CIVILIAN EVACUATION, RAF REGIMENT PATROLS AND KEITH PARK IN BATAVIA [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: CIVILIAN EVACUATION, RAF REGIMENT PATROLS AND KEITH PARK IN BATAVIA [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ABY 191
  • Other titles: ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Somewhat disjointed two-reel film showing evacuation of Dutch civilian internees by the Short Sunderland flying boats of RAF 230 Squadron, armoured car patrols by the RAF Regiment in Batavia, Netherlands East Indies (Jakarta, Indonesia) and a visit by Sir Keith Park, Allied Air Commander-in-Chief, to Kemajoran airfield.
  • Description: Reel 1, Part 1: An RAF Flying Officer helps a number of civilians to board an Short Sunderland flying boat of RAF 230 Squadron. A Dutch Lieutenant of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army is seen, identifiable by his dark triangular epaulettes with two white stars. The aircraft is a Mk V, serial number PP157 'S'. View from a small launch as it draws away from the aircraft. An RAF Flight Lieutenant smoking a cigarette. A small boat comes towards camera with larger merchant ships in the background; it is marked 'LI' in white circles on either side of the bow. The boat is full of civilian men, women and children. Interior view from the Sunderland of evacuees coming aboard. More civilians wait in the boat. View from the launch; an airman leaning out of a starboard hatch holds on to a mooring line. A man on the bow coils the mooring line around his arm. The Sunderland underway and picking up speed for take off; ships moored in the distance behind. One of the ships is possibly the Dutch light cruiser Tromp. The aircraft gets airborne and makes a pass directly over camera, affording a good view of the shape of her hull. At the dockside civilians board a launch, one man possibly a Dutch sailor. The launch casts off and heads out to the Sunderland. Civilians boarding 'S'. A number of small children are passed through a hatch, probably the aircraft's depth charge or bomb hatch. Part 2: Two parked Marmon-Herrington Mk II armoured cars. RAF Regiment personnel rush up to them and climb aboard; some go through side doors others climb up into the turrets. They drive away. The vehicles on patrol. Interior shots; officers around a map. The senior officer is a Squadron Leader. A wireless operator apparently communicating with the cars on patrol. Two officers consult a wall map. An obviously staged sequence in which a beckoning officer goes into a building and a section of armed men comes running out. Some are grinning and a chalk sign reading '2962 Squadron Guard Room' appears to be the cameraman's slate number board. On a window a chalked instruction 'Sleeves down at sundown' reminds men of a basic anti-malarial precaution. Reel 2, Part 1: Sunderland 'S' taxiing. Good view of the retractable nose turret; two crewmen attend to the aircraft's mooring. Close-up on an airman. The aircraft taxiing; at one point a late-period War Emergency Class destroyer is seen in the background with awnings over its main armament. Badly shaking footage of the aircraft taking off and flying over the camera. Part 2: RAF Regiment armoured cars driving along a road with tram lines in Batavia (Jakarta). They arrive at an RAF station, presumably Kemajoran. Various parked aircraft, mostly Douglas Dakota transports but also Republic Thunderbolt Mk II fighters. One is FL:C of RAF 81 Squadron. Mobile shot from a moving vehicle, probably a jeep, of the two armoured cars on patrol. They overtake the camera vehicle and pass out of shot. Street scene; a lamppost is marked 'Perhentiantram' (possibly 'Tram Stop') and in the background a building marked 'YMCA' (Young Men's Christian Association). Part 3: Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, Allied Air Commander-in-Chief South East Asia Command, with a group of senior officers. A squadron of airmen, lined up by their aircraft (Dakotas) for inspection, break formation to gather around Park. He addresses them. Park departs in a gleaming soft-top staff car. A Dakota landing, probably Park's aircraft KN561 'Baksheesh II'. An RAF Regiment guard of honour presents arms. Park takes the salute and inspects the men, talking briefly with some of them.
  • Alternative Title: ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: ABY 191
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1945-12
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Air Ministry, Directorate of Public Relations (Production sponsor) Royal Air Force Film Production Unit (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Park, Keith Rodney (person) Royal Air Force, 230 Squadron (regiment/service) Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force Regiment, 2962 Squadron (regiment/service) Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (regiment/service) Royal Netherlands Navy, TROMP (HNLMS), light cruiser (regiment/service) Royal Navy, CAVALIER (HMS) (regiment/service) Royal Air Force, 81 Squadron (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Batavia, Java, Netherlands East Indies (geography) Recovery of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees 1945, Allied Prisoners of War Far East 1939-1945, Internment (event) Allied Occupation of the Netherlands East Indies, Allied Occupation of South East Asia post-August 1945 (event)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 2 Footage: 1395 ft; Running time: 16 minutes
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ABY 191

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    JFU 362 ('T FOR TOMMY' CRASHES: 230 SQUADRON SUNDERLAND AT KUANTAN [Allocated Title]) JFU 363 (KUANTAN, MALAYA: DELIVERY OF RICE BY SUNDERLAND FLYING BOAT [Allocated Title]) JFU 443 (AMBONESE ROADBLOCK, RELEASE OF DUTCH INTERNEES AND EXHUMATION OF BODIES [Allocated Title]) JFU 464 (CHILDREN'S TEA PARTY AT BATAVIA ZOO [Allocated Title]) JFU 487 (DUTCH EVACUEES ARRIVE IN BANGKOK FROM JAVA [Allocated Title]) ABY 139 (ISLAND BASES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN: ISLE OF MAHÉ, ADDU ATOLL AND DIEGO GARCIA [Allocated Title]) CF 973 (THE ROYAL AIR FORCE IN THE FAR EAST 1945-1946)
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