William Jordan ("Bill / Billy / Willie")

Bill Jordan was a cameraman from London who served with the Army Film and Photographic Unit in the Middle East, Sicily, and Italy, from 1941 to 1945. He appeared in Pathe Gazette No.44/4 of January 1944 in ‘CAMERAMEN DECORATED - Montgomery comes out of his caravan and presents Military Medal to newsreel cameraman Sgt Bill Jordan and Sgt Wilson [qv].' Jordan afterwards filmed the bombing of Monte Cassino, which appeared in ‘CASSINO SMASHED’ in Pathe Gazette No.44/25 of March 1944. After his demobilisation Jordan joined Pathe, and was shown operating his camera in ‘DERBYSHIRE VILLAGE IS RECLAIMED AFTER BEING SUBMERGED BY WATER’ in Pathe News No.47/97 of December 1947. He was also credited in the camera team that filmed ‘WHO’S FOR THE CUP’ in Pathe News No.49/04 of January 1949, after which his credits are frequent. In July 1949 Jordan was shown operating a sound camera in ''BEVERBRAE’ CAPTAIN EXPOSES STRIKE AGITATORS’ in Pathe News No.49/57, and he appeared again in ‘EISENHOWER SEES DEFENCE CHIEFS’ in No.51/6 of January 1951. By this time he was being credited with a Pathe sound engineer named Miller [qv]. Jordan appeared with his camera in several Pathe stories, and in September 1951 he was shown filming from the top of a sound truck in ‘FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW’ in No.51/75.

In February 1952 he took film at St. George’s Chapel Windsor for ‘THE LAST JOURNEY (KING’S FUNERAL)' in No.52/15. Jordan also worked as a war correspondent for Pathe News in Korea, from where he sent ''CHRISTMAS IN KOREA’...Told by Pathe Cameraman Bill Jordan’ for Pathe News No.53/1 of January 1953. This was the first of a series of reports from Korea which featured Jordan and lasted until ‘ACTION IN KOREA’ in Pathe No.53/13 of February 1953. Jordan was then sent to Malaya, from which he sent ‘MALAYA PATROL (EXCLUSIVE)' for No.53/26 of April 1953. According to the shot list this story included a shot of ‘Pathe News cameraman Bill Jordan wet through but still drinking his tea from can.' Soon afterwards he returned to London, and in May 1953 Jordan was shown with his camera in ‘CORONATION REHEARSAL’ in No.53/37. He was in the camera team that filmed ‘THE CORONATION OF HM QUEEN ELIZABETH’ for Pathe News No.53/41 of June 1953, filming from the triforium in Westminster Abbey. In the following year Jordan was in Egypt, from which he sent ‘CAIRO CELEBRATES NAGUIB’S COUP’ for No.54/58 of July 1954, and ‘SUEZ TERMS AGREED’ for No.54/59 of August 1954. He appeared with his camera in ‘WELCOME TO FRANKIE’ in No.58/27 of April 1958.

It seems that Jordan continued to work for Pathe throughout the sixties, but with less frequency, filming such stories as ‘OXFORD WIN BOAT RACE’ in Pathe News No.63/26 of March 1963, and ‘PRESIDENT OF CHILE PAYS STATE VISIT’ in Pathe News No.65/57 of July 1965. His final credit is for a ‘TECHNICOLOR - "EXTRA"' in Pathe News No.70.16 of February 1970.

He also worked as a cameraman for Roundabout, a technicolor cinemagazine made by Associated British Pathe, and later British Movietonews, for the Central Office of Information. His only known credit for this series is ‘STRAMIT MACHINES’, Roundabout No.87, released August 1969.

Sources

BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Issue Number 1364 (AFPU dopesheet, March 1944), Number 2623 ('Willie Jordan’ dopesheet, 18/4/1956): J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.III’ (1993), p.31: NoS Number 110606; Pathe News Number 63/26; Date released 28/3/1963: NoS Number 111672; Pathe News Number 65/57; Date released 15/7/1965: NoS Number 114134; Pathe News Number 70/16; Date released 22/2/1970: NoS Number 327930; Roundabout Number 87; Date released August 1969.