WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 31 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 31 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 31
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'TURKEY.' The celebrations of the eighteenth anniversary of the foundation of the Republic. President Inönü arrives at Ankara Stadium in an open topped Jaguar tourer and is immediately surrounded by reporters and photographers. The Turkish President joins invited diplomatic representatives on the main reviewing podium. Standard bearers carrying the Turkish national flag march past the banks of seated spectators. Commentary points out that Turkey has resolutely maintained her neutrality despite the threats of her Axis neighbours over scenes of Turkish infantry marching in British style Tin helmets. AEC Matador 4x4 field tractors towing 3.7-in anti-aircraft guns pass the reviewing stands. II. 'RUSSIA.' Russian civilians go about their daily business on the streets of an undisclosed Ukrainian town, barricades and defensive emplacements are evident on every street corner. The commentary stresses the peaceful nature of the Russian people over scenes of civilians bartering at a vegetable market. Russian infantry smoke cigarettes and enjoy wine supplied by a Russian woman civilian. Ukrainian townspeople queue to buy newspapers from a street kiosk. Commentary states "A hundred and sixty million souls are inflexibly resolved to destroy the aggressor or be destroyed" over scenes of civilian work parties digging up street cobbles to build defensive barricades. Ukrainian women workers weld metal plates in a railway maintenance depot. A full track artillery tractor (STZ ?) tows a covered field gun as Russian infantry march through a town centre armed with 7.62mm Moisin-Nagant rifles (1891 pattern ?). Russian soft-skinned vehicles carry mixed contingents of sailors and infantry to the front. Russian Sailors prepare their personal kit and webbing prior to embarkation on waiting ships. A Russian Sailor sets the sights on his 7.62mm Tokarev SVT-40 automatic rifle. Heavily armed sailors march past cheering civilians and board ships that are moored to the quayside. Dock workers wave as the ships leave harbour. III. 'ALL EYES ON SINGAPORE.' Commentary explains the vital economic and strategic value of the region over a map illustrating the "magic circle" which includes Thailand, Sumatra, Borneo, The Philippine islands and Malaya. Laden river barges navigate the waterways leading from the harbour area of Singapore. Commentary stresses that much of the incoming supplies to Singapore are a direct result of the United States lease-lend (lend-lease) programme. Food supplies are unloaded from a moored merchant ship by Australian troops. Chinese dock workers open a transportation crate to reveal the fuselage of Brewster Buffalo F2A fighter aircraft in RAF markings. Rubber supplies are hoisted by cranes from the quayside into the holds of waiting cargo vessels as commentary asserts that ninety seven percent of the world's rubber production comes from this region. Chinese women miners blast the sides of an open cast mine with high pressure water hoses in search of tin deposits. Australian soft-skinned vehicles and infantry pass through a commercial district of Singapore watched by its Chinese residents. Australian troops using machetes attempt to clear a path through dense Malayan jungle as the commentary points out that this is no place for Blitzkrieg type warfare, but with the characteristic initiative of the Australian troops a campaign may be fought. A Sakai tribesman demonstrates his skilful accuracy with a blow pipe using an infantryman's slouch hat as a target. Australian troops present Sakai villagers with a ration of salt which is apparently much prized as a delicacy. RAF ground crew work on stripped down aircraft (Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Wirraway) as a Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibious aircraft banks overhead. Commonwealth troops scramble down a Malayan hillside with evident difficulty. Elsewhere, a coastal emplacement fires its guns.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 31
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1941-11-17
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) War Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) Keating, Rex1910-02-142005-01British newsreel commentator, WW2 period (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Inonu, Ismet (person)
  • Keywords: ceremonies, Turkish - state (object name) defences, Russian - non-combatant (object name) operations, Russian military - movement (object name) operations, Australian military - preparation (object name) supplies, Malayan, movement [FA] - misc (object name) Turkey & Ankara (geography) Russia (geography) Malaya & Singapore (geography) Singapore (geography) jungle (concept)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: French & Arabic
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 785 ft; Running time: 8 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 31

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