The East Anglian Film Archive, the first and largest Regional Film Archive in England, was established in 1976. Since 1984, EAFA has been owned and operated by the University of East Anglia, Norwich (UEA), to support research and work to preserve our moving image heritage. More than 250 hours are freely available online as examples of the wide range of film which attracts interest the world over.
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Calling PISL
Amateur account of the long operation to re-float the St. Pierre Eglise off Waxham, Norfolk
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Overview
Philip Rumbelow lived in Great Yarmouth and enjoyed going out with his 8mm camera to record what was happening locally. On Sunday February 13th 1955, something very different was happening. At 5.30am during a squall on Waxham beach a French trawler was stranded. Initially, the efforts to refloat her was unsuccessful, then eventually she was towed to Yarmouth, where she was repaired at Fellows Yard, before leaving for France. The salvagers celebrated in the Star Hotel.
Amateur filmmaker Philip Rumbelow lived in Napoleon Place, Yarmouth, and was a plumber by trade. He was an expert model boat builder, with examples of his work in Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Royal Scottish Museum. He was a local historian. Philip Rumbelow filmed the Boulogne trawler St. Pierre Eglise stranded on Waxham beach, the attempts to refloat her, and the repairs at Great Yarmouth, naming his film “Calling PISL”, a reference to the company which specialised in towage and salvage assistance. The film is fully titled throughout, and tells, and shows, in detail, the salvaging story of the St. Pierre Eglise.
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