Lieutenant-General William Slim, commander of 14th Army, arrives at Meiktila, Burma, and holds a conference with other senior civil and military figures.

An RAF Beechcraft Expediter light transport aircraft arrives at Meiktila and Lieutenant-General Slim steps down from it. He chats with the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) of 17th Indian Division. Slim departs by jeep. Slim talks with an officer at work salvaging some Japanese equipment; Slim is seen holding a Japanese 'knee mortar'. Slim and Lieutenant-General Frank Messervy (commander IV Corps) board a boat to cross Lake Meiktila. Slim addressing troops. Slim talking with two Burmese government officials, named on the dopesheet as U Than Tin OBE (Finance Minister) and U Aung Gyaw (District Commissioner for Meiktila until the Japanese occupation) on the shore of the lake.

Notes

The dopesheet also names Major-General Eric Mansergh (commander 5th Indian Division) and Major-General David 'Punch' Cowan (commander 17th Indian Division) as having been present at this meeting.

'Knee mortar' was a rather hazardous misnomer for the 50mm Type 89 Grenade Discharger. Its curved base plate apparently gave the mistaken impression that it could fired braced against a soldier's leg. Allied soldiers who attempted this usually discovered that the weapon's recoil was capable of breaking a man's thigh bone.

This meeting also covered by Sergeant Wishart. See related items.