At the Red Fort in Delhi, three Indian soldiers are awarded Victoria Crosses by the Viceroy, Field Marshal Archibald Wavell, while two Indian Army widows receive their husbands' posthumous Victoria and George Crosses.

Wavell steps from his car at the parade ground of the Red Fort in Delhi and is saluted. He takes position on the parade ground and returns a salute. Wavell inspects the assembled troops. Pan along line of military and civilian spectators; unfortunately the shot is a bit low and cuts off most of the people below the eyes. Retake of previous shot with composition corrected. More spectator shots. Panning shot; at the right of the line stands Lieutenant-General William Slim, and camera pans along line of recipients, including a Gurkha (Rifleman Ganju Lama) wearing 17th Indian Division patch and sitting in a wheelchair and a Sikh in the patch of 20th Indian Division, the third is Kamal Ram. Troops marching past. Troops passing. Portrait artist at work on a drawaing of Kamal Ram. Drawing Nand Singh. Footage from alternative angle; car arriving at the ground. Troops presenting arms. Another car arriving. Artist at work on Nand Singh's portrait. Close-up Nand Singh. Artist, a British captain, at work with paintbrush. Kamal Ram looks at the portrait with the artist. More footage from the parade ground. The widow of Subedar Subramanian is presented with his George Cross. Troops marching past. Wavell inspecting Sikh troops. Inspecting Gurkhas. Ganju Lama is pushed in his wheelchair. Mrs Subramanian receives her husband's medal. March past with the Fort in background; in the foreground are the recipients, Slim with them. Close-ups of Ganju Lama, Nand Singh and Kamal Ram. Wavell at salute. Gurkhas passing. Pipe band passing. Wavell and two other officers. Wavell speaks to Kamal Ram and Ganju Lama (who is standing to receive his medal). Another shot in the artists' studio. Parade ground; pan of troops sloping and then presenting arms. Singh is decorated. Lama is decorated with the VC and MM. The widow of Jemadar Abdul Hafiz. Parade ground. Lord Mountbatten speaks to Ram, Singh and Lama, the latter with Slim.

Notes

Rifleman Ganju Lama (1st Battalion 7th Gurkha Rifles) was awarded his VC for knocking out two Japanese tanks during the Battle of Imphal, pressing his attack home despite wounds and in the face of heavy fire. Lama appears briefly in the Indian Public Relations Film Unit/Crown Film Unit production 'Johnny Gurkha'. See related items.

Naik Nand Singh (1st Battalion 11th Sikh Regiment) was awarded his VC for leading an assault on a Japanese trench in the Arakan, before going on, despite wounds, to capture two more trenches single-handed. In 1947 he was killed in action, fighting in the independent Indian Army, during operations in Kashmir.

Sepoy Kamal Ram (3rd Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment) was awarded his VC for destroying three German machine gun posts during an assault on the Gustav Line in Italy.

Subedar Subramanian (Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners Group, Indian Engineers) was awarded a posthumous George Cross for throwing himself upon a landmine which a comrade had triggered.

Jemadar Abdul Hafiz (3rd Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment) was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for leading a charge up a steep and exposed slope during the battle of Imphal causing a larger enemy force to flee.

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.