Reel 1, shot by Taylor and Hewit: 10:28:59 Indian Engineers at work building a bridge with pan along a stretch of hillside road. Shots of men working on the bridge. The road after a landslide caused by Japanese demolitions charges. Troops using the remaining track. Sign overlooking a river reads Dead Slow Ahista. Bengal Sappers and Miners remove shells from beneath the spoil of the landslide. A bulldozer starts work on a new track; debris spills down the hillside towards the river. British officer in glasses with a megaphone. Indian Engineers turning a handcranked winch. View of the Manipur River with cables across it. Panning view of the river with a pontoon raft ferry in operation. A light lorry drives onto the ferry with a number of Sikh troops following behind. A raft is pushed off. A queue of vehicles waiting for a raft. A small dog scampers about. Pan of the river with a cable splashing the water, presumably as another ferry is set up. Indian signallers using a wireless set. Closer shot Sikh signaller. Mules are led towards a ferry that has been rigged with screens of parachute cloth and foliage. Brief shot from aboard the raft as its dragged across the river. Unloading mules on the far side; one British soldier waves his hat for the camera. A shirtless British soldier tries to drag a typically reluctant mule off the raft. More mules led off. Close up of mules face; pan to muleteer. An elephant at the riverside. A sack is passed down from the elephants back by its Indian soldier mahout. The elephant lies down. Indian electrical and mechanical engineers at work salvaging a jeep; a wrecker lorry is used to retrieve the vehicle. A wooden prop is positioned. Other vehicles slowly pass the stuck jeep. The jeep is towed away by the wrecker. The jeep moves off under its own power. 10:36:58

Reel 2: 10:37:19 Wide landscape shot; in the far distance an aeroplane can be seen dropping parachute supply bundles and an ambulance passes in the close foreground. Various shots of Indian Engineers at work constructing a Bailey bridge over the Manipur River. Launching the bridge with close-up of the rollers. A man wearing a loincloth wades into the river, holding onto a rope; he puts his feet over the rope and climbs hand-over-hand along it. Another man crosses using the rope. A Bren gunner, lying prone, keeps watch nearby. A bundle of equipment is hauled across the river. Another bundle is sent across the river. [Brief white section here, followed by a snatch of film at incorrect speed] Sikh troops lying prone on riverbank with levelled rifles. Wide shots; aircraft over distant ridges. A wounded man is loaded onto a cradle. The cradle is run across the river, dipping quite hazardously into the water once or twice. Shots of Dakota transport aircraft passing low overhead dropping supplies by parachute and by free drop. Parachutes lying on the ground. More aircraft passing low overhead and over more distant dropzones. Parachutes descending, with some bundles landing close to camera. Footage from further up the hillside, watching aircraft passing at similar level to (and lower than) the camera and dropping supplies. 10:44:38

Reel 3: 10:44:57 British officer in Gurkha hat speaking on a telephone or wireless set (possibly wearing patch of 19th Indian Division). Indian soldier emptying a wicker supply basket. Indian troops carrying boxes. A trailer is loaded. British troops carrying small drums, probably of POL (petrol, oil, or lubricants). An officer counts the number of drums. Loading drums into trailer. Moving sacks. Indian officer giving instructions to local labourers. Local people carry sacks by headstraps. Indian troops marching along a road. A British captain speaking on a radio. Wireless set. Indian troops on the bank of a churning and apparently very muddy river. Some wash their hands at the waters edge. A sign marked 144 and in Japanese kanji script, apparently a milestone. An Indian soldier sitting next to the sign. Indian troops cooking; one stirs a pot of rice. Pan of the bivouac site by the river. Fanning the cooking fire. Soldier smokes a long pipe. Eating from a large pan; these soldiers are identified on the dopesheet as Dogras, therefore probably 1st Battalion 17th Dogra Regiment. Footage from a moving jeep; a Lee medium tank follows. A Lee rounds a bend and drives towards camera, against a striking background of mountains and clouds. The tank passes close by camera and is seen to be named Catterick (tank probably of 3rd Carabiniers). A different tank passes. Shots of tanks passing; as one drives away the commander can be seen giving a V-sign for victory. Distant hillside with smoke spreading. Smoke trails in the sky from rocket-firing Hurricanes. Aircraft overhead. A British 25-pounder field gun in action. Troops examine a Japanese 150mm heavy howitzer, a 105mm howitzer, and a light mountain gun. 10:52:15

Three reels of mute rushes depicting various operations on the Tiddim Road.

Notes

This item comprises three reels by three cameramen, documented on two dopesheets. The first dopesheet documents footage by Sergeants Taylor and Hewit, the second by Lieutenant Honawar. Together they are a good record of the hazards of the campaign in this area; the poor roads with steep drops and substantial fast-flowing rivers. In addition, some of the river crossing and air drop footage is very impressive.

Series note: The MWY series of films is believed to be part of a ‘pool’ of film received by the Government of India from various sources, including South East Asia Command, the Indian Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate, the Ministry of Information, and from Allied governments. This footage would have been considered for editing and release through the Indian Newsreel Parade; see INR series.