THE CRUEL SEA

GB
1953
2hrs 06mins
Dir: Charles Frend
Starring: Jack Hawkins and Denholm Elliott

A film charting the conditions for the crew of a small escort vessel in WWII whilst protecting the Atlantic convoys

This highly regarded war drama was very successful and is still regarded as a very competent piece of cinematography. It was based on the 1951 novel of the same name by Nicholas Monsarrat. The film has a number of scenes that were shot at Millbay Docks in Plymouth, and railway lines are visible. In the very opening scene, a saddle tank passes by in the semi-distant background hauling a single flat wagon whilst large rail-mounted steam cranes and wagons are present in several other views.

This is West Quay in Millbay’s Inner Basin and Corvette ‘K49’ awaits its next turn of duty. In reality, this was Flower-class Corvette HMS Coreopsis, the old pennant number K32. Pennant K49 belonged to the former HMS Crocus. Just above the ships stern on the far right is a Saddle Tank locomotive.
As Millbay Docks was shunted by BR, this tank locomotive is not an ‘industrial’ and is therefore probably a former GWR 1361 Class 0-6-0ST.
In this busy scene one of the dock’s rail-mounted steam cranes stands on the left.