Men of the Lightship

For 300 years, the commentary tells us, lightships have been seen as neutral vessels in times of war, helping, as they do, all shipping irrespective of its ownership by a friendly or a hostile power. This is direct propaganda, telling the story of one incident in which this gentlemen's agreement was broken by brute force by a German aircraft. The strafing and bombing of the lightship is tantamount to kicking a man when he's down, or shooting him in the back. The sense of outrage is palpable and it is worth remembering the significance of the production date - it is early in the war, January 1940, and neither the filmmakers nor the British public are hardened to the horrors of warfare as they were later.