After nationalist disturbances close the roads to Saigon, capital of French Indo-China, a convoy named 'Operation Saltmeat' is mounted from Phnom Penh (now in Cambodia) to provide food to the city with the cooperation of surrendered Japanese personnel.

Medium shot showing a moored barge being loaded with cattle; the animals are led up a ramp onto the vessel and a naval officer keeps watch. Closer shot of cattle being loaded. Medium shot of an empty jetty with moored barges. Dockworkers manhandling a pig in a basket. A pig in a basket is weighed on a balance. A Japanese soldier, standing on the back of a lorry, throws vegetables down to a waiting human chain who pass them along. A pile of vegetables. A river steamer in the process of loading supplies. On the quayside Japanese labourers load a cargo net. Wider shot of cargo going aboard. Major Adamson, of the recently created Civil Food Control organisation, supervises the loading of the barges; large bunches of bananas lie on the jetty. Close-up of Major Adamson. Wide shot of barges under tow through the My Tho Canal. Views of the convoy. A (Japanese?) patrol boat passes on the river. Arriving in Saigon. Barges passing; two large arched bridges can be seen in the distance. View approaching the dock with a number of parked lorries waiting. Japanese troops march along the dockside in preparation to unload the barges. Indian troops unloading sacks and baskets. Baskets are loaded onto a lorry; a sign in the background reads 'RASC [Royal Army Service Corps] Supply Depot'. Market scenes in Saigon with French civilians buying the supplies brought by the convoy.

Notes

After the Japanese surrender the Allies became responsible for Japanese-occupied south east Asia. 20th Indian Division was sent to French Indo-China and before long was embroiled in armed clashes with Vietnamese ('Annamite') nationalist groups.

According to the dopesheet, this convoy consisted of 30 barges towed by 9 steamers, and included 1,550 head of cattle, 800 ducks, 540 pigs, 320 tons of vegetables, 40 tons of fish, 30 tons of cooking oil and 10,000 eggs. In an interesting example of the cameraman becoming part of the story, the dopesheet records that the convoy was stopped by armed nationalists and the cameraman and photographer were obliged to hide before the convoy was allowed to continue.

In all, another interesting film hinting at the relationships between surrendered Japanese personnel, local nationalist groups, local European populations and occupying Allied forces. For other film of the British occupation, see related items.