INDIAN NEWS PARADE NO 97 (19/1/1945)

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: INR 97).

Synopsis

I. "CEYLON WELCOMES A NEW GOVERNOR" Accompanied by his wife, Sir Henry Moore arrives in Ceylon as Governor and representative of the King, thirty four years after being a young civil servant. Moore meets civilian members of the War Council and Ceylon's Ministers. Commentary notes, "part of his work will be to prepare for the Royal Commission that is coming to report on Ceylon's future". In full uniform, the new Governor of the Fortress takes the Royal Salute and proceeds to the Council House to take the oath of service.

II. "SERVICE ABOVE SELF...INDIAN ROTARY CLUBS USHER IN THE NEW YEAR" Calcutta's Rotary President H C Laharry sees the Club celebrate its silver anniversary by "feeding the poor and destitute". Commentary describes this as "an old Indian custom...one of the best...and Rotary takes care that in world run by commerce and competition, it doesn't die". In Bombay, Sir John Colville opens the canteen. Rotarian Charles Gerrad planning an exhibition in which the culture and history of seventeen cultures is shown is visited by Sir Francis Low. Picture of the Royal Arms of England mixed. "Once it looked as though these nameplates might have another symbol on top of them...the ugly mark of Fascism", states the commentary, "but the Rotary wheel, symbol of International Friendship, marks the fact that the world is turning over a new leaf."

III. "THE CALCUTTA POLICE ON PARADE" Richard Gardiner Casey, Governor of Bengal, inspects a parade of Inspectors and their subordinates in Calcutta. Commentary mentions the presence of a "new criminal, the hoarder and the profiteer" and that in five thousand out of seven thousand cases the Police caught the offender and "gave him what he deserved".

IV. "WORLD'S BIGGEST BAILEY BRIDGE CROSSES THE CHINDWIN". Scenes of construction of Bailey Bridge across river Chindwin using prefabricated component parts built in India. Components are assembled on the bank and later, General Slim inspects the finished bridge.

V. "HONOURING THE 14TH ARMY" The Maharajah of Manipur and Lord Louis Mountbatten watch the Viceroy honouring the Fourteenth Army in the person of its Army Commander General Slim with the ceremony of the accolade. Lieutenant-General Scoones is also honoured as he receives insignia from the Viceroy. Jemadar Bombahadur Thapa receives the MC and Havildar Assa Singh the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. Commentary states that this is "a restrained way of telling of the months of hard fighting in a green hell, which service in Burma means". Lance Naik Indar Singh receives the Burma Gallantry Medal.

Notes

Summary: film not viewed; synopses based on commentary sheets.

 

Titles

  • INDIAN NEWS PARADE NO 97 (19/1/1945)
Series Title:
INDIAN NEWS PARADE
 

Technical Data

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

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB, India
Sponsor
Department of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India
editor
Moylan, William J (FRGS, FRSA)
producer
Moylan, William J (FRGS, FRSA)