OPERATION DRACULA: CIVILIANS WELCOME TROOPS AT RANGOON DOCKS [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: OPERATION DRACULA: CIVILIANS WELCOME TROOPS AT RANGOON DOCKS [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: JIN 60
  • Other titles: INDIAN ARMY OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Footage from Operation Dracula, the amphibious landing by 26th Indian Division at Rangoon, Burma, showing the enthusiastic welcome of troops by the local population.
  • Description: Footage from aboard a landing craft at sea; other vessels of the assault force on the horizon. Looking up at a crewman, seen in silhouette, manning a Vickers K machine gun. Landing Craft Tanks (LCTs) underway. Land on the horizon with plumes of smoke rising. LCTs and smoke rising, with LCT 2446 nearest camera. Looking to shore with the cameraman's LCT's bow ramp in the bottom of frame. More LCTs. Shore and smoke. Men on deck of the landing craft. Looking to shore with Landing Craft Assaults (LCAs) heading ashore. LCTs including LCT 2310 with her stern to camera. An LCT discharging at a riverbank; the cameracraft continues upriver. Troops on the riverbank. Scene on the deck of the LCT, which is crowded with soldiers, sailors, and vehicles. British and Indian troops waiting on board; they appear relaxed. Buildings on the riverside with local civilians watching the craft past. The LCT manoeuvres to the riverbank. Unloading the LCT; local civilians help carry stores. A group of local children look up at the camera. Men unloading from the bow of LCT 1157. Local civilians; a man reties his longyi. At sea; the cameraman's landing craft runs parallel to LCT 1239. Landing craft etc. Overtaking LCT 1330; men stand along the rails. Landing craft etc. Passing a Landing Craft Gun Large (LCGL) which is fitted with two light naval guns. A LCA coming up the Rangoon River and approaching the docks. A number of landing craft, at least six or seven, coming up the river; dock cranes and the tower of the Rangoon Port Commissioners can be seen. Heading upstream; in foreground LCAs (including LCA 1333) travel right-to-left and in the background the tower of the 1915-built Custom House and the 1927 New Law Courts. LCAs sailing closely together, motoring upriver; civilians can be seen running along the dockside in the same direction. LCAs turn towards a jetty and civilians can be seen running to meet them. Back out at sea a group of British officers in dicussion aboard a boat; one of them levels an M1 Carbine. Various shots of LCAs underway and heading upriver in lines. At the dockside; landing craft are tied up with LCA A602 nearest the jetty. Local people help troops off. At another jetty LCAs including LCA A356 and A62 with troops disembarking. Views of civilians waving and a Landing Craft Mechanised (LCM) disembarking troops. The cameraman's landing craft ties up; in the left foreground a cameraman can be seen winding and then pointing a Newman Sinclair cine camera (warehouses 25, 26 and 27 in the background). Views from the jetty, which show that the gangway towards the dockside has fallen into the water. Despite the collapsed gangway civilians pick their way over it and towards camera. A young boy. A view from the crowd with a welcome flag flying. A smiling local woman. At sea aboard a motor launch.View of a motor launch; in the foreground a moustachioed British officer wearing a beret. Looking up at the officer. The officer watches LCAs. Views of landing craft nearby. Sailor on the bridge standing at his compass. Looking aft at a forward single 2-pounder 'pom pom' gun; a surface (splinter matting?) is marked 'D7'. At the docks; LCA A635 moored with troops disembarking. Passing LCM 342. Civilians waving as the cameracraft passes. Civilians waving (LCM 427 moored with a man walking along the outside of the landing craft. Civilians by warehouse 29; one waves a Chinese flag. Civilians take the cameracraft's mooring lines. On the dockside; smiling civilians with flags. Closer shot of one of the flags; it is inscribed 'Hearty welcome to American British Chinese Khoon Chee Shia' with Chinese script below. Two civilian men pass; they wear armbands and appear to be armed with sticks. Civilians on a broad, treelined street. More footage showing an LCM heading upriver. Passing the dockyard cranes, LCA 1333 is seen again. Passing the Custom House and Courts. Approaching the jetties.
  • Alternative Title: INDIAN ARMY OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: JIN 60
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1945-05-01 1945-03-02 1945-05-03
  • Production Country: India
  • Production Details: Public Relations Directorate, India (Production sponsor) Indian Public Relations Film Unit (Production company) Fischer, T W (Production individual) Sprague, John (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Navy (regiment/service) Royal Indian Navy (regiment/service) Indian Army, 26th Indian Division (regiment/service) (person)
  • Keywords: Liberation of Rangoon 1945, Burma 1942-1945, Second World War (event) Rangoon, Burma (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 990 ft; Running time: 11 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    JIN 60

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    JIN 54 (AMPHIBIOUS LANDING AT RANGOON - TROOPS ARRIVE AT RANGOON DOCKS [Allocated Title])
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