JOINT GURKHA AND JAPANESE PATROL ON SAIGON RIVER (28/9/1945)

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: JFU 372).

Synopsis

After disturbances between the Vietnamese and French population of Saigon, French Indo-China (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) a section of Gurkhas mount a patrol on a river boat manned by a Japanese crew.

Troops crossing a waterlogged field; their feet splash the water. Gurkhas of 3rd Battalion 1st Gurkha Rifles boarding a river boat with Japanese crew. The bow of the boat with a Gurkha Bren gunner and another Gurkha loading his Sten submachine gun. On board the boat with Gurkhas looking out. View over the Bren gunner's shoulder. Portrait of a Gurkha with Sten gun; he wears the distinctive 'pillbox' hat and kukri of a Gurkha, the sword patch of 20th Indian Division and his ammunition pouches are full of magazines for his Sten gun. Gurkhas with rifles levelled over the gunwale. British Gurkha officer conferring with Japanese officers over a French map marked 'Plan de Cholon'. A boatyard on the riverside. Approaching an arched steel bridge over the river. Close-up of a Gurkha with a levelled rifle and two Japanese soldiers behind. Close-up of a Gurkha. Japanese crewman standing quite nonchalantly by the deckhouse, which is marked 'R.N.7'. Gurkha looking out.

Notes

With the resumption of French colonial administration tensions rose between the French and Vietnamese populations which soon erupted into violence, and without sufficient Allied troops available Japanese soldiers were rearmed and deployed to keep order. This gave rise to the surreal situation seen in this film, the dopesheet calling it 'a very strange set up, as in Burma the Gurkhas thoroughly enjoyed killing as many Nips as they saw'.

 

Titles

  • JOINT GURKHA AND JAPANESE PATROL ON SAIGON RIVER (28/9/1945) (Allocated)
Series Title:
BRITISH ARMY OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
 

Technical Data

Year:
1945
Running Time:
3 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm
Colour:
B&W
Sound:
Silent
Footage:
233 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB
Sponsor
War Office Directorate of Public Relations
cameraman.
Sanders, P A (Sergeant)
Production company
SEAC Film Unit
 

Countries

 

Production Organisations