Pilots of an Artillery Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadron, attached to 26th Indian Division, practice landing in confined areas on Ramree Island, Burma, prior to operations from aircraft carriers.

In an open field a naval officer, with a paddle in each hand, signals to a Taylorcraft Auster light aircraft on approach for landing. He gives a variety of gestures with the paddles to adjust the aircraft's glidepath, engine setting, yaw/sideslip etc. The aircraft gets close to the ground and the batsman signals, with a chopping motion, the pilot to cut his engine and land. Various more landings and take-offs, with occasional views of the pilots. The batsman (formal title 'Deck Landing Control Officer') occasionally has to duck to avoid being hit by the wing of the landing aircraft. Two men are seen laying out a white tape on the ground to indicate the 'edge' of an imaginary aircraft carrier's flight deck.

Notes

An illustrative piece of film with the signals of the batsman clearly being observed by the pilots.

One aircraft serial number is seen, rather unclear but possibly MT3xx, a number consistent with a Taylorcraft Auster.

The naval officer is named on the dopesheet as Captain H A Traill RN, the Deputy Naval Air Commander and Captain of the escort carrier HMS Empress (D42).

These pilots and aircraft presumably of C-Flight, 656 AOP Squadron, as this Flight was attached to XV Indian Corps occupying Ramree.