As tanks and infantry of 5th Indian Division advance towards Tiddim, Burma, Indian Engineers bridge the Beltang Lui river, supplies are dropped by parachute and artillery and aircraft provide support.

An Ordnance QF 25-pounder field gun, of 28th Jungle Field Regiment Royal Artillery, sited on the banks of the Manipur River with its crew nearby. The gun is fired. View of the site showing dense jungle on both sides. More views of the gun being fired. A high view from the hillside looking down at the site of a blown bridge over the fast-flowing Beltang Lui river. Closer shot probably taken with longer lens. A Bailey bridge under construction. The Bailey frame is run out across the river. Close-up of an Indian Engineer at work with a hammer. Close-up of a roller allowing the frame to be run out. Major Ballantyne (Royal Engineers) of London and Lieutenant Beswell (also Royal Engineers) of Oldham supervise the construction of the bridge. Douglas Dakota transport aircraft overhead dropping supplies by parachute. Parachute bundles descending and landing close to camera. One bundle lands within a few yards of the cameraman and is seen to bounce. Dakota passing overhead; supplies seen being pushed out of the open door. Parachutes strewn about on the ground. Indian troops and local civilians gathering up the supplies. Locals carry supplies and parachute canopies by means of headstraps. British gunners with stacked crates of ammunition; they unpack shells and appear to clean them (removing packing grease?) and a civilian enters shot carrying another box of ammunition. A file of infantry walks along a road as a Lee medium tank of 3rd Carabiniers passes; a number of men are riding on the hull. A Lee negotiates a narrow hillside track with a sheer drop on its left side. Looking down on a track above the river; a Valentine bridging tank passes followed by a Lee. The track appears perilously narrow. More tanks on the track. A Lee passes close by the camera. A Lee drives directly towards the camera and stops just in front. Murky footage shows the tank driving across the Bailey bridge. High angle of the tank crossing. More footage of Lee tanks passing camera; in one shot a knocked out tank of uncertain type can be seen behind. Close-up of a tank commander. View of a ridge. A road with dust rising from vehicles. An RAF Hawker Hurricane fighter-bomber passes overhead. Smoke rising. Small group of men (probably tank crews) at rest next to a parked Lee; most are eating or smoking and one is attending to his rifle. A shirtless tanker lowers himself down through a hatch next to the Lee's turret. A man positions a wooden beam on the road. Close-up of a tank track passing over the log. A Lee (possibly named 'Erick') crosses shot left-to-right and fills the frame. A man, wearing a revolver on the back of his belt, climbs up onto a Lee. Hurricanes overhead strafing an enemy-held ridge. Dakota passes and drops supplies. Dakota flies towards camera and drops supplies close to a road. An infantry file walks along a road; one of the men has a rifle grenade discharger fitted. A jeep passes. A light lorry passes. More infantry. A number of Dodge three-quarter ton lorries. A Dakota flies along a valley dropping supplies; the cameraman is actually above the aircraft as it passes. A jeep with 5th Indian Division insignia towing a trailer. Landscape shot shows hills and valley with a winding road.

Notes

A well composed film with a number of striking shots. The footage of the supply dropping in particular is very good and demonstrates clearly the low altitude approach and the accuracy with which supplies could be delivered.

5th Indian Division began advancing along the Tiddim Road in July 1944 following the abandonment of the Japanese offensive against Imphal. Tiddim was occupied on 17 October and the advance continued towards Kalemyo. 5th Indian Division was eventually withdrawn from the line in the first week of December, having been in action for 14 months.

The Beltang Lui (misspelled 'Sui' on the dopesheet) is a minor river, a tributary of the Manipur River, which crosses the Tiddim Road at Milestone 150 just before the 'Chocolate Staircase' (a mountainous stretch of the Tiddim Road which makes 40 hairpin bends in seven miles).

For more film relating to operations at Tiddim and on the TIddim Road, see related items.