Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese, formerly commander of 8th Army, arrives in Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to take up post as commander-in-chief Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA).

At Colombo Airport in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall (Chief of Staff to Lord Mountbatten) and Major-General Wetherall (General Officer Commanding Ceylon) await the arrival of Sir Oliver Leese; a staff car can be seen frame edge left and and Spitfire fighter parked in the background. Avro York transport aircraft overhead. ‘Colombo Airport’ terminal building with its clock damaged. Signaller on balcony of the building with Aldis lamp. Aircraft coming in to land. Aircraft taxiing on two engines (serial MW102); it is white with a South East Asia Command phoenix insignia on the nose. Close-up of the nose. Positioning the steps. General Giffard and Lieutenant-General Leese disemplaning. Leese meets various officers. Leese with a naval officer, probably Commodore Edmund Evans-Lombe, Chief of Staff to Admiral Fraser (commander Eastern Fleet). Leese and Pownall in conversation. Close-up Leese. Leese and Evans-Lombe. Departing by staff car.

Notes

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.