Spithead & other Royal Navy Fleet Reviews 1914 - 1939 DVD

I only found this a few weeks back and knew it was going to be a good DVD, I wasn't wrong. A total runing time of 77mins, this includes some bonus features (more of that later), here is the brief run down of the DVD -

Bear witness to the enormity of the British Naval fleet in the dying days of the British Empire and in preparedness for the Second World War in the showcase events of the 'Royal Navy Reviews' at Spithead, Southend, Torbay and Portland! Events included :-

1914 - Spithead and HMS Iron Duke, World War I Mobilisation

Some really nice on board shots of HMS Iron Duke

H.M.S. 'IRON DUKE' & OTHER WARSHIP

NAVY AT SEA video newsreel film

H.M.S. IRON DUKE IN ACTION

1919 - Southend - World War I Peace Pageant

1922 - Torbay, King George V and The Atlantic Fleet

At Torbay, His Majesty King George V came aboard to inspect HMS Hood's companies on 5 July.

OUR SAILOR KING video newsreel film 

(shows some great long shots of the entire fleet, I reckon the Hood is shown here somewhere,

 go have a look and let me know)

1923 - Spithead - The Dominion Premiers' Inspection Of The Fleet

Right at the end of this section, this little bit of footage appears, HMS Hood was not at this event but was HMS Renown? The picture below looks like the Hood to me, any takers.

DOMINION PREMIERS video newsreel film

EMPIRE'S SEA MIGHT video newsreel film

1924 - Spithead - Royal Review Of The Fleet

THE KING WITH HIS FLEET video newsreel film (11mins)

1931 - Spithead - Spring Fleet Manoeuvres

BRITAIN'S MIGHT - sound version video newsreel film

I had to show you this HMS Repulse gliding in, just superb.

1935 - Spithead - King George V Silver Jubilee Review

HMS Hood Off Spithead, participated in the Silver Jubilee Review of King George V on 16 July.

HIS MAJESTY IN COMMAND video newsreel film (15mins)

THE ROYAL REVIEW AT SPITHEAD video newsreel film

1936 - Portland - King Edward VIII and The Home Fleet

Short but superb footage of King Edward VIII

1937 - Spithead - King George VI Coronation Review

20th May: Hood visited by King George VI.

Various shots on-board HMS Hood

1938 - Weymouth - King George VI and The Home Fleet

THE KING WITH HIS FLEET - WEYMOUTH BAY video newsreel film

1939 - Weymouth - King George VI and The Reserve Fleet

BRITAIN'S RESERVE FLEET video newsreel film

This from British Pathe does not show a year but some footage from it has shown up on the DVD.

BRITAIN'S RESERVE FLEET video newsreel film (11mins)

Notable ships featured include:
HMS Iron Duke.
'Revenge' Class Battleships - Revenge, Royal Oak, Resolution, Royal Sovereign and Ramilles.
Aircraft Carriers - HMS Furious, HMS Argus and HMS Hermes
(the first ship in the word to be designed and built as a carrier).
'Lion' Class Battle Cruisers - HMS Lion and HMS Tiger.
'Queen Elizabeth' Class Battleships - Queen Elizabeth, Barham, Warspite, Valiant and Malaya.
'Renown' Class Battle Cruisers - HMS Repulse.
'Nelson' Class Battleship - HMS Nelson and HMS Rodney.
HMS Hood - the last Battle Cruiser to be built for the Royal Navy.

For the royalist (like me) there are 4 Monarchs in this one DVD, King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI and in the bonus feature Queen Elizabeth II, a lot of this footage can be found on the British Pathe web site (linked)

Just a brilliant DVD, worth every penny (£15), I'm sure if you shop around you could pick it up cheaper.

Amazon.co.uk

There are loads more naval footage from the inter war years, check out British Pathe.