HMS ENDURANCE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC BEFORE THE FALKLANDS WAR, 1982, FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW, 1982 AND HMS HERALD, 1984 [Allocated Title]
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- Title: HMS ENDURANCE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC BEFORE THE FALKLANDS WAR, 1982, FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW, 1982 AND HMS HERALD, 1984 [Allocated Title]
- Film Number: MGH 6493
- Other titles: AMATEUR FILM BY IAN MCCALLION [Alternative Title]
- Summary: Amateur film shot by Marine Ian David McCallion, posted on board the Antarctic Patrol Ship «HMS Endurance» in 1982 around the time of the Falkland Islands Campaign. Also included are scenes of the 1982 Farnborough Air Show and scenes taken during Ian McCallion's stay on the survey vessel «HMS Herald» in 1984. Precise dates have been added where possible.
- Description: I. Shots of the Argentinian port of Mar Del Plata, taken from on board «Endurance» berthed in the submarine base there; in the distance can be seen the Argentinian Navy's three-masted officer training ship «Libertad». Boats from the 1981-82 Whitbread Round the World Race at anchor. Armed Argentinian guard patrols along the outer fence. II. Scenes of «Endurance's» small survey vessel «James Caird» in the water as Wasp helicopter with underslung matériel flies overhead. Icebergs in the sea at sunset. Sequence shows «Endurance's» 27-foot whaler «Dudley Docker» in the sea off the coast; on the shore is Almirante Brown research station in Paradise Bay, Antarctica. «Dudley Docker» comes alongside. Various shots of one of «Endurance's» two Westland Wasp helicopters in flight. III. Scenes in the La Maire Channel: ice floes surround the ship (one shot, taken from the foredeck, shows «Endurance's» prow pushing through blocks of ice). Seals can be seen on the ice floes and in the water; Wasp helicopter flies over. Seal protests by opening its mouth as the ship bumps past the floe on which it is sitting. Wasp lands on a particularly large floe. Further shots of ice, including one of an ice floe breaking up. Spectacular shots of icy sea. IV. Crewmen fool around (possibly early March, at Palmer Base on Anvers Island, run by the United States Arctic Research Programme). Shot of bird (cormorant ?) swooping over the water. Further ice and helicopter scenes (those which appear to be taken at dusk are actually caused by the inability of the camera's exposure settings to cope with the lighing conditions). Members of the Royal Marines indulge in skiing practice at Rothera research station, 8 March. «James Caird» is raised from the water on davits at the side of «Endurance». Two men can be seen in a rowing boat. Wasp helicopter flies over. «Endurance's» work boat «Stancombe Wills» pulls alongside. Sunset scenes with icebergs. V. Scenes in South Georgia (before its capture by Argentinian forces on April 3). Football match, Grytviken, 16 March: team from «Endurance» (playing in red) takes on a team from the British Antarctic Survey (in white) - Red team score a goal (final score was a 6-0 win for «Endurance»). Norwegian church is in the background. General views of Grytviken whaling station, including abandoned whaling ship. Shots from harbour of «Dudley Docker» coming ashore (Taff Jones senior can be seen as the bowman) and «Stancombe Wills» with Mac McMeekin taking the salute as bowman. Shots from sea of buildings at King Edward's Point, including Shackleton House, and of «Endurance» (A171) herself. Ship's diver Corporal Al Larkin swims in the sea in wetsuit (but not aqualung); he swims towards the camera and smiles. On board «Endurance», Royal Marines test-fire small arms (66mm Law anti-tank rocket ?) on the helideck at ship's stern, March 22 (camera position is from above); also separate shots of Oerlikon firing. Shot over stern in choppy seas. Views of the tug «Salvageman» at South Georgia; later, in company with «Endurance» passing Zavodovski Island, which has a plume of volcanic steam coming from its side. (This is on the northward journey after the removal of occupying Argentinian personnel from Southern Thule, the South Sandwich Islands on June 20.) Argentinian ammunition - 3.5-inch anti-tank rocket launchers - are discharged along the line of the beach at King Edward's Point. (Near the jetty at King Edward's Point is an abandoned landing craft from the Argentinian polar vessel «ARA Bahia Paraiso».) Extreme long shot of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and «HMS Antrim» underway in Cumberland Bay. VI. Scenes in the South Atlantic. Wasp drops depth charges into the sea, August 9 - plumes of explosions seen. School of dolphins accompanies «Endurance» at sea, jumping from the water. Deck hockey match (Wardroom vs Supply and Secretariat); puck is lost overboard at one point. Shots of the Illustrious battle group passing (on its way to relieve «HMS Invincible» and «HMS Bristol» in the Falkland Islands in August 1982). Sea King helicopter flies overhead. Individual shots of «HMS Illustrious» as she passes, plus shots of «HMS Battleaxe» and «HMS Amazon». Lynx helicopter is also seen flying overhead. Later sequence of shots of Soviet vessels of the Kiev group - Krivak Class frigate and Kresta Class cruiser are seen on the horizon; the tanker «Boris Chilikin» is also seen. Further weapons test-firing - Belgian FAL rifles and British sub-machine guns - in the Bay of Biscay, shooting at target being towed in the ship's wake. VII. Arriving off Portland Bill, 19 August; ships for the "Thursday War" naval exercise leave harbour with Hawker Hunter aircraft flying overhead - various ships seen. Arrival at Chatham on 20 August 1982 - flotilla of harbour tugs and small craft accompany alongside. On helideck, White Ensign flies and officers in uniform gather (video cameraman is also seen). Police boats travel alongside. Helicopters fly in formation. As «Endurance» pulls into dock, crowds of family and friends, many with messages on banners, gather on the quayside. VIII. Scenes of the Farnborough Air Show 1982, with numerous brief long shots of aircraft (both military and civil) in flight. IX. The survey ship «HMS Herald» (cameraship) at anchor off Ascension Island, 1984: sail-past of the ship's boats, the small craft «Stork», «Sandpiper» and «Petrel», plus three Gemini inflatables and the "Rubber Duck", a large rigid inflatable assault boat with metal alloy bottom boards and twin outboard motors (capable of carrying a vehicle such as a Land Rover). X. Skiing and tobogganing at Grytviken, South Georgia, organised by the Marine Detachment. (The event included hjelper sledges, pulk sled pulling, plus cross-country and downhill skiing with an obstacle course, and was won by team from the Stokers Mess on June 14, 1984.) XI. Large penguin colony (location unclear, possibly Beaver Island in the Falklands). XII. «HMS Herald» passing through the Panama Canal, including the giant locks; extended shots of the electric towing locomotives ("mules") using cables to pull the ship slowly through the lock. XIII. Oerlikon shoot over sea, focusing on flare and tracer, September 21.
- Alternative Title: AMATEUR FILM BY IAN MCCALLION [Alternative Title]
- Colour: Colour
- Digitised:
- Object_Number: MGH 6493
- Sound: Silent
- Access Conditions: NON-IWM
- Featured Period:
- Production Date: 1981
- Production Country: GB
- Production Details: McCallion, Ian David (Production individual)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations:
- Keywords:
- Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
- Technical Details: Format: Super 8mm; DVD Number of items/reels/tapes: 3 Footage: 900ft ca; Running time: 69 mins
- HD Media:
- Link to IWM Collections page:
- Related IWM Collections Objects: