5TH INDIAN DIVISION'S ADVANCE ON TIDDIM - MILESTONE 138 TO MILESTONE 159 [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: 5TH INDIAN DIVISION'S ADVANCE ON TIDDIM - MILESTONE 138 TO MILESTONE 159 [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: JFU 184
  • Other titles: BRITISH ARMY OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: As tanks and infantry of 5th Indian Division advance towards Tiddim, Burma, Indian Engineers bridge the Beltang Lui river, supplies are dropped by parachute and artillery and aircraft provide support.
  • Description: An Ordnance QF 25-pounder field gun, of 28th Jungle Field Regiment Royal Artillery, sited on the banks of the Manipur River with its crew nearby. The gun is fired. View of the site showing dense jungle on both sides. More views of the gun being fired. A high view from the hillside looking down at the site of a blown bridge over the fast-flowing Beltang Lui river. Closer shot probably taken with longer lens. A Bailey bridge under construction. The Bailey frame is run out across the river. Close-up of an Indian Engineer at work with a hammer. Close-up of a roller allowing the frame to be run out. Major Ballantyne (Royal Engineers) of London and Lieutenant Beswell (also Royal Engineers) of Oldham supervise the construction of the bridge. Douglas Dakota transport aircraft overhead dropping supplies by parachute. Parachute bundles descending and landing close to camera. One bundle lands within a few yards of the cameraman and is seen to bounce. Dakota passing overhead; supplies seen being pushed out of the open door. Parachutes strewn about on the ground. Indian troops and local civilians gathering up the supplies. Locals carry supplies and parachute canopies by means of headstraps. British gunners with stacked crates of ammunition; they unpack shells and appear to clean them (removing packing grease?) and a civilian enters shot carrying another box of ammunition. A file of infantry walks along a road as a Lee medium tank of 3rd Carabiniers passes; a number of men are riding on the hull. A Lee negotiates a narrow hillside track with a sheer drop on its left side. Looking down on a track above the river; a Valentine bridging tank passes followed by a Lee. The track appears perilously narrow. More tanks on the track. A Lee passes close by the camera. A Lee drives directly towards the camera and stops just in front. Murky footage shows the tank driving across the Bailey bridge. High angle of the tank crossing. More footage of Lee tanks passing camera; in one shot a knocked out tank of uncertain type can be seen behind. Close-up of a tank commander. View of a ridge. A road with dust rising from vehicles. An RAF Hawker Hurricane fighter-bomber passes overhead. Smoke rising. Small group of men (probably tank crews) at rest next to a parked Lee; most are eating or smoking and one is attending to his rifle. A shirtless tanker lowers himself down through a hatch next to the Lee's turret. A man positions a wooden beam on the road. Close-up of a tank track passing over the log. A Lee (possibly named 'Erick') crosses shot left-to-right and fills the frame. A man, wearing a revolver on the back of his belt, climbs up onto a Lee. Hurricanes overhead strafing an enemy-held ridge. Dakota passes and drops supplies. Dakota flies towards camera and drops supplies close to a road. An infantry file walks along a road; one of the men has a rifle grenade discharger fitted. A jeep passes. A light lorry passes. More infantry. A number of Dodge three-quarter ton lorries. A Dakota flies along a valley dropping supplies; the cameraman is actually above the aircraft as it passes. A jeep with 5th Indian Division insignia towing a trailer. Landscape shot shows hills and valley with a winding road.
  • Alternative Title: BRITISH ARMY OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: No
  • Object_Number: JFU 184
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-10-12
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: War Office Directorate of Public Relations (Production sponsor) SEAC Film Unit (Production company) Hewit, J R (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Indian Army, 5th Indian Division (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Artillery, 28th Field Regiment (regiment/service) British Army, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) (regiment/service) Indian Army, 123rd Indian Infantry Brigade (regiment/service) Indian Army, Indian Engineers, 74th Field Company (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Tiddim Road 1944, Burma 1942-1945, Second World War (event) India 1939-1945 (theme) British Army 1939-1945 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1021 ft; Running time: 12 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    JFU 184

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    JFU 88 (GENERAL SIR GEORGE GIFFARD INSPECTS TROOPS [Allocated Title]) JFU 117 (TIDDIM OPERATIONS BY 5TH INDIAN DIVISION [Allocated Title]) JFU 118 (TIDDIM VILLAGE OCCUPIED BY 5TH INDIAN DIVISION [Allocated Title]) JFU 120 (5TH INDIAN DIVISION ADVANCE THROUGH TIDDIM TO KENNEDY PEAK [Allocated Title]) JFU 121 (5TH INDIAN DIVISION ADVANCE BEYOND TIDDIM [Allocated Title]) JFU 123 (VARIOUS SCENES OF AN IMPROVISED KITCHEN AND POST OFFICE NEAR TIDDIM [Allocated Title]) JFU 124 (5TH INDIAN DIVISION ADVANCING NEAR KENNEDY PEAK [Allocated Title]) JFU 147 (MUDDY CONDITIONS ON THE TIDDIM ROAD [Allocated Title]) JFU 160 (ATTACK ON KENNEDY PEAK BY 5TH INDIAN DIVISION [Allocated Title]) JFU 180 (JAPANESE RETREAT FROM KHA KHONOU AT MILESTONE 24 TO THE KUKI HILLS AT MILESTONE 33 [Allocated Title]) JFU 189 (CASUALTY EVACUATION FROM LIGHT AIRSTRIP AT SAIZANG [Allocated Title]) JFU 191 (MEN OF THE PUNJAB REGIMENT ON PATROL AND STRETCHER BEARERS AT WORK [Allocated Title]) JFU 195 (INDIAN ENGINEER WORKSHOP AND SCENES ALONG THE TIDDIM ROAD [Allocated Title]) JFU 208 (VARIOUS SCENES OF 5TH INDIAN DIVISION AT KALEMYO [Allocated Title]) JFU 156 (5TH INDIAN DIVISION FERRY OVER THE MANIPUR RIVER AT MILESTONE 126 [Allocated Title])
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