FOOD CONVOY - 1944 (Propaganda film by Cadbury Brothers, GB.

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:29]Heat.

[00:00:43]The countryside is the scene of Britain's largest industry. There are more men employed in agriculture than in any other occupation. In wartime, we must produce more food than in peace time. And so, new land is opened up by the plow.

[00:00:58]The farmers are reserved workers because the maintaining of our food supply is of the greatest importance.

[00:01:05]While much more food is now being produced at home, a great quantity must still come in through our docks every day from New Zealand, from Australia, from Canada, and the Argentine. Think what lies behind this busy keyside sea.

[00:01:20]Forget the sunlight streaming through the cranes down onto the wheat and the holes. Imagine that it's a pitch dark night in the channel. Under the protection of the warships, a convoy has just assembled. There's a gleam from the lighthouse. And from somewhere close at hand, the voices of unseen men setting off on a grim job.

[00:01:42]>> Here we go again after only seven hours leave. Time for two glasses of wiper poking the fire.

[00:01:48]>> Let go after.

[00:01:51]>> Nightmare in green 30, sir. Sing 5 I am sir.

[00:01:55]>> It was three. Two more vessels joining up. Coco's ready sir.

[00:01:58]>> I'll bring mine here.

[00:01:59]>> Hi. I sir.

[00:02:00]>> Dawn again. I'll see the stations.

[00:02:02]Things be choppy later.

[00:02:04]>> Aam frozen.

[00:02:05]>> It's a nice peaceful scene, isn't it?

[00:02:07]>> Touch wood. Mine. Touch wood.

[00:02:24]I am that cold. I can feel my own feet.

[00:02:27]You should be up in the crow's nest.

[00:02:28]It's not so bad. They change every hour.

[00:02:30]>> Well, it's all theirs.

[00:02:41]>> Signal, sir. They're decoded. Thanks.

[00:02:43]Change of channel. That's for navigator.

[00:02:45]One for guns. B36 in convoy. And we've got some of the wins.

[00:02:50]>> It's a marvel.

[00:02:51]>> It's a miracle.

[00:02:52]>> Better get our orders. I say 1 195.

[00:02:55]>> 195. Go alongside Commodore for sealed orders.

[00:02:59]>> Thank you for nothing. As if I didn't know.

[00:03:08]>> I was under this commodor in the last war. He retired in 19. Yanked him back and shoved him on a merchant ship as convoy commodor.

[00:03:19]Good shot. There's quite a lot of arts on that boat. Use looking gun they've got. They need it with that offsite dare at warfare.

[00:03:39]Or captain's on the bridge. I s when peace comes I'm going to be a district messenger.

[00:03:57]Usual thing not quarter of a mile apart.

[00:03:59]Now let's count them. 3 4 5 27 14 16 19 27 28.

[00:04:20]What do you think he's doing? We'll see.

[00:04:23]We better signal him.

[00:04:24]>> Will he understand?

[00:04:27]>> 425.

[00:04:29]25 sir four wheels.

[00:04:32]>> You know what we are? A blue pencil sheet dog.

[00:04:38]>> Try to keep UP OLD MAN.

[00:04:40]>> I'M FULL. HELL NO. I'LL TRY ANOTHER NUMBER.

[00:04:48]36. And that's the lot.

[00:04:53]Another day going up and down the German ocean. Old enough whiskers down to his knees before he listens at this game.

[00:05:03]Another day in a damn sight colder than ever.

[00:05:11]>> An MTB.

[00:05:13]What a life. I wouldn't whisk my neck in one of them things. Touch wood back.

[00:05:19]>> Look at it. 30 mi of it. All one huge finished minefield.

[00:05:25]He's calling. It's a warning. Tell the captain.

[00:05:30]>> Warning, sir.

[00:05:31]>> Unidentified aircraft approaching red 900.

[00:05:34]>> What's up, >> Airross? Red 9000.

[00:05:38]>> Ask him exact time you first spotted them.

[00:05:40]>> Hi, sir.

[00:05:55]Don't sound general alarm. Get everybody standing by.

[00:06:08]>> Aircraft bearing red 9 up.

[00:06:11]>> Red 9.

[00:06:18]>> They're spitfires.

[00:06:20]>> Keep guns trained. They haven't answered.

[00:06:22]Aircraft friendly.

[00:06:23]>> Aircraft friendly.

[00:06:25]>> Right. False alarm, but carry out a dummy run.

[00:06:33]>> Wouldn't have known there was no alarm at all if I had had to come up with a bucket of air. Well, another day near home.

[00:06:41]Couldn't have it much, Karma. I But it could be one.

[00:06:47]Here we go into the mouth of the river.

[00:06:57]>> Nice calm trip.

[00:06:58]>> Only 16 nons and a fine set of children's.

[00:07:01]>> Does your heart good to see them in that straight line?

[00:07:04]>> Bear a fine lot these merchantmen.

[00:07:06]>> I considering considering what considering.

[00:07:10]>> And just when you think what a nice safe job it is. You see that? What is a a Dutchman? Well, he wasn't under convoy.

[00:07:17]Here's where we leave our 36 blooming chicks.

[00:07:31]All fast ring two and all that are ladder may be stocked.

[00:07:44]Scenes such as these are typical of the present day. But what a difference from normal times. Now instead of ships arriving one by one at different ports, 20, 30, 40 arrive together at one place.

[00:07:56]Their cargos to be unloaded immediately and sent inland.

[00:08:00]Day in day out in every kind of weather, dockers, porters, railmen, and lorry drivers are hard at work. But today, our seafaring men must also fetch war supplies as well as food for our 46 million people. We are certain of their readiness and high courage. And we must not presume on that courage by asking them to take unnecessary risks for us.

[00:08:23]We are all going to help by not wasting anything. Perhaps by even doing without some of the things we used to have. That will mean fewer food ships, but more ships to carry armaments. It's a wartime job we can all do and the very least we can do.