Dover Sea Angling Boat Festival Dover Harbour

DSAA (Dover Sea Angling Asssociation) Boat Festival, 1955, Dover. Jack Burwill’s ‘Early Morn’ in foreground, piloted by E. Duggan, a favourite Channel Swim pilot boat.

These local boats were used to escort swimmers across the Channel. Photograph shows relative(s) and friend(s) of Pop Burvill. Pop (Jack / John) Burvill (Burwill) acted as a pilot on many Channel swimming escort and support boats.

In 1947 the Early Morn was stolen and it was chased to Calais by Pop’s other boat, the ‘June Rose’, piloted by E. Duggan with crew of Alf Whiting, W. Knott and G. Pearce. They found the boat damaged ashore and towed it back to Dover the next day, having been given overnight accommodation aboard the S.S. Canterbury in Calais Harbour

A Black and White photograph.  From the Rob Whitewood collection.