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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Salute the Soldier Parade
Cambridge takes part in a national wartime fundraising effort; amateur filmmaker and Cambridge don Trevor Spittle captures the military and girl guide procession.
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Overview
Lead by British Servicemen with Girl Guides bringing up the rear, those vital to the war effort parade through a Cambridge street, to participate in 'Salute the Soldier' week, a national fundraising effort to encourage civilians to place their money in government accounts, as Britain prepares for a final assault on Nazi Germany. The film concludes at the filmmaker's family home, Herschel Road, Cambridge, where the family remained throughout wartime.
It is thought the Girl Guide featured is filmmaker Trevor Spittle's daughter, Heather. The Spittle family stayed in Cambridge throughout wartime, on Herschel Road. Each played their part in the war effort. Trevor's wife organised ARP Training, being a Civil Defence volunteer, and is featured later in the footage with Canon W. Knox. Girl Guides did a lot to help the war effort. From helping to direct evacuees; becoming electricians, mechanics, first-aid givers and signals as required; stepping in as teachers and nursery nurses; keeping up morale in bomb shelters with singing; collecting materials for recycling; painting curbs white for people to find their way in a black out; and digging for victory.
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