Southampton - First POW Ship Home (1953)

Southampton, Hampshire.
"Asturias" brings home 500 ex-POW's from Korea. Several interviews with the troops reveal the true story of the rumours that many Britons have turned communist in captivity.
GV. & SV. The 22,000 ton Asturias nearing quayside with 500 troops on board returning from prison camps in Korea, crowds cheering in foreground. SV. Relatives waving from quayside. LV. Asturias nearing quayside. CU. Women waving. SV. Troops waving back from ship. CU. Women peering for homecoming soldier on ship. SV. Pan, troops waving on ship. CU. Small child, pan to woman jumping up and down holding crying child. SCU. Soldier giving thumbs up sign from boat. CU. Woman holding child trying to spot 'her man'. SV. Soldiers on ship. SCU. Small child being held aloft. CU. Man shouting. SCU. Troops waving from ship. SV. Troops waving from port holes. SV. Gangway being placed into position. GV. Band leaving quayside in pouring rain. SV. Rain pelting on quayside. SV. People waving balloons and Union Jack in pouring rain. SCU. Women waiting in rain. SCU. Man waving with newspaper over head. SV. Troops disembarking down gangway. SCU. Troops disembarking, pan as soldier races to embrace relatives. SCU. Soldier being mobbed by man relative. SV. Other troops disembarking. CU. Soldier embracing woman. SCU. Gloucesters looking for relatives. CU. & SCU. Soldier being embraced. SV. Group of soldiers looking over ship's side. CU. Woman waving to ship. SV. Other troops disembarking, pan with one carrying large box. SV. Relatives chairing soldier. SV. Soldier embracing woman who wipes tears from eyes. CU. Man embracing soldier, pan up to soldier's face. GV. Pan, troops and relatives assembled in reception shed. SV. Pan, relatives and troops chatting. SV. Pan, woman wiping eyes.
GV. Natural sound sequence - Pan from newsreel cameras to Pathe News commentator John Parsons interviewing Sgt. E.M. Smith on quayside. CU. Sgt. Smith. SV. John Parsons asking Sgt. Smith for an accurate report about communists on troopship. CU. Smith replying: "There's been quite a lot of talk about men that swallowed this communist propaganda, but it has been greatly exaggerated, there is only a small minority. Majority of British stuck together and always remembered they were British." LV. Parsons interviewing Corporal Upjohn. CU. Corporal Upjohn holding son. SV. Parsons saying: "Will you tell us about ill treatment from hands of Chinese?" CU. Upjohn telling of methods used to get confession from him to convict other men in camp. Methods were beatings, standing to attention for 30 hours, not allowed to wash for 60 to 70 days at a time. SV. Corporal Holdham talking. CU. Pan up from medal on breast to Holdham. SV. Parsons asking when was he captured in Korea. Reply - April '51. Parsons asking about treatment from Chinese. SCU. Holdham saying that he was regarded as hostile prisoner, he was beaten, had poor food and was confined for 13 months. Back view, private Widshe embracing woman in front of camera. CU. Widshe. SV. Parsons asking how he passed long months in prison camp. Widshe replies: "Sports and study of Communist economics, and all that tripe." End of natural sound. CU. Widshe being embraced by wife, they both smile happily. STV. Prisoner introducing fellow prisoner to relative. GV. Prisoners and relatives assembled together in shed.
(Orig. Neg.)
Amongst paperwork for this item is a list detailing troops with their rank, regiment and names and addresses of their relatives.
FILM ID:116.28
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2:00 is a relative of mine was also captured at dunkirk RIP

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0:18