The courage and service of the British merchant seaman, typified by the story of a Newfoundlander who had been torpedoed four times, related in an interview in his room as he packs for a new trip.

After an opening convoy sequence, the film concentrates on the seaman (who is never named) and his interviewer, with occasional illustrative use of stills and stock shots, and interruptions by a commentator. Torpedoed first in the Spanish Civil War, second time in 1940 on the tanker 'Imperial Transport' which broke in two, the crew successfully bringing the stern section 300 miles back to England; after 2 years on coastal ships the seaman joined a liner in time to be torpedoed the third time on the way back from South America and to suffer 20 days in an open lifeboat before being picked up by a Portuguese ship. The fourth torpedo sunk the ship in which survivors of the third were being transferred to Gibraltar. Film ends with an encouraging epilogue from the commentator "the other side of the story is one of victory."

Notes

Remarks: good piece of traditional muted heroism - but is it all authentic? Everything reported happened (see eg, Illustrated London News of 9/iii/40 & 8/viii/42), but all to one man? It does ring true though.