HELICOPTER OPERATIONS IN HMS THESEUS OFF PORT SAID [Allocated Title]

Scenes onboard HMS Theseus as it approaches Port Said, carrying part of No 45 Commando and the Whirlwind helicopters of 845 Squadron. After the marines have been landed, Theseus enters the outer harbour with other ships of the invasion fleet.

Reel One + Two. Onboard HMS Theseus at sea. LA.MS from port sponson to a Whirlwind HAR.3 (XG 587) of 845 Squadron parked on the flightdeck - Whirlwinds V and S are parked on their spots further aft. LSs of the ranged aircraft - alongside the island are stacked ramps, crates, W/T cabins and even a small launch. Deck crew pull a tether off one of the rotor blades of Whirlwind P (a US-supplied HAS.22, WV 204). MS of V - still chocked up, but with the pilot at his controls. The deck crew also wait - some sitting on the equipment piled up alongside the island. HA onto forward end of flightdeck where P, T and W wait on the centreline, chockmen at the ready. Cut to the interior of a men's mess - one man irons pairs of white shorts, and one repairs a shirt, but most are busy building wooden Kit-Kraft models of aircraft. Cut back to the flightdeck and MS of one of Theseus' 40mm Bofors. Men of 45 Marine Commando file up from the hangar deck, using two sets of steps set up in the forward lift well. The marines gather in groups on the flightdeck, now clear of helicopters - HMS Ocean is visible steaming in line ahead. The marines fall in aft in front of the parked up motor transport, mainly Bedford lorries and Land Rovers. HA to three Bofors on sponson - the nearest gun is being cleaned, a brush being pushed through from the breech. LS broad on the starboard quarter of Ocean, Theseus moving to fall in astern. Sequence showing marines - all wearing flotation belts - shifting crates of anti-tank ammunition about the deck on trolleys. LS along helicopters ranged on deck and pan down to marines in full battle dress standing on lowered lift. LS past Whirlwind O to HMS Ocean. A party of sailors come up on the lift. LS over the deck from a position aft on the starboard side - marine's haversacks and ammunition boxes have been stacked neatly along the deck edge. A group of marines relax among the clutter of equipment stowed alongside the island - some chaff a corporal who has stepped into the cameraman's line of sight - he looks round and sheepishly moves aside. LS to marines fallen in forward for an inspection by Captain Griffiths - in the background men are working on the rotor hub of Whirlwind U - three marines walk past the camera, two holding ammunition carriers (probably for mortar bombs) and one wearing a radio pack. MS of marines as Captain Griffiths addresses them - all have visors to wear against dust kicked up by the helicopter's rotors. Griffiths inspects a seven-man stick (845 Squadron Whirlwinds carried seven men, JEHU Whirlwinds, five, and JEHU Sycamores, three). LS of Ocean with JEHU helicopters ranged on deck - four Sycamores and five Whirlwinds are visible. CU of ship's badge - the minotaur impaled on a sword. Cut back to the mess, where the model aircraft are being judged - flight is rather perilous in the confined space, but the models are put on a table for the cameraman's admiration - an Auster AOP, a Bristol fighter, and a Fairey Gannet are identifiable. Cut to XLS pans over the invasion fleet in the early light of 6 November - the French battleship Jean Bart is just discernible on the horizon. HMS Ocean keeps company. On Theseus the helicopters are still tethered and chocked. Men stand about in groups, chatting. Study of the dawn sky, the sun just clearing the horizon. A Battle Class destroyer steams past. Pan over the deck, showing 845 Squadron helicopters, each on their spot. LS forward along the port side of the flightdeck, past Whirlwind W, to the distant plume of smoke which marks the burning oil storage tanks at Port Said. Deck crew manhandle Whirlwind V onto its spot. Whirlwind T waits ready to go - marines embarked, pilot at the controls, chockman sitting on the rear wheel. Whirlwind V runs up. Helicopter U takes off, followed by U and V - a marked stroboscopic effect is visible because of the synchronisation of the camera shutter and rotor speeds. LS as Whirlwind Y joins the flight as it forms up. MS to the pilot of Whirlwind HAS.22 X at his controls and to marines looking out through the open cabin door (they sit on the floor because these helicopters had no passenger seats). MS to a chockman at the rear starboard wheel of a second helicopter - a HAR.3 - and pan up to the pilot. Both these aircraft have their engines running. LS off Ocean's port quarter - in the background are two destroyers and a flight of three helicopters flying right to left. Whirlwind T makes off from Theseus, followed by X, V and P. LS to formation of six helicopters, flying in two groups of three. The lift brings up another detachment of marines. Whirlwinds Y and S return to the ship and embark more men. Whirlwind Z has also returned to Theseus and is now parked. LS pan around the fleet - Theseus' flightdeck aft of the forward lift is now empty. The first wounded begin to arrive - a LST(3) approaches and sends over a LCA carrying a casualty - the stretcher is protected from spray by a plastic sheet. The LCA runs alongside and the ship's crane is deployed to pick up the casualty. MS as JEHU Whirlwind HAR.21 No 9 from Ocean lands on with a stretcher case - in the foreground the FDO is busy directing down a second CASEVAC. A casualty is carried past, the blanket on his stretcher pulled up by one of his bearers to protect his head from the rotor wash - there appear to be bloodstains on the man's pillow. A doctor is in attendance. A second stretcher is brought aft - the casualty's left foot is tightly bound up in the blanket. LS to the two JEHU Whirlwinds 8 and 9 standing with engines running as a third stretcher is brought aft - the man has the bridge of his nose plastered. Once the stretchers are on the forward lift it is struck down - a possible fourth casualty can be seen in a soldier sitting on a stretcher, one leg held stiffly in front of him. CU of head and shoulders of a wounded Egyptian serviceman as he is sent below on the lift. LS of a distant Battle Class destroyer, probably HMS St Kitts, and pan left to HMS Ocean, a Sycamore helicopter leaving her deck, then the minelayer HMS Manxman, lying close to Theseus, and further round over the troopships, LSTs and escorts of the invasion fleet. Marines prepare to board Whirlwind S which is also changing over pilots. LS to a helicopter ditched about 400 yards from Theseus, having run out of fuel. Whirlwind T approaches the downed aircraft. T returns to the ship. The rescued pilot is helped below, supported by two men. LS from Theseus as she prepares to enter Port Said - smoke hangs over the city and in the background is the huge pall sent up by burning oil tanks. Reel Three. Continuation of the previous reel - LST in mid screen. LSTs are heading into the harbour - the flames in the background, visible as a bright patch at the base of the smoke pall, mark the burning oil storage tanks out beyond Port Fuad. Pan over LSTs and escorting French (ex-US) frigate. LS of a group of three LSTs lying off to port - the nearest is HMS Striker (L.3516) - then pan right over a forth, HMS Suvla (L.3518), to the breakwater with the Arab town beyond. MLS off the starboard bow of HMS Striker with a inshore minesweeper (ex-ML) alongside - Striker has a LCA deployed outboard on davits, ready for lowering - pan right over French LST Odet (L.9005) and HMS Suvla to distant oil fire. Theseus steams past the LSTs further into the outer harbour. A LCM crosses the anchorage - in the background is HMS Rampart (L.4037) and another LCT(8) - pan right over some tugs to a third LCT and then to the canal entrance, obstructed by blockships. Theseus passes the small troopship Empire Parkeston, lying with a LCT alongside - a sailor on the flightdeck stands ready with flags for anchoring. MS pan over the flightdeck - helicopters have been tethered and chocked up and a group of marines stands watching the show. A Lieutenant stands looking down the harbour - pan right over the Arab town to the smoke rising from the distant El Gamil airfield. LS to the burning oil tanks - in the foreground are the Egyptian canal blockships, most notably the 3,600-ton dredger Paul Solente. LS to the De Lesseps statue and pan left over blocks of flats. LS to the troopship Empire Ken with a LCT alongside, and pan left past two LSTs in commercial livery to the central mole with beyond it in the canal entrance, the blockships Pollux and Peluse. The pan continues over the outer harbour - a C Class destroyer is anchored near to the shore (possibly Chevron, carrying the NOIC Port Said), and the LCT HMS Counterguard (L.4043) lies nearby. The French LST Chéliff (L.9006) steams right to left past Theseus - in the foreground Counterguard has got underway and passes left to right. Telephoto of the blockships Pollux and Peluse and pan right over the Suez Canal Co building to the Paul Solente. MS off the port beam of HMS Ocean anchored nearby, Whirlwinds and Sycamores on deck, and pan round past the LCT HMS Parapet (L.4039) and LST HMS Lofoten (L.3027) to Theseus' flightdeck where Whirlwind Y is parked forward. The French hospital ship La Marseillaise moves up to drop anchor across the bows of Ocean. LS of Paul Solente and pan right to the capsized 80-ton floating crane No 827, then left to the Pollux and Peluse - smallcraft are already busy marking out the wrecks. MS pan stern to starboard bow over the French troopship Gange being manoeuvred into her berth by the tug HMS Antic - the ship is crowded with men and carries LCVs and LCMs as deck cargo. MS off the starboard bow of three auxiliaries moored together - the French Marcel Le Bihan (F.753, ex-Grief) is outboard, its aircraft handling crane swung out to port over its companion, the Gustave Zédé (A.641, ex-Saar), which lies alongside HMS Tyne. LS of the three ships shows Gange and its attendant tug downstream - Theseus has got underway, and is heading out of the harbour. Whirlwind O flies out to sea. Sequence showing CASEVAC to Theseus - two helicopters wait with engines running as casualties are brought forward to the after lift. Theseus passes a crowded French troopship Athos II heading into the harbour. Casualties are struck down on the lift - two lightly wounded and six stretcher cases. Once the lift is down the casualties are removed to the sick bay, and other cases are sent up - presumably for transfer to a hospital ship. Theseus passes the cruiser Georges Leygues, HQ ship for General Beaufré, steaming slowly into Port Said. The first Egyptian casualties begin to arrive - three stretchers are carried past the cameraman, the third with a dressing over his face, leaving only his mouth visible. A stretcher case is embarked on Whirlwind S which then takes off Theseus has now withdrawn well out to sea. Pan over distant ships of the Allied fleet - the flightdeck is empty except for Whirlwind Y parked forward. Sequence showing a burial at sea on the quarterdeck of Theseus - pan from the chaplain standing near the flag-draped coffin to RM honour guard, to Captain, officers and men standing with hats off. Numerous views of the cameraman's feet during this film show that he wore dirty plimsolls throughout the operation: for the funeral he wears shoes.

35mm