CANADIANS DROP RICE TO ISOLATED BURMESE (27/7/1945)

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: ABY 124).

Synopsis

Canadian airmen of RCAF 435 Squadon deliver rice to Burmese civilians via the Civil Affairs Service (CAS).

A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Douglas Dakota transport aircraft in flight; the aircraft is named 'My Best Bet'. Aerial view of airfield at Imphal Valley. Sacks of rice loaded into a lorry from a Dakota. Aircrew standing under the wing of their aircraft and talking with a bearded local man. A truck tips sand onto the airfield and it is levelled by a scraper and then a roller. Bullocks draw covered wagons through a local village. Rice is distributed to villagers. A sign reads 'The Relief Office - CAS Hsipaw'. Local Burmese civilians queue for rice. Two villagers collect spilt rice. Civilians walk away carrying their rice on their backs in large baskets. A local official at a window. A woman picks through a basket of rice while something steams on a small stove next to her. Chevrolet CMP lorries marked 'CAS' drive along a road. A jeep with locals gathered around. A railway locomotive puffs across shot. Local people at a window marked 'Ration Cards Registration Centre'. A man carries a sack of rice. Three aircrew officers leave a tent marked '435 Squadron Instrument and Radio Section'. The same three leave a tent marked 'Parachute Section' carrying their parachutes. Three other airmen climb a slope before looking out over a broad plain with paddy fields. Aerial footage of cloudscape.

Notes

Hsipaw a town in Shan State, Burma, also known as Thibaw, and situated 40 miles south west of Lashio.

Road convoy seen apparently driving on the famous 'Burma Road' to China, which was at first closed by the Japanese advance.

Other locations mentioned on dopesheet include the Chin Hills, Myitkyina, Bhamo, Lashio and Kutkai.

This appears to be the other half of a film story started as ABY 122. An assembled story using the footage of these two films can be found under ABY 134. See related items.

No dates on slates. Date from dopesheet.

 

Titles

  • CANADIANS DROP RICE TO ISOLATED BURMESE (27/7/1945) (Allocated)
Series Title:
ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
 

Technical Data

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

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB
Sponsor
Air Ministry Directorate of Public Relations
cameraman.
Leathead (Flying Officer)
Production company
Royal Air Force Film Production Unit
 

Countries

 

Production Organisations