Boys and girls on bicycles pass by on the street in Mazamet, France. Industries in the area. Farmer with flock of sheep. Sacks of wool unloaded from freight train. Ruins of small wool factories. Water from waterfalls, river and canals used in the factories.
Man removing wool from hides by soaking and scraping in Mazamet, France. Wool factory in the town. This process of removing wool from hides is called Denapping process. Piles of sheep hides imported from round the world. People write down something from the notice which has been pasted on a wall in the town. Complete denapping process is shown. Hides are soaked in water. Machines hides fed through to remove dirt. Then hand denapping is done. Wool is scraped from hides with knives.
Skins dried in the factory in Mazamet in France. Skins softened in chemical baths through rollers. Tanning in huge drum to preserve them and make them waterproof. They are polished and pressed.
Women carry bales of wool for processing in Mazamet in France. Wool washed in large containers with warm and cold water. Clean wool put in a machine for drying, operated by a woman. Women sort wool from the cleaned bales. Old man wearing beret sits on a stone bridge, and lights pipe. He remembers the time just after the war when France had no money, industry and factories. Machines stand idle, streets with closed shops and houses with closed shutters. Closed banks. Men cutting logs of wood. Other men fishing in river. Afterwards Marshall Plan provided financial aid. People back to work. Factories opened up. Processing of wool taking place.
Processing of wool in warehouses in Mazamet, France. Spinning mills and machines in factory. Women gather wool from the floor. Processing of yarn in the factory. Machines process wool into yarn. Men test bundles of wool for export. Bundles of wool transported in trucks. Another man receives him. A bridge over a river. An old man gets lift in a truck uphill to his home. The driver helps the old man get off the truck. The old man hiking. The old man looks at the valley.
Relates to the U.S. Antarctic expedition,Operation High Jump. Shows shellback initiation rites held aboard the USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8), under Captain Cruzen, sailing in Atlantic upon the crossing of the equator. U.S. vessels caught in a heavy sea-storm. Ships move through heavy seas. USS Cacapon (AO-52) along side the USS Mount Olympus in heavy seas for refueling. Captain of USS Cacapon comes aboard the Mount Olympus to discuss and urge rapid refueling for safety of the ships. Seaplane aboard a seaplane tender falls in the sea due to heavy turbulence. Surgeons operate an injured sailor at the sick-bay on a vessel.