WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 158 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 158 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 158
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'INDIA.' Lord Archibald Wavell, Viceroy of India, chats to local dignitaries during his first official tour of Bombay Province. Assamese forestry workers unload logs from the back of a soft-skinned vehicle. A British official (Governor of Assam ?) closely inspects a ball of unrefined natural rubber. He is later met by a delegation of local tribesfolk (Bhutias) who present him with the traditional gift of a short sword. Views of tribeswomen follow. A Bhutian tribesman climbs a rubberised rope that has been attached between two trees, the commentary describing this as a popular local game. Bhutian tribesmen stage an archery contest using objects hung in the trees as targets. In the plains of Central India, Sikh field workers load cut sugar cane onto ox-drawn carts. The sugar cane is later processed at a refinery. Field workers gather a wheat harvest in Sind Province. Male field workers use sticks to hand-thresh the wheat. In New Delhi, five thousand spectators gather to honour Jamadar Chale and the memory of Chelu Ram during a Victoria Cross awards ceremony. The widow of Chelu Ram meets the Viceroy and receives the VC awarded posthumously to her husband. Gurkha Jamadar Chale (The Sirmoor Rifles - 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles ?) shakes the Viceroy's hand after his award presentation. II. 'MIDDLE EAST NEWS.' Off-duty British servicemen line the streets of Gezireh (Gezira) in Cairo to watch a cycling race organised by the British forces cycling club known as "The Buckshee Wheelers." Views of the cycle race follow with the contestants negotiating a 50 kilometre circuit taking them through the streets of Cairo and past the gates of the El Alamein Club. Ken Marshall of the Buckshee Wheelers collects his trophy for winning the race from Brigadier Chrystall as spectators look on. III. 'AUSTRALIA.' An item introducing the work of Chinese Nationalist refugees resident in Australia who are employed as ship builders by the United States (US) Army. US Army crane-barge BD 543 is launched down the slipway of an unidentified Australian shipyard. The commentary states that many of the Chinese refugees are skilled tradesmen, well versed in the niceties of steel working, welding and carpentry. Views of Chinese workers cutting wood and using a mechanical lathe follow. A Chinese riveting team work to construct the exterior hull of a crane-barge. A Chinese worker is shown using an oxy-acetylene torch as others make rope netting and buoys by hand. On completion of the days work, the Chinese construction teams return to army style barracks where they enjoy a hot meal of crab with rice cooked on site by Chinese caterers. IV. 'BOMBING OF THE TIRPITZ.' An item covering the attack on KM Tirpitz anchored in Altenfjord (Kaa Fjord ?) by Royal Navy (RN) Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Fairey Barracuda aircraft on April 3 1944. FAA Barracuda aircraft in loose formation overfly snow-covered mountainous terrain. Photographic stills and shaky operational footage shows the attack on the Tirpitz which is partially obscured by smokescreens. A FAA Chance Vought Corsair fighter (1834 Squadron ?) returns to land on the flight deck of HMS Victorious after providing top cover for the Barracuda aircraft during their attack on Tirpitz. A FAA Corsair is lowered to maintenance hangars by lift. FAA aircrews walk across a flight deck towards camera, one pilot wearing an RAF style Irvin leather flying jacket. A Barracuda aircraft lands on deck, catching an arrester wire with its hook. FAA aircrews pose for photographs in front of a parked Corsair fighter aircraft. The aerial attack on KM Tirpitz is described by the commentary as being "A well planned stroke, perfectly executed by the Fleet Air Arm."
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 158
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-05-15
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) War Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) Keating, Rex1910-02-142005-01British newsreel commentator, WW2 period (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Wavell, Archibald Percival (person) Auchinleck, Claude John Eyre (person) Chale, Jamadar (person) Ram, Chelu (Mrs) (person) Chrystall (Brigadier) (person) Marshall, Ken (person)
  • Keywords: recreation, British military - sport: cycling (object name) agriculture, Indian - tropical (object name) ceremonies, British - event-related: investiture (object name) industry, Australian - ships (object name) society, Chinese - sustenance (object name) ships, German naval - battleship: Tirpitz (object name) Second World War & Tirpitz, Bombing of & 3/4/1944 (event) India & Bombay (geography) India & New Delhi (geography) Egypt & Cairo (geography) Australia (geography) Norway & Altenfjord (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: 950 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 158

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