MONSOON CONDITIONS IN BATAVIA [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: MONSOON CONDITIONS IN BATAVIA [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ABY 193
  • Other titles: ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Film showing the living conditions during the monsoon season for good-humoured men of 2962 Squadron RAF Regiment stationed in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (Jakarta, Indonesia).
  • Description: An airman, his upper body covered in tattoos, sits up to his waist in muddy water. Laughing airmen standing about. Interior of a flooded tent, apparently once quite comfortable and well-equipped with books, writing material, furniture and a wireless set. Airmen and local people chasing elusive ducks or water fowl. Airmen in swimming trunks or shorts. Two airmen tip water out of a metal trunk. An airman, somewhat optimistically, hangs a pair of socks out to dry.
  • 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) Clot, Dennis Francis Emile1919-07-04 (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force Regiment, 2962 Squadron (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Batavia, Java, Netherlands East Indies (geography) 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: 1 Footage: 189 ft; Running time: 3 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Notes: Sergeant Clot's dopesheet remarks that Kemajoran airfield was situated in a low-lying area that was previously swampland and that consequently there was no possibility of draining the site. Furthermore, the monsoon was likely to persist for several months after this film was shot. Contemporary photographs showing monsoon conditions at RAF Batavia (also known as Kemajoran) can be found at the references below. See related items. Dopesheet is dated 1 February 1946, but this date seems too late in the context of the series. Date above an estimate.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ABY 193

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    Documents.17155 (System.Xml.XmlElement) 11381 ()
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