As troops of 5th Indian Division enter Tiddim, on the Indo-Burma border, field guns provide high-angle covering fire, and a Japanese machine gun and map are captured.

25-pounder field gun, sited in thin cover, is loaded; the crew appear amused. Firing a 25-pounder at very high elevation. Another gun is positioned at a roadside with parked jeeps and limbers. Long shot of a ridge with shells impacting. Aircraft (probably Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricanes) attacking. Open-sided wooden rooves. Indian troops advance through thin woodland and encounter an abandoned Japanese Type 92 medium machine gun on a tripod. They carry it away. Demonstrating the tripods elevating mechanism and the feed system (rounds on a strip). Two Indian officers over a Japanese map; men run into shot with a damaged knife and a Japanese helmet. Close-up of the knife (a Japanese tanto?) over the map. Close-up map (out of focus). Damaged buildings in Tiddim. Blooming flowers. A war correspondent (?) with a notebook looks at a sign written in Japanese kanji script.

Notes

While the footage of the capture of the machine gun is obviously staged for the camera, this film still demonstrates a number of points quite well. The film illustrates quite well the high angle of fire of which the 25-pounder was capable. Fifth Indian Division's divisional history also describes Tiddim, upon its capture, as being very much in bloom with roses, marigold and honeysuckle; a description reflected by the shot of the flowers.

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.