet the Italian ships... from Spezzia (sic)." Medium close-ups of Rear Admiral Bisset and his officers reading sealed orders announcing the surrender of Italian fleet. Intertitles "Less the Roma which had been sunk off Sardinia... we sighted the Italians 12 miles away at 0825, September 9..." A sea view from HMS Warspite - heat haze blurs the horizon between the flat calm sea and the sky, two signal pennants flying from the British battleship in the foreground. Intertitles listing the names of all the Italian warships from La Spezia that surrendered to the Royal Navy - "they soon trailed us like ducklings paddling behind their mother..." Distant views of a line of unidentifiable warships (possibly led by HMS Valiant) heading towards the camera. Three RN officers looking across at HMS Valiant on the starboard beam. Two destroyers, the nearest one HMS Echo, steam along on Warspite's port beam with the coast of Tunisia visible in the background. Intertitle "The Ship's Mascot... was a witness." The ship's mascot, a mongrel dog, stares out across the water at the destroyer. Close-ups of three smiling RN officers. 10:05:10 Intertitle "Admiral Cunningham, aboard the 'Hambledon', came out of Bizerta to review his prize..." Distant views across a flat calm sea of the Tunisian coast and several warships, including HMS Hambledon (temporary flagship of Admiral Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet). HMS Echo on the port beam. Views of the Italian Condottieri' class Type D light cruiser, Eugenio Di Savoia. Intertitle "Off St Paul's Bay, Malta..." Views of the 9,000-ton Eugenio di Savoia and two Italian 45,000-ton battleships, Vittoria Veneto and Italia with Rear-Admiral Bisset and other RN officers in tropical whites gazing at them as they steam slowly past HMS Warspite. 10:06:49 Intertitle "In the Grand Harbour". A hazy view of Valletta, Malta and a point-of-view shot as HMS Warspite approaches the entrance to the Grand Harbour. Italian Admiral Alberto da Zara steps ashore with several of his fleet officers and is formally greeted by two senior Royal Navy officers. Part concealed by shadow, da Zara inspects the Guard of Honour. Intertitle "And while waiting for D'Zara (sic), the Admiral popped a button". Admiral Cunningham struggles to button up his tunic after his collar button has dropped off. Concluding intertitle "And after this meeting... the Italian Fleet with its own crews are fighting for the Allies. With gratitude... I am sincerely, Harry Butcher, Commander USNR - 'Butch'". END 10:08:13
  • Alternative Title: AMATEUR FILM BY COMMANDER HARRY BUTCHER [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: MGH 170
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1943-09
  • Production Country: United States of America
  • Production Details: Butcher, Henry C (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Bisset, Arthur William La Touche (person) Cunningham, Andrew Browne (person) Da Zara, Alberto (person) Royal Navy, ECHO (HMS), survey craft (regiment/service) Italian Navy, EUGENIO DI SAVOIA (RN) (regiment/service) Italian Navy, VITTORIO VENETO (RN) (regiment/service) Italian Navy, ITALIA (RN), battleship (regiment/service) Royal Navy, VALIANT (HMS) (regiment/service) Royal Navy, WARSPITE (HMS), battleship (regiment/service) Royal Navy, FORMIDABLE (HMS), pre-dreadnought (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Malta (geography) Mediterranean Sea (geography) Valetta, Grand Harbour (geography) Italian Surrender 1943, Italy, Second World War (event) Fleet Air Arm 1939-1945 (theme) Italian Navy 1939-1945 (theme) Malta 1939-1945 (theme) Naval Warfare (theme) Royal Navy 1939-1945 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 211 ft; Running time: 8 mins 20 secs
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    MGH 170

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    WPN 125 (WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 125 [Main Title]) WPN 128 (WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 128 [Main Title]) MGH 2747 (THE BATTLESHIP HMS NELSON ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN IN 1943 [Allocated Title])
Register