Thames Television - The Life and Times of Lord Mountbatten (1969) Part 3 Azure Main

Relieve the 20th Century through the eyes and words of Lord Mountbatten - a member of the Royal Family and one of Britain's most highly decorated naval officers. Here, Lord Mountbatten narrates his life story using a wealth of historical material from the archives of the world - including much from his own personal collection. This extraordinary 12 episode series spans 70 years of triumph, conflict and glory in the life of this remarkable man who rose to worldwide recognition as both statesman and military hero, yet was tragically assassinated in 1979. It is this tremendous sweep of international events and changes that has been recaptured in ths unique series. Unique because it is not only about, but with the man concerned. The production team, including Lord Mountbatten, revisited many of the locales in which his career was formed - Malta, Burma, Ceylon, Singapore, India. Excerpts have been incuded from many of those whose lives and duties infuenced those of Lord Mountbatten, or were influenced by him. They include the Duke of Windsor, Prince Philip, six former Prime Ministers, General Eisenhower and other key figures in world history.

Part 3: Azure Main
The years 1922-1936.

Mountbatten resumes his naval career in 1923 on HMS Revenge in the centre of the storm over the confrontation at Chanak, after the collapse of the Greek army against the Turks, the abdication of King Constantine and the exile of Prince Andrew, Mountbatten's brother-in-law. Mountbatten specialises in signals, produces a series of “newsreels” on board Revenge, indulges in polo, starts a family (his first daughter is born 1924), then moves to Portsmouth as a signals instructor in 1929. Meanwhile the French enter the Ruhr, nationalism begins to take hold in Germany, and the General Strike, the hunger marches and the Invergordon mutiny occur. In 1934 Mountbatten takes his first command (of HMS Daring and then HMS Wishart) and finds himself in Malta during the Italian invasion of Abyssinia; he then returns to England to the Naval Air Division.