OPERATION AWKWARD (RUSHES 5) [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: OPERATION AWKWARD (RUSHES 5) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ADM 882
  • Other titles: FLEET WORK STUDY (RUSHES 1) [Allocated Title]
  • Summary: Miscellaneous scenes including action against underwater "saboteurs" in Malta, and scenes in Portsmouth.
  • Description: I. Searching a ship's hull for mines. A diving boat is alongside HMS Woodbridge Haven (P.58). In the boat are two RN free divers - one adjusts his gear. The divers enter the water. One surfaces, signals, and returns to the boat. Two shallow water divers enter the water (from motor boat) with lifelines attached. II. Ship's motor boat passes motor minesweeper to go alongside port after ladder of Woodbridge Haven and embark ratings and scare charges. Sequence showing surface disturbance as scare charges explode underwater - in the final take, a saboteur (seen earlier swimming into position for this shot) floats unconscious to the surface in the middle of the disturbed water. III. MS aft over boat's stern as a mine removed from ship's hull explodes while on tow - coast in the background. IV. MS as a saboteur in MSC (motor submersible canoe) surfaces near a buoy, and then submerges again. V. Portsmouth Harbour, 1958. LS to floating dock - small craft in the foreground. VI. Sequence in the cafeteria of RN establishment, Portsmouth. Men queue for trays and cutlery, are served with food, and sit down at the tables to eat. Others bring trays of dirty crockery to the scullery hatch, where waste food is scraped into a bin, the trays cleaned for re-use, and the dirty plates stacked for washing.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1946-1975
  • Production Date: 1958
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor) Film House Productions Ltd (Production company) World Wide Pictures (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Navy, Woodbridge Haven (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, British naval - harbour: Woodbridge Haven (P.58) (object name) ships, British naval - special operations: motor submersible canoe & [-] (object name) training, British naval - combat: sabotage, anti-ship (object name) operations [simulated], British naval - mines: clearance (object name) society, British naval - sustenance: cafeteria (object name) Malta (geography) Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 994 ft; Running time: 11 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Notes: Remarks: items I to IV are rushes for "Operation Awkward" (1959), items V and VI are rushes for "Fleet Work Study" (1958).
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ADM 882

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
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