Home movie of HMS Capetown on the China Station with scenes at Hong Kong and a train journey north, about June 1937.

The film begins with a naval diver going into the sea. There are then scenes of the crew at target practice ashore with rifles, revolvers and machine guns. There are then scenes of officers and their wives relaxing in Hong Kong, lazing on a beach, surf-skiing in the harbour and having tea. There are scenes of the crew exercising on deck and various games competitions on the dockside. There is then a sequence of a train journey into Northern China travelling across an unidentified route, visiting a British fortress, a Chinese Customs House and a coal mine. The exact location of these sites is not clear.

Notes

Technical: 8mm blown up to 16mm, at 16 fps.

Documentation/associated material: see Garnett folder for detailed notes and also 'The Royal Navy and the Sino-Japanese Incident 1937-41' by Martin Brice.

Remarks: for general assessment of this excellent collection see report by Taylor Downing. Captain Garnett died in July 1996.