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A hospital ship is tragically wrecked off the North Yorkshire coast during World War I.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
Though often guilty of a trivialising, 'light entertainment' approach, newsreel Topical Budget was capable of covering disaster stories with poignancy. This item records the wreckage of the hospital ship HMHS Rohilla, which ran aground on its way to aid wounded soldiers at the front. The wreck sat just 500 metres from the shore at Whitby, making possible these haunting images.
The Rohilla is remembered as one of Whitby's worst and most tragic shipwrecks (85 doctors lost their lives) and as a renowned lifesaving story. Six lifeboats were involved in the rescue, including Whitby's no. 2 lifeboat (seen here) which suffered severe damage after being dragged by hand over the beach and rocks. The three-day rescue operation succeeded in saving 145 people from the stranded ship, among them was Miss Mary Roberts, a nurse who had already survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic two years earlier.
Comedy 1914 14 mins Silent Location: Twickenham
The intrepid Lieutenant Pimple thwarts foreign enemies in an action-packed wartime spy spoof.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent Location: London
An introduction to the wonders of the automobile for curious WWI enlisties.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
Grinning Canadian troops arrive in England.
Non-Fiction 1914 mins Silent
A wartime call-to-arms performed by the Band of the Grenadier Guards.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
Belgian soldiers and civilian refugees gather in Ostend in early WWI, before evacuating to England.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
The ruins of an unnamed Belgian town early in WWI.
Amateur film 1968 7 mins Location: Whitby
The bicentenary of Captain James Cook’s first epic naval voyage is celebrated by Whitby townspeople in this jubilant short film.
Non-Fiction 1945 10 mins Silent Location: Whitby
Despite being shot during the closing stages of the Second World War, Whitby appears full of tranquillity and peace.
Amateur film 1958 19 mins Silent Location: Redcar
A nostalgic dip and drive around the North Yorkshire coast in the sun-kissed 50s.
Home movie 1964 31 mins Silent Location: Leeds
Eating, dancing in the front room, playing football in the garden, walking around Whitby, a birthday party, a wedding – just being common people, only with a Jewish twist.
Documentary 1965 23 mins Silent Location: Whitby
Whitby seen through the work of Frank Meadows Sutcliffe.
Short documentary 2016 11 mins Location: Whitby
The second in Michael Smith and Maxy Bianco's trilogy of films on Britain's coastal edgelands, in which they explore the spooky enchantment of Whitby.
Industry sponsored film 1960 24 mins
A new luxury express is put through its paces. This film looks over the shoulders of the select band of craftsmen, engineers and operators, whose combined skills try to ensure that a train journey is a delightful experience.
Documentary 1973 15 mins
British Transport Films record the varied daily lives of their neighbours as seen from the high roof of their building in London’s Marylebone.
Industry sponsored film 1957 20 mins
Illustrating the efficiency of express freight trains, and how they link manufacturers with their customers at the other end of Britain.
Documentary 1952 30 mins
Examining a day in the life of what was then the busiest railway system in the world – British Railways.
Travelogue 1953 21 mins Location: York
The Stationmaster at York guides us through a typical day, from dawn to dusk.
Industry sponsored film 1957 9 mins
A 1957 film examining the future for British Railways, and some of the opportunities provided by a new modernisation plan.
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