Audio Play - The Navy's Here

Saturday-Night Theatre 1960

The Navy's Here by Kenneth Langmaid based on the book by William Frischauer and Robert Jackson

The action takes place in Whitehall, on board the German tanker Altmark at sea in the Atlantic, in H.M.S. Cossack, and in Norwegian territorial waters.

The year is 1939. From September I to December 7 the Altmark was the supply-ship for the Admiral Graf Spee; she was also a floating prison for the survivors of the Spee's victims. This is the story of the Altmark in the weeks following the sinking of the Admiral Graf Spee.

British Naval Officers, Petty Officers, seamen. Norwegian Naval Officers.
German seamen, and others

Newsvendor: George Merritt
Customer: Philip Cunningham
Altmark's Officers: Chief Engineer: Carl Duering
Altmark's Officers: Captain Dau: George Pravda
Altmark's Officers: First Officer: Paul Hansard
Altmark's Officers: Ship's Doctor: Rudolf Offenbach
Altmark's Prisoners: Mr George King (Second engineer ex Doric Star): George Hagan
Altmark's Prisoners: 'Sparks': Keith Williams
Other prisoners: Kenneth Dight.
Other prisoners: Tom Watson
Operations Division, Admiralty: Captain: David Bird
Operations Division, Admiralty: Commander: Michael Turner
U-boat Commander: John G Heller
British Escort Destroyer: Captain: Keith Williams
British Escort Destroyer: First Lieutenant: John Scott
H.M.S. Cossack: Captain P L Vian, R N: Hugh Manning
Lt -Commander B T Turner, R N (Number One): Douglas Storm
Navigating Officer (Pilot): Kenneth Dight
Sub-Lieutenant: David Spenser
Coxswain: Edgar Norfolk
P O Morley: David Bird
P O Wilson: Michael Turner
R A F Pilot: Nicky Edmett
Co-pilot: Nigel Anthony
First Norwegian Naval Officer: Gerik Schjelderup
Norwegian Pilot: Otto Diamant
German Seaman: John G Heller

Produced by Archie Campbell

First broadcast: Sat 30th Jan 1960, 21:15 on BBC Home Service Basic