BOFORS GUNNERS PRACTISE LOADING AND UNLOADING FROM LANDING CRAFT ON RAMREE ISLAND (24/4/1945)
This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: JFU 216).
Synopsis
Gunners of 36th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, equipped with QF 40mm (Bofors) guns, practice loading and unloaded their weapons from a Landing Craft Tank on the beach at Kyaukpyu, Ramree Island, Burma.
A Bofors gun, on its four-wheeled carriage, is manhandled up the ramp of Landing Craft Tank (LCT) 2425. Ropes are tied to the carriage's axle. Several views of a Bofors being put aboard. A Chevrolet CMP lorry tows a Bofors gun off the LCT. A lorry driver reverses his vehicle onto the LCT with the help of another soldier giving hand signals. View from the LCT of a gun being towed off. Another CMP reverses onto the LCT. Wide shot showing a CMP lorry emerging with gunners following behind. The gun is towed along the beach.
Notes
The 36th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment were part of the corps artillery of XV Indian Corps. The Swedish-designed 40mm Bofors gun was a light, accurate weapon with a high rate of fire, and was used by the armies and navies of numerous countries both during and post-war. It was still in service with the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War.
Likely that the training seen in this film was preparatory to Operation Dracula, the amphibious assault on Rangoon by 26th Indian Division.
Titles
- BOFORS GUNNERS PRACTISE LOADING AND UNLOADING FROM LANDING CRAFT ON RAMREE ISLAND (24/4/1945) (Allocated)
Technical Data
- Year:
- 1945
- Running Time:
- 4 minutes
- Film Gauge (Format):
- 35mm
- Colour:
- B&W
- Sound:
- Silent
- Footage:
- 336 ft
Production Credits
- Production Countries:
- GB
- Sponsor
- War Office Directorate of Public Relations
- cameraman.
- Brown, T V (Sergeant)
- Production company
- SEAC Film Unit