Reel 1: Rather underlit interior shots, filmed with live sound, at Municipal Hall, Singapore. A sailor and soldier stand guard at the door. Senior Allied officers file in and take their seats. The Japanese delegation, led by General Seishiro Itagaki (commander Seventh Area Army), enters the hall and take their seats. The Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command, Lord Louis Mountbatten, arrives and takes his seat at the centre of the Allied delegation. He reads a telegram from Field Marshal Count Terauchi, Japanese Supreme Commander (Southern Region), authorising General Itagaki to sign the instrument of surrender on his behalf. General Itagaki presents his credentials and Mountbatten reads them out. Mountbatten goes on to detail the Allied naval, air and military forces concentrating in Singapore and Malaya and stresses that this surrender is unconditional and that 'The Japanese are submitting to superior forces now massed here'. As if to underline his point the sound of aeroengines seems to accompany his words. Mountbatten reads the terms of surrender. Itagaki signs the documents and marks them with his personal seal and that of Field Marshal Terauchi. Shots of the audience.

Reel 2: High view from a rooftop or balcony of Municipal Hall overlooking Allied troops on parade on the Padang, a green space in central Singapore. The Japanese officers leave the building and file away under guard. Panning view over the parade ground with a variety of ships moored in the background. A waiting band of the Royal Marines. Sailors and soldiers on parade. A detachment waiting by a flagpole. Mountbatten and senior officers leave. Saluting the parade. The band playing. Tilt from Mountbatten and officers to Union flag flying from pole. A staff car arrives, Mountbatten appears to get in briefly but then steps out again to lead the parade in three cheers. Union flag flying. Crowds of local people seen from a window. Sailors, soldiers and the bands march off the parade ground.

Reel 3: Sound only - Mountbatten's Order of the Day.

Reel 4, Part 1: Mountbatten steps down from a Douglas Dakota transport aircraft at Kallang Airport, Singapore, followed by General Slim (commander Allied Land Forces South East Asia, ALFSEA). Slim speaking with Lieutenant-General Christison, commander of XV Indian Corps. Mountbatten inspects a guard of honour provided by the RAF Regiment. A group of Allied officers. They depart by car.

Part 2: Mountbatten's staff car arrives at Municipal Hall. Mountbatten gets out and inspects a guard of honour of naval ratings. Inspecting a guard of Indian other ranks of 5th Indian Division. A guard of the RAF Regiment. A guard of Australian paratroopers; the man nearest camera is a sergeant wearing parachute wings on his sleeve and a large eagle patch on his bush hat. A flypast by RAF Short Sunderland flying boats. Inspecting a unit of the West Yorkshire Regiment. Mountbatten and other Allied officers climb the steps into Municipal Hall. The Japanese delegation enters. The Japanese delegation leaving. Crowds of local civilians. Released civilian internees and Allied servicewomen on the balconies of Municipal Hall. Mountbatten takes the royal salute. The Union flag is raised. Mountbatten and senior officers saluting. He departs by car with Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning, his Chief of Staff. Troops march off the parade ground. Crowd shots.

Part 3: Mountbatten's staff car arriving, as seen from the base of the Municipal Hall steps. The car is flying pennants of the Allied nations. He salutes the assembled senior officers. Mounting the steps of the Hall. Japanese delegates following. Japanese delegates leaving. Mountbatten stands at a microphone at the top of the steps to give a speech. He is flanked by Browning and Slim. He salutes the flag. Spectators on the steps give three cheers. Mountbatten departing. Troops marching off and crowd shots.

Reel 5, Part 1: Interior shots; Japanese delegation enters and takes seats. Mountbatten enters. Signing the instrument. Close-up of the surrender document showing the phoenix insignia of the Supreme Allied Commander. Japanese delegates leaving the hall. Crowd gathering outside. Mountbatten standing on the steps of Municipal Hall. Parade ground.

Part 2: High shot from Municipal Hall of Mountbatten arriving. The assembled guards of honour present arms. Shot of a woman in uniform, possibly Lady Edwina Mountbatten. Sunderland flypast (cut off by top of frame). Mountbatten and party enter Municipal Hall. Japanese delegation enters. Interior footage; Japanese delegation leaving. Mountbatten on steps. Parade ground; royal salute. Mountbatten and Browning depart by staff car.

Part 3: Mountbatten inspects the guards of honour as Sunderlands pass overhead. Crowd shots.

Reel 6, Part 1: Ground-level views of crowds of civilians. Mountbatten inspects sailors, pausing to speak to one or two of them. Crowd shots; one civilian is seen in uniform, possibly an officer of the Singapore police ('SSP' shoulder title visible). Sailors on parade. More crowd shots.

Part 2: Dakota FL510 arrives at Kallang airport with Lord Mountbatten aboard. Mountbatten disemplanes. Slim and Christison talking. Group of senior officers walking away from the aircraft.

Scenes from the formal surrender of Japanese forces in south east Asia at Singapore, 12 September 1945.

Notes

All interior shots severely underlit. Reel 1 therefore probably most useful due its live sound coverage.

This was originally shot as 11 separate 'jobs' and are documented as such on the dopesheets, hence some of the reels above include multiple parts.

Reel 3 is, according to the dopesheet, a sound recording of Lord Mountbatten's Order of the Day. The Film Archive holds a copy of this recording, however not in an easily accesible form. The dopesheet, however, provides a verbatim manuscript copy of the text of Mountbatten's speech.

For coverage by RAF Film Production Unit cameramen (ABY-series) and photographers (CF-series), see related items below.