Summary: A brief picture of the training of India's army and a record of its service overseas through the first half of the Second World War.
Description: Commentary recalls WW1 service and inter-war status as a frontier force, over shots of Sikh and Indian troops in Egypt; film then illustrates retraining (PT, mechanical training etc) and re-equipment (manufacture of armour, shells and small-arms ammunition) with a tribute to India's industrial effort. The current war record: RAISC in France, 1939-40 (mules and horses); troops with Wavell in Egypt (light tanks in desert); in Eritrea (in mountains) and Abyssinia (Haile Selassie's return to Addis Ababa; surrender of Duke of Aosta); in Libya (an anti-aircraft alert); holding-operations in Middle-East; engineering work in Malaya and Burma; special mention of Gurkha troops. The film closes, with "the enemy close to his own land now" on a morale-raising note: "despite reverses, the Indian soldier is not dismayed" and quotations from General Wavell's tribute to Indian troops under his command.
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Celluloid Despatch (Production company)
Cummins, Sylvia K (Production individual)
Macleod, Joseph Todd Gordon19031984 (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Aosta, Amedeo (person)
Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (person)
Wavell, Archibald Percival (person)
British Army, Gurkhas (regiment/service)
Indian Army (regiment/service)
Keywords: animals, mammals: horse (object name)
animals, mammals: mule (object name)
engineering, military, Indian (object name)
industry, Indian - munitions (object name)
operations, Indian military - routine (object name)
propaganda, British - inspirational (object name)
society, Indian - friendship (object name)
training, Indian (object name)
Burma (geography)
Egypt (geography)
Ethiopia & Eritrea (geography)
Ethiopia & Addis Ababa (geography)
India (geography)
Libya (geography)
Malaya (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 800 ft; Running time: 9 mins
