Other titles:MEDITERRANEAN OPERATIONS OF THE ROYAL NAVY [Allocated Series Title]
Summary: Scenes on troopship Reina del Pacifico en route to Sicily, troops going ashore in LCAs and scenes of disembarkation on the beaches.
Description: I. Troopship at sea. Sequence showing troops at PT. CU of men cleaning weapons - a Bren, Lee-Enfield, Thompson sub-machine gun. Two soldiers read SOLDIER'S GUIDE TO SICILY. Men relax at cards. Man cleans a .38 Smith and Wesson. Others mend clothes or simply look out at the other ships in the convoy - SS Orient is visible in the distance. One man writes a letter. HA onto port bow of HMS Tetcott (L.99) come close alongside the cameraship - a light heaving line is passed across. Various MSs of troop transports astern and in a neighbouring column. Soldiers onboard continue to check their equipment - one man cleans and reassembles a two inch mortar, another disassembles a 36M grenade, removing the striker lever, striker and striker pin, while a third cleans the cylinder of a .38 revolver. MLS over the convoy - the three-funnelled Queen of Bermuda is nearby. Sequence showing the approach of HMS Tetcott and the passing of a light line. Further shots of the convoy, including the Orontes and either Strathnaird or Strathnaver.
II. Arrival off the Sicilian coast. HA from the cameraship as a LCR heads inshore. The sun rises over the invasion fleet. LS of three LCAs heading for the shore. LS to the coast, partially obscured by smokescreens - three LCTs move right to left in mid-ground and a Colony Class cruiser bombards. The cameraship begins disembarking troops - troops clamber down scramble netting into LCAs which then make off - LCP(S) 43 is also alongside. Nearby is LSI(S) Amsterdam (?) also disembarking troops. MS to Reina del Pacifico as cameraman departs in a LCA - the craft heads inshore past LCI(L)s and LCTs to run up on the beach.
III. Cameraman on the landing beach. MS as LCI(L) 295 disembarks men - in the background LCI(L) 169 runs inshore and lets go brow ramps - heavily laden soldiers wade ashore along guide ropes held by RN crewmen, one of the soldiers stumbling and getting thoroughly wet. Soldiers help push ashore a Bedford AT Portee. A White Scout Car and a Stuart tank are disembarked. Organised by a Lieutenant with a loudhailer, the troops file along the beach - all are heavily laden, carrying rifles, a Bren, PIAT. A signal is flashed by Aldis lamp. LS to the beach exit - a lower frame is a notice BEACHMASTER HQ AND AMO. A soldier passes camera pushing a GS bicycle with his rifle in clip.
Alternative Title:MEDITERRANEAN OPERATIONS OF THE ROYAL NAVY [Allocated Series Title]
Production Details: British Movietone News (Production company)
Fisher, Norman (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Navy, Tetcott (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, LCA 257 (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, LCPS 43 (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, LCIL 295 (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, LCIL 169 (regiment/service)
Keywords: ships, British naval - destroyer: Tetcott (L.99) (object name)
ships, British naval - amphibious: LCA 257 (object name)
ships, British naval - amphibious: LCP[S] 43 (object name)
ships, British naval - amphibious: LCI[L] 169 (object name)
ships, British naval - amphibious: LCI[L] 295 (object name)
ships, British auxiliary - transport: Reina del Pacifico (object name)
armour, British - armoured car: White scout car (object name)
armour, United States - tank: M5 Stuart & [British] (object name)
armour, British - SPG: Bedford 6-pounder AT Portee (object name)
transport, British - 2/3 wheel: bicycle (object name)
communications, British military - direct: Aldis lamp (object name)
operations, British military - amphibious (object name)
operations, British maritime - sea: convoy (object name)
operations, British naval - escort (object name)
weapons, British - projector: PIAT (object name)
Operation Husky, Allied Invasion of Sicily 1943, Italy, Second World War (event)
