Scenes of an Allied victory parade, mounted in monsoon weather in Rangoon, capital of Burma on 15 June 1945.

Civilians spectators gathering on the parade ground, apparently part of the Rangoon golf course, with military policemen in front. Part of a gun salute being fired to welcome Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command. Distant views of the parade with Mountbatten inspecting the guard of honour and addressing troops. The flag of the Port Commissioner of Rangoon is raised. Mountbatten departs. Mountbatten arrives at the saluting base on Pagoda Road for a victory march past. Various contingents of troops march past including the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, the US Army (with a pennant suggesting a unit of Military Police) and the Chinese Army. Chevrolet CMP lorries are seen towing Ordnance QF 25-pounder field guns and limbers. Sikh gunners of a light anti-aircraft regiment driving self-propelled QF 40mm (Bofors) guns mounted on converted Morris Commercial C9/Bs. After the parade the crowd begins to disperse with Military Police jeeps passing amongst them.

Notes

According to the dopesheet of JFU 264, the flag seen being raised had apparently been captured by the Japanese in 1942. It was then, somewhat inexplicably, recaptured by American troops on Attu in the Aleutian Islands and duly returned, courtesy of the US Army Chief of Staff, General George Marshall, to Mountbatten.

This parade was also covered by other cameramen and photographers of the RAF (CI/ABY series) and British Army (SE/JFU series). See related items.

This and related events also filmed in amateur colour footage by Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Outram Hodgkinson. See related items (MGH series).

The IWM's Department of Documents holds a copy of the programme for this event, along with programmes for two related Services of Thanksgiving. See related items.