During World War I, Richard Saville, a young lieutenant in the Royal Navy, has a brief affair and is unaware that it resulted in a son.. Twenty years later during World War II, Saville, now a squadron commander, pursues the German raider Essen after it sinks one of his ships. Signalman Andrew “Canada” Brown heroically delays the enemy by sabotaging their repairs, allowing Saville’s forces to catch up and sink the Essen.
Based on the 1929 book, Brown on Resolution by C. S. Forester, best known for his Hornblower series, Sailor of the King is also a remake of the 1935 film, Forever England.