Title: “These Things I Remember. 1939 I Remember”. A still of the crew of HMS Philomel. A small boat taking the crew out to the ship. A man plotting a course.
Intertitle: ‘Gatun Locks’. The ship passing through the locks. Surrounding hills and harbour in Panama.
“1940 I Remember”. A still of the Kiwanis. ‘Halifax to Vancouver’. Man taking a picture of a woman beside an iced over lake in the snow. Mountains. Steam train running through the countryside. ‘Vancouver to Auckland’. ‘Hawaii. Island of Paradise.’ ‘Suva Fiji Islands’. ‘Away Liberty Boat’. Sailors exit the ship onto a launch. A nurse pegging up washing. Three sailors meet with there family. ‘Radar Stations on the coast of New Zealand’. Sailors carrying a heavy box down a hill. Kapiti Island from Mount Wainui, looking up the Kapti coast. ‘Ascent of Bream Head first method’. A bulldozer pulls a trailer with several people and supplies up a hill. ‘Ascent of Bream Head second method’. A man climbs the head. Shots of the surrounding countryside. Erection of a make shift hut. Radar station onto of a hill.
“1942 I Remember... HMS Ascania”. ‘Northbound to Suva April 1942’. ‘Kipper Lads fight it out in the swimming bath’. Sailors play fight in the ships pool. ‘HMS Philomel’. Rangitoto island. Stevens Island. Two men in a cart being dragged up a hill. ‘Among these gnarled trees the Morioris made their last stand’. Tuataras in a barrel and crawling in the grass. ‘HMS Monowai’. ‘In order of appearance: Archie Cameron, Paul Tasker, Chief Lambert’. Teams from the Monowai playing rugby at Victoria park. ‘Northward to Noumea and tropical sun’. Sailors on deck posing for the camera. Exiting Waitamata Harbour. Making cannon shells (slow-motion). ‘Prelude to Pandemonium US Marines en route to Solomons attack’. Men being briefed. Two men wrestling on deck. ‘East bound for Fiji August 1942’. ‘Cow culture as practised by sailors, Bluff Hill’. A guard at attention next to raging surf. ‘Personality parade: Bruce Scott, Graham Tocker, Tommy Dove’. Sailors relaxing in [Davenport]. Two men playing tennis.
“1943 I Remember”. ‘Magenta Bay and mountains of the massif central New Caledonia’.
“I Remember...”. Many troop attack craft move through the water next to the ship. Unloading supplies at the [Solomons]. Aftermath of beach front attack. US troops walking through the jungle. Mortar fire.
“1943 I Remember”. ‘Relaxation, radar men’s picnic at Shangri La and swimming at Dumbea’. ‘Floods and gales as hurricane hits Noumea February 1944’. ‘Peaceful Norfolk Island holds grim memories of convict prison days’. Waves lash the shoreline. The ruins of Kingston Prison. ‘HMS Ranee’. Sailors playing volley ball on deck. ‘Ceylon, fairest jewel of The East 1944’. Colombo, the Eastern Fleet base. The crew of the HMS Caradoc. Singhalese countryside and Dupas. ‘Dhobi wallahs at work at Ratmalana’. Siva temples. Various temples and Singhalese workers. ‘HMIS Baluchistan’. On the high seas.
“1945 I Remember”. ‘The 7th Submarine Flotilla’. ‘Boats of the 4th Flotilla alongside HMS Adamant’. ‘Prayers of thanksgiving, HMS Adamant VJ day.’ ‘Farewell to good friends USS Clytie, Leaving Freemantle’. Military personal prepare for the train journey home. A tall man and a short man pose for the camera. Sydney Harbour Bridge. Drinking beer on a side walk. ‘Trans-Tasman SS Andes October 1945’. Arrival at Littleton, home at last’.
“1946 I Remember”. ‘HMS Achilles returns from service in Japanese waters March 1946’. The ship berthing at Auckland. Sailors on deck. Relatives are reunited with the sailors at Devonport. ‘Demob Days at Devonport’. ‘Last New Zealand cruise of HMS Achilles’. ‘Dunedin, Bluff and Stewart Island visited’. Sailing into Milford Sound. The Achilles surrounded by water and mountains. ‘Calls at Picton, New Plymouth and Nelson’. Christchurch, berth at Lyttleton.
Ice-skating walking across a bridge under the Southern Alps. ‘Wellington. The Ceremonial March through the city’. Elevated view of the city. Sailors present arms and march along [Lambton Quay] and arrive at the Old Government Buildings. Exiting Wellington Harbour. The bell from the Veronica in Napier. ‘Achilles sails to Auckland for the last time’. ‘North through the Barrier Reefs to Darwin’. Wrestling on deck. Darwin. ‘King Neptune holds court in the Indian Ocean’. Much partying ensues. Colombo. ‘Aden Tawa Tanks - The salt flats of Sheik Othman’. Suez Canal. Cairo, Pyramids etc.. Malta. scenes. Gibraltar.