Unused / unissued material - date and locations unclear or unknown.
Mary Churchill, in uniform of the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service), walks on board a boat moored at a river. Crowds of servicemen and a handful of girls are sitting on the deck beside a piano - probably a NAAFI club on board a boat.
Drinks are poured, Mary Churchill makes a speech and everyone cheers. Paperwork states she is inaugurating leave. The boat starts off. A woman plays the bagpipes. Soldiers drink beer. Quintet of musicians in white jackets play jazz. M/S of crates of beer. Soldiers eat sandwiches. Two girls in striped dresses do a little tap dance routine. Everyone applauds.
The boat comes back to mooring. We can now see it is called ’Southend Belle’ - looks like a pleasure cruiser. The men all pile off.
FILM ID:1996.1
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT’S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES.
FOR L