Film depicting the working up of HMS Ocean on passage to Korea, and air operations onboard HMS Glory.

Introductory sequence draws attention to the post-war RN programme for the introduction of jet aircraft into the carrier force - Sea Hawk and Swift prototypes are shown. Although the Korean War broke out before naval jets were in plentiful supply, the Firefly and Sea Fury proved well suited to the job. There follows a brief resum of the history of the light fleet carriers used for Korean operations, accompanied by film of HMS Ocean leaving Malta in company with HMS St Kitts [ADM 1382]. A map records the stages of the journey from Malta to Korea. "A typical day on this passage out" is illustrated by (i) flying and deck landing practice - Sea Furies land on - hookmen and marshalling director at work (ii) catapulting of aircraft, made essential by the heavy bomb loads carried - Sea Fury 123 and 131 launched (iii) Fireflies practising anti-Submarine patrols and guiding destroyers towards any sightings - HMS Tactician is shown diving [ADM 1393], and Battle Class destroyers dropping depth charges (iv) aircraft practice bomb and rocket attacks on a target towed astern of the ship - two Sea Furies make deck-length take offs, LS as Sea Furies launch rockets against towed target. During the air operations, the escorting destroyer has a sea boat standing by, already crewed on the davits - such rescue duties are now done by helicopters. At the end of the day, engineers and artificers work on the aircraft in the hangar, while pilots and deck crew relax in a game of deck hockey. The varied duties of an operational carrier are represented schematically on a map of the Korean peninsula - blockade, air strikes on North Korean bases, interdiction of enemy supply routes, close support, CAP, and anti-submarine patrols about the fleet. The scene of the film now shifts to the carrier already on patrol, with short sequences showing replenishment at sea [ADM 1370/02, IV] and rough weather conditions [ADM 1386, I], followed by a series of sequences showing the progress of a typical air strike. Deck crew first prepare the aircraft - squadron ordnance mechanics and ship's gunners assemble 60-pound rockets for loading into the wing racks of Sea Fury [ADM 1370/01, III]. Not even Siberian weather conditions are allowed to interfere with air operations - deck crew refuel and re-arm Sea Fury in a snow storm [ADM 1367/02, I]. Pilots are briefed, and man their aircraft [ADM 1367/03, II]. Rescue helicopter stands by. Range of Sea Furies start up and the aircraft are launched by catapult. Observer's view as Firefly is launched [ADM 1373/02, V]. Batsman directs the landing on of the previous strike [ADM 1373/02, VII]. Intruder alert on the carrier - stock shots of main plot in ship's direction room, HMS Kenya hauling off from the carrier [ADM 1373/02, IX], light carrier's 40mm and 2-pounder AA firing off. Newly launched air strike reaches the enemy coastline [ADM 1373/02, X], where aircraft cooperate with a bombarding destroyer [ADM 1373/04, XVII] to support a RM commando landing [ADM 1370/02, VII, and ADM 1373/03, XIV], and shoot up ground targets and coastal shipping. Other aircraft report fall of shot for a coastal bombardment by USS Missouri [ADM 1390, I]. The strike returns to the carrier, and one aircraft, a Mk I Firefly, crash lands. A second strike is launched, some of the aircraft going to cooperate with US Army spotter planes [ADM 1373/03, XV] and USAF Thunderjets in interdiction and attacks on enemy positions. Naval aircraft, together with Allied air forces, are "part of a massive weapon on the Army's side". In an aside, the narrator mentions the successes won by Sea Furies against enemy MiG-15s. Not all the Navy's work is destructive - food and medical aid are provided for the refugees [ADM 1386, II]. Aircraft losses are briefly touched upon, with a glimpse of a Sea Fury crash-landed on an offshore island [ADM 1387, VI], but many pilots are rescued by the helicopters and returned to the carriers [ADM 1373/02, XI]. A Sea Otter flying boat is also shown bringing a rescued American pilot back to the carrier, and a US Avenger lands on to return him to his ship [ADM 1389, I]. At the end of the day aircraft are struck below, and the men relax - they will be going home as soon as their ship is relieved. Sequence depicts the passage home - the ship moors and heat exchangers and evaporator tubes are cleaned in preparation for the long voyage, while the non-duty watch goes ashore to shop for souvenirs [ADM 1373/05, XIX] or play a game of football [ADM 1388, VII]. The carrier returns to Malta, where new personnel will be trained up for the next period of Korean operations. The final sequence shifts to the carrier HMS Theseus, which was serving in the Home Fleet when she was sent out to the Far East, and thus returns to Portsmouth, where "she experiences the kind of welcome that many ships have come home to in the past" - Theseus enters harbour and berths, wives and relations wave, a young rating kisses his wife ardently, an older man greets his children. Theseus' air squadrons were awarded the Boyd Trophy, and Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Fraser is shown making the award and addressing the crew. Pan over ship's battle honours, the last entry reading KOREA 1950-1. The trophy was given to 17th Carrier Air Group "not only for the achievements of the air crews, but also for those of the men who kept them flying over a land far from home."

Notes

Summary: References in square brackets indicate where sequences used in this film can be found in the unedited material. It will be seen that film is often used to support a story line without much reference to the original subject matter, eg, the US Avenger landing to take off a rescued American pilot was in fact delivering Captain Maunsell to his new command on HMS Glory. Shots from Triumph, Theseus, Ocean and Glory are used promiscuously, and continuity is generally poor - as where Mk 5 Fireflies are launched on a strike, and a Mk I Firefly crash-lands on return. The air operations footage showing strafing and bombing attacks is not of the Korean period - it dates from 1944-45, and one section is identifiable as a Gaumont British newsreel about the US air attacks on the Japanese at Truk. Other stock shot material - pilot briefing, carrier direction room, etc - is readily identifiable. However, this film also incorporates sequences which while they are referred to in the CNI dopesheets, have not so far appeared in unedited material in the IWM collection: the exercise of light carrier's AA armament is probably HMS Theseus, vide CNI 11; the American airman rescued by Sea Otter is landing on HMS Triumph, and the crash-landing Mk I Firefly may also belong to that ship, vide CNI 12