Title:WITH THE SIRMOOR SAPPERS: COMBINED OPERATIONS AND DEMOLITIONS TRAINING NEAR BOMBAY [Allocated Title]
Film Number:MGH 4829
Other titles:AMATEUR FILM BY MAJOR MASTERTON [Alternative Title]
Summary: Amateur film without titles shot by Major Masterton of the Indian Army's Sirmoor Field Company, showing troops training in amphibious operations and practicing demolitions at training areas in the vicinity of Bombay, India.
Description: 01:59:59:11 [colour] Local people stepping from a boat. Dhow and canoe passing. Local dhow with outrigger, seen from a boat following. [B&W] Trestle bridge. Light surf on a beach with palm trees. Tents amongst palm trees; tilt up trees. Bridge again. [colour] Wide shot; beach with landing craft. Wide shot beach with military vehicles; camera pans along the beach with tracks from vehicle movements. Landing craft with Chevrolet CMP lorry; another landing craft beaching. [B&W] Beach. Beach with landing craft and parked bulldozer; a lorry pulls up. Reclining British officer. British soldier (patch of XXXIII Indian Corps?) speaking on a wireless set, and a sergeant. Sign Beach Gp HQ. Signallers; one points to the camera. More signallers. HQ RE (Headquarters Royal Engineers) sign on a small pyramidal bollard. In tent Indian havildar-major with papers. British lieutenant with him. [colour] Indian troops, probably Sirmoor Field Company, off a landing craft. Sandbagged or stone sangar amongst palm trees. Indian troops at sangar. [B&W] Men with two-man saw. Indian troops sawing wood; a Christian cross (?) appears to stand nearby and camera pans over beach at low tide. Camp with bulldozer dragging a beached boat. Dozer making track. Cement mixer and pouring out cement. Indian troops, apparently building a water tank (?) and a wooden mock-up of a landing craft (?). General shot of the cement mixers and men at work. British officer supevising. With pneumatic drill drilling into concrete uprights. Generator.Drilling. Preparing demolitions. A number of upright concrete structures, like bridge uprights. Indian havildar with plunger. Explosion. Smoke. Shattered concrete. Another explosion against remaining uprights. Wreckage [B&W] Pay parade. [colour] Group shot, taken in setting sunlight, with British and Indian officers. 02:12:34:08
Alternative Title:AMATEUR FILM BY MAJOR MASTERTON [Alternative Title]
Colour:B&W
Digitised:No
Object_Number:MGH 4829
Sound:Silent
Access Conditions:NON-IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1941
Production Country: GB
Production Details: Masterton, W F (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Indian Army, Sirmoor Field Company (Indian State Forces) (regiment/service)
Keywords: Bombay, West India, India (geography)
Burma 1942-1945, Second World War (event)
India 1939-1945 (theme)
Indian Army 1939-1945 (theme)
