JETSAM

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 7th Year

Issue

Issue No.

11

Date Released

Jul 1954

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1JETSAM
2. 2NEW DRILL
3. 3WORTLEY HALL

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: wreckage of ship stranded off N.E. coast near Cullercoats. Two ex-miners, Ted Oliver and Chadwick, salvage the ship for steel
NCB Commentary - Off the rocky north-east coast near Cullercoats lies what’s left of the wreckage of a seven thousand ton boat which ran ashore. But the sea isn’t going to claim all of her.
To-day, two ex-miners and sometimes a third hand are salvaging what they can of the wreckage. Everything you see here has to be cut up on the spot and hauled by hand to the top of the cliffs. It’s hard work for the two men, and because they can only work at low tide everything has to be done at the double.
The first step is to hook sections of steel plating to an aerial ropeway running nearly to the bottom of the cliffs. Then the two men carry the sections above the high tide mark to the base of a second ropeway running up the side of the cliff. To Ted Oliver the cliff-face makes a change from the coalface. But don’t get the idea that anyone can go around lifting salvage from the beaches. You need an Admiralty contract to do it - and these men have got one.
With Oliver at the top and his mate Chadwick on the beach, the job of winding up the sections of scrap begins.
Although all this steel has been under the sea for several years it’s still valuable enough to interest the scrap merchants and to give these two men a living. Chadwick and Oliver reckon that this one job will take them well into next years.
And if the tide does come in and catches you unawares there’s always a handy air-lift to get you out.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 2 June 1954.

Keywords

Ships and boats; Industry and manufacture; Salvage

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for Synopsis
Film User   Vol.9 No.104 June 1955, p302.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Director

Langton Gould-Marks

Sponsor

National Coal Board