Howard Thomas recalled that when he was restructuring the Pathe News after 1945, he went to Berlin to do some filming for the War Office, who provided him with an army film unit. Thomas had problems filming in the Russian sector, and ‘liked the way soldier-cameraman Pat Whittaker [sic] faced up to the Russians.' Whitaker was thus invited to join the Pathe News, and he took the offer, although it was opposed by Ken Gordon [qv] the shop steward at Pathe. Whitaker was first credited in the camera team that filmed ‘PORTUGUESE PRESIDENT ARRIVES’ in Pathe News No.55/86 of October 1955, after which he appears regularly in the credits. Whitaker featured in ‘AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 HOURS,' which showed him filming and flying, and occupied the whole of Pathe News No.59/28 of April 1959. In May 1961 he appeared with his camera in Pathe News No.61/36, which was devoted to ‘SIERRA LEONE INDEPENDENCE.' In 1962 Whitaker helped John Turner [qv] to film the early stages of the Duke of Edinburgh’s tour of South America.
In February 1963 Whitaker filmed the Royal Tour of New Zealand and Australia, and appeared with his camera in ‘ROYAL TOUR: FAREWELL NEW ZEALAND’ in Pathe News No.63/17. Pathe have film of Whitaker with an Eyemo camera, taken in May 1965 but not used in the reel. In August 1965 he appears to have been Rota cameraman for ‘THE QUEEN’S NAVY’ in British Movietone News No.1889, and in December 1965 he was Royal Rota cameraman for ‘PRINCESS HONOURS HER MOTHER,' in British Movietone News No.1905. In January 1966 Whitaker filmed ‘RUGGER INTERNATIONAL - TWICKENHAM’ for No.66/6, and appeared in the reel when one of the players fell on him. In November 1967 Whittaker filmed Howard Thomas, then of ABC television, receiving his OBE at Buckingham Palace, and he also appeared in the film - which was not used in the reel. After the closure of the Pathe News in February 1970 Whitaker freelanced for Movietone, and in May 1970 was credited for ‘ZOO NEWS’ in British Movietone News No.2136A. Whitaker was subsequently credited for a range of domestic stories, culminating in ‘THE SEAQUARIUM’ in No.2607 of May 1979.
He was also a camerman for Parade (1963-1973), a colour cinemagazine made by Associated British Pathe for the Central Office of Information. One of his earliest credits for this series is ‘LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION’, Parade No.70, released September 1969.
Sources
Information from Peter Hampton, March 1999: Information from John Turner, October 1999: NoS Number 352647; Parade Number 70; Date released September 1969.