Sherman tanks and troops from the 1st Battalion the Burma Regiment proceeding up beach for an attack on the village of Nyaungu, Burma, and a visit to the area by Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Troops of the 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade, 7th Indian Division cross the Irrawaddy River to attack Nyaungu. Sherman tanks of 254th Indian Tank Brigade fire into bunkers where Japanese are hiding. A PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti-Tank) is fired into a bunker. 4th Battalion 8th Gurkha Rifles proceed to clear houses and the pagoda at Shwe Zigon. The village can still be seen to be smouldering from previous air attacks. Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command, pays a flying visit to the bridgehead. He is accompanied by Lieutenant-General Messervy (commander IV Corps) and Major-General Evans (commander 7th Indian Division). He speaks to Lieutenant P Collins and then leaves in a DUKW amphibious vehicle.

Notes

7th Indian Division, part of IV Corps, crossed the Irrawaddy as a preliminary to and advance on Meiktila. At the same time, XXXIII Corps were crossing the Irrawaddy to advance on Mandalay.

The Burma Regiment had its origins in the Burma Frontier Force. The BFF was raised from units of the Burma Military Police for frontier and internal security duties and was mostly composed of Indians and Gurkhas but also included Karens, Chins and Kachins. Many of the Burmese units of the BFF disintegrated following the Japanese invasion in 1942 but the Indian and Gurkha units retained their cohesion and retreated to India. The Burma Regiment was formed in September 1942.

For other film of the crossing of the Irrawaddy shot by both the British Army (JFU-series) and the RAF (ABY-series) see related items.