WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 229 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 229 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 229
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'MIDDLE EAST NEWS.' Air Marshal Sir Charles E H Medhurst (Commander Middle East Command) attends a drum-head service held in Alexandria in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Air Marshal Medhurst takes the salute at a march past containing elements from the Royal Air Force (RAF), South African Air Force (SAAF), Army, Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). Douglas Boston (SAAF ?) bomber aircraft overfly the proceedings. II. 'THE FAR EAST.' Vice-Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings of the British Pacific Fleet is shown on an informal visit to USS Missouri prior to the arrival of the Japanese surrender delegation. Rawlings is entertained with dinner in the wardroom of Missouri by Admiral William Frederick Halsey (US Third Fleet). A cake decorated with a rising sun motif is presented to Halsey who cuts it with a bayonet. Mitsubishi G4M bombers of the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) land at Ei Shima airfield carrying members of the Japanese Imperial Staff. The aircraft carry capitulation crosses on their fuselage and wings in place of their standard Japanese national markings. Panoramic footage shows damaged quayside buildings at the Royal Navy (RN) docks in Singapore. Indian troops of the British Twelfth Army disembark from merchant shipping carrying Lee-Enfield No.IV .303-inch rifles and Bren .303-inch machine guns. British and Indian troops escorting a Union Flag march into the forecourt of Government House. Extended footage shows Japanese troops pushing handcarts and carrying belongings as they evacuate Singapore Island. III. 'NEWS FROM ENGLAND.' Engine access panelling is replaced on a newly completed Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX fighter aircraft (MH 674 ninth production order) at the Vickers-Armstrong works, Castle Bromwich. The aircraft's engine is started by trolley-accumulator and is later shown taking off. Elsewhere, internal footage shows a car assembly line at a unidentified factory (Cowley ?) that has returned to its peacetime production role. Internal footage shows various aspects of the assembly process including engine assembly and the spraying of completed coachwork sections using a compressor spraying unit. Brief footage shows the launching of the 10,000 ton merchant vessel Beaverdell from a Clydeside shipyard. The commentary describes it as the first merchant vessel launched since the end of hostilities. Stock shot footage shows the sinking of merchant shipping during the Battle of the Atlantic as the commentary stresses the losses incurred by the merchant marine of Britain and Commonwealth.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 229
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1945-09-24
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) War Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) O'Malley, Patrick (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Medhurst, Charles (person) Halsey, William F (person) Rawlings, Henry Bernard Hughes (person)
  • Keywords: ceremonies, British - event-related: anniversary of Battle of Britain, 5th (object name) refugees, Japanese - flight (object name) destruction, Malayan military - area (object name) ships, Canadian civilian - passenger: Beaverdell (object name) industry, British - ships (object name) industry, British - vehicles (object name) industry, British - aircraft (object name) combat, British naval (object name) Egypt & Alexandria (geography) Japan & Ei Shima Island (geography) Malaya & Singapore <Government House> (geography) Singapore & <Government House> (geography) GB, Scotland & Clyde (River) (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: Arabic
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 922 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 229

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