THE SEA CALLS [Main Title]

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  • Title: THE SEA CALLS [Main Title]
  • Film Number: ADM 2540
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: The activities of the Nautical Training Corps, a sea-going youth organisation based in southern England.
  • Description: START 00:00:02 After the opening title and credits superimposed over a lyrical shot of a toy sailing boat sailing on sun-dappled water, the film reminds its audience over views of holidaymakers enjoying the sun and sea breezes on Brighton Beach that in a country where there is no place in Great Britain that is more than seventy five miles from the sea and that everybody likes to relax by the seaside. With shots of boys sailing toy boats and coasters unloading coal and other cargo at Shoreham harbour, the commentary notes the growing popularity of sailing and summarises the United Kingdom's long naval history and its continuing dependence on seaborne trade. 00:02:00 Over shots of boys in sailor's uniform stepping through a door and saluting and learning how to use a sextant, the commentary proclaims,"There are increasing opportunities today for boys and girls at sea. Today, the developments in radar, electronics and engineering lead to new, well-paid careers and fine modern ships." The film introduces the NTC and describes it as a character-building organisation run on traditional naval lines for girls as well as boys 00:05:04 An all-male party of NTC cadets is collected by boat from the jetty at Portmouth railway terminus and ferried over to HMS Foudroyant (ex-HMS Trincomalee), an old wooden frigate now in use as a training ship. Here, the cadets learn how to handle small boats in the sheltered waters of Portsmouth harbour, how to tie knots and swim. On Sunday, they parade on deck for inspection by the ship's captain and take part in a religious service. 00:06:59 An NTC cadet from Steyning, Sussex, is tested for his boat-handling skills in a dinghy, watched by the captain of HMS Foudroyant and his senior instructor. Afterwards, during parade on the ship's deck, he is awarded a certificate promoting him to the rank of Petty Officer. Sunset over Portsmouth Harbour. 00:09:25 Scenes at the annual NTC camp somewhere in Sussex. Members of the NTC band polish shoes and musical instruments ready for an important occasion. The Commodore of the Nautical Training Corps, F P (Frank) Froest-Carr, signs the visitors' log as he arrives at the camp and, seated comfortably in the passenger seat of a Vauxhall Velox (?) saloon car, reviews the rows of cadets on parade in their normal clothes. Two girl cadets scrub clean a tin basin and boys and girls line up for lunch. Commodore Froest-Carr watches cricket teams at play. 00:11:35 To illustrate how the NTC encourages girls as well as boys to join in its activities, the film shows three teenage girls boarding a small gaff-rigged sailing dinghy and setting sail. A teenage boy cadet is in charge at the tiller. They sail around Shoreham harbour. One of the girls swaps places with the boy and takes over at the tiller. END 00:13:32
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: ADM 2540
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (ADM 2540)
  • Featured Period: 1946-1975
  • Production Date: 1961
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: The Nautical Training Corps (Production company) Myers, d'O C (Production individual) Froest-Carr, F P (Production individual) Dubbin, Angela (Production individual) Francis, David (Production individual) Francis, David (Production individual) Buswell, Christopher (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Froest-Carr, Frank P (person) Nautical Training Corps (regiment/service) Royal Navy, FOUDROYANT (HMS) (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK (geography) Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England, UK (geography) Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK (geography) Brighton beach (geography) Shoreham harbour (geography) Portsmouth railway station (geography) Cold War (event) Great Britain post-1945 (theme) Royal Navy 1945-2000 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 508 ft; Running time: 13 mins 32 secs
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ADM 2540

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