News on Screen

Peter Birch was a sound engineer with Gaumont British who was involved in John Logie Baird’s television test transmissions before 1933. He also acted as an announcer, but later returned to his work with Gaumont British - which had links with the Baird Company - and in 1939 was listed as chief sound recordist for Gaumont British News. In 1952 and 1953 Birch was working as a sound engineer for Pathe News, his first credit being for ‘TROOPING THE COLOUR’ in Pathe News No.53/44 of June 1953.

Sources

J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.II’ (1988), p.33: J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.III’ (1993), p.74: Information from Bernard King, 4 February 1997.