HMS CEYLON VISITS COLOMBO

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: ADM 498).

Synopsis

I. HMS Ceylon in port at Colombo. MS of Reverend Stephenson, the ship's chaplain, talking with Ceylonese dignitaries - Mr Mamujee, Mr de Silva and Mr Corea. Royal Marine band plays. MS pan right to left across the Ceylonese delegation, posing with Admirals Somerville and Layton beneath the guns of 'Y' turret. Layton talks with Mr Senanayake. MCU of Somerville, with Sir Gerard Wijekoonm in the foreground. C-in-C shakes hands with his departing visitors who leave in Layton's barge.

II. Gunnery demonstration by Ceylon at sea. Ready use 4-inch ammunition is laid out on deck. View behind the gun shield as twin 4-inch is fired and reloaded. Multiple 2-pounder at 'X' position fires over the port beam - 'Y' turret is also trained over the beam. CUs as twin Oerlikon is trained and fired off. MCU of 2-pounder director crew closed up. 'X' position 2-pounder traverses. 20mm fired off. MS over the stern as depth charges explode in the ship's wake. View forward from the quarter deck as 'Y' turret fires by single barrels over the port beam. Final LA.CU of turret face and barrel array, 'Y' turret, and MCU of the crew framed in the turret hatch.

III. Royal Naval Aircraft Ceylonese Training Establishment (RNACTE). Native aircraft maintenance crew at work on Fairey Albacore. CU as two young boys emerge from inside a steel aircraft float. Armed march past by Sinhalese ratings. MS, parked Fairey Seafox. Sinhalese under instruction - driving Australian 30-cwt Chevrolets, lectures on aero engines, demonstration of inflatable dinghy, salvage of old aircraft. CU study as British crew arm an Albacore with 18-inch torpedo - the aircraft then takes off. Sequence shot from a torpedo recovery vessel, showing Albacores dropping torpedoes, the launch following the track of a runner, expended torpedoes floating nose-up, their capture and stowage - one is recovered before the marker flare has finished burning.

 

Titles

  • HMS CEYLON VISITS COLOMBO (Allocated)
Series Title:
BRITISH NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE FAR EAST
 

Technical Data

Year:
1944
Running Time:
12 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm
Colour:
B&W
Sound:
Silent
Footage:
1053 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB
Sponsor
[Admiralty]
Production company
[Gaumont British News]