Description
Object description
Silent 8mm black and white and colour footage shot by Lieutenant-Commander George C Blundell showing rowing teams on HMS Kent training in Hong Kong for the annual China Fleet Regatta at Wei-Hai-Wei in July 1939 and emerging as overall winners.
Full description
START 00:00:00 Black and white scenes filmed on board a twelve-oared cutter showing the crew 'pulling' hard on each of the seventeen-foot foot long oars during training. Shots showing several types of craft - three twelve-oared cutters, the Chief Petty Officer's six-oared carvel (smooth-hulled) gig and the stokers' clinker-built five-oared whaler - taking part in a practice race in the straits between Hong Kong and Kowloon and passing close to Chinese junks. A naval Lieutenant wearing glasses and smoking a pipe (identified as 'Cd. Gnr. (T) Mr Skinner' in Blundell's notes) is seen standing at the top of HMS Kent's gangway. A 12-oared cutter approaches the ship. Members of a rowing team wearing white singlets with the cross of St George on them head down the gangway. One of the ship's officers at the top of the gangway with a sign 'Regatta HQ' around his neck as other rowers return. A twelve-oared cutter is rowed away from HMS Kent. One of the ship's motor launches tows three cutters to the start of the course.
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00:03:39 Scenes on board HMS Kent showing twelve rowers 'pulling' on a rowing exercise machine described as the 'Blundell patent "Dry Puller"' (similar in concept to a modern ergo machine) on board deck at the waist of the ship. Naval ratings lying on the deck painting the hull of 'K1', one of HMS Kent's twelve-oared cutters and applying paint to the carvel hull of the Chief Petty Officer's six-oared gig. Ash oars, with numbers painted onto their blades, lying on deck near a sign which warns the crew not to walk onto them.
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00:06:21 Views taken at dawn on the first day of the China Fleet Regatta (20 July 1939) at Wei-Hai-Wei showing a County Class cruiser (probably HMS Cornwall) and the fleet aircraft carrier HMS Eagle shrouded in mist. Several sailors and Royal Marines belonging to a 'chucking up party' (a boat load of supporters) head down the ship's gangway with Kent's chaplain, Reverend Douglas Wanstall, and smile for the camera and wave their football rattles, looking down into the Petty Officer's carvel gig. Scenes on board HMS Kent during the regatta - a big muscular oarsman (identified as Petty Officer Wilson), two men posing for the camera together (one dressed up as a minstrel in "blackface" make-up ?), a deck winch in operation, the crew of a twelve-oar cutter waiting to be lowered into the sea from the starboard side of HMS Kent. One of the heavy cruiser's motor launches heads off towards the start with rowers and supporters on board flying a big St George's flag past other craft. The Royal Marine band playing on HMS Kent's quarterdeck. Sea level views of several twelve-oared cutters racing each other as they pass an Admiralty tug and several warships at anchor, including the fleet carrier HMS Eagle and HMS Cornwall.
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00:08:45 Colour scenes filmed on board HMS Kent (20 and 21 July 1939) showing boards with different coloured labels showing the number of different boats and the times of their training sessions in the run-up to the Wei-Hai-Wei Regatta. The crew of the Stokers' five-oared whaler posing for the camera in their white singlets adorned with the cross of St George whilst sitting in their vessel still in its davits and in the water. Another boatload of rowers - the members of the one of Kent's big twelve-oared cutters - sitting in their seats waiting to be lowered into the water. The cutter flying a big St George's flag heads away across the anchorage. Victorious rowers climbs back up the gangway on HMS Kent and the Royal Marine band is seen playing 'See the Conquering Heroes Come'. More crewmen return on board the motor launch sporting the large St George's flag.
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00:11:44 Views of HMS Eagle (almost hidden in the sea mist) and the County Class cruiser HMS Dorsetshire. Members of another twelve-oared cutter sitting in their boat and wearing hats, handkerchiefs and towels to ward off the sun waiting to be lowered into the water. Views across the anchorage with large ship's boats carrying 'chucking up' parties from the other warships taking part in the Regatta and looking down onto one of Kent's motor launches with small signal pennants stowed on its roof. A twelve-oar cutter being rowed between HMS Kent and another County Class cruiser in the background and, just alongside, the crew of one of HMS Eagle's twelve-oar cutters, 'E2', being urged to keep up their stroke rate by their helmsman/cox; all the the oarsmen are wearing distinctive striped vests
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00:13:32 A close-up of an unidentified officer and shots of HMS Kent's chief gunnery officer, Commander C E Foster-Hall and the skipper, Captain Leslie H Ashmore (on the left in dark glasses) greeting the crew of one of the twelve-oar cutters back from their race. Views of seven officers and two naval ratings on duty in the white canvas and timber-framed 'Judges' Hut' on top of B turret from which a square shaped signals pennant flies; B turret itself is trained on the starboard beam and the flag marking the end of the course is mounted on a bracket on both 8-inch gun barrels. Flags flying from HMS Kent's foremast indicating her total score in the Regatta. A motor launch sets off across the anchorage from the cruiser. The Petty Officer's carvel gig is lifted back on board whilst the ship's crew line the starboard side of HMS Kent to watch the regatta. A view of two cutters rowing against each other in the stretch of water between HMS Kent and HMS Cornwall. Captain Ashmore standing at the top of the gangway greets crewmen returning to HMS Kent after finishing their race. One of the competitors larks about in front of the camera in a Chinese straw hat. A large number of silver cups etc on table before the start of prize-giving ceremony.
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00:16:03 A motor launch from HMS Cornwall comes alongside HMS Kent. A blackboard announcing the results of the Regatta; of the the five ships competing, HMS Kent came first with 106 points and HMS Cornwall last with 58 points. Shots showing the various winning crews receiving trophies from the Commander-in-Chief of the China Station, Admiral Sir Percy Noble. The final shot shows Lieutenant-Commander G C Blundell receiving the All-Comers Cup (having trained and stroked the double-banked pinnace crew) from the Admiral.
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END 00:18:23
“Blackface” is a type of performance make-up designed to demean and mock Black people.
Thomas Dartmouth Rice created and performed infamous blackface characters including “Jim Crow”. The phenomenon became popular in America after the Civil War, and spread to Europe.
The BBC’s Black and White Minstrel Show aired from 1958 until 1978. It contained performers in “blackface” make-up and made the practice more visible in the UK.
Physical description
8mm