Admirals Harcourt and Fraser, General Festing and Brigadier Hardy, make a tour of inspection of the Hong Kong New Territories, including a trip to an orphanage and the Chinese border.

On the quayside in Kowloon Admiral Harcourt (naval officer commanding Hong Kong) chats with a number of Dutch officers. Close-up of Harcourt. A guard of honour provided by No.42 Royal Marine Commando presents arms. Festing, Harcourt and Fraser inspect. A pipe band leads a march past outside the Peninsular Hotel; a crowd of Chinese children watch. The officers salute the march past. The officers consult a map to check their route. Harcourt chats to two Norwegian children at a commando post 15 miles from Kowloon. Admiral Fraser (commander-in-chief British Pacific Fleet) and General Festing (General Officer Commanding Hong Kong) examine a marine's rifle; the weapon is an American M1 Garand and therefore unusual in British service. Fraser talking with a commamdo. The officers meet a Miss Jennings, an Australian woman running an orphanage at Tai Po. Fraser meets the children. Festing, smoking a pipe, sits on the bonnet of a jeep with a smiling little Chinese girl. Close-up of a happy-looking Chinese orphan girl. The party arrives at HQ No. 5 Army Commando. A sentry stands next to a sign with an image of two crossed commando daggers with '5' above and '8 Platoon' and '4 Troop' beneath. The party examine a number of captured Japanese guns; they are short-barrelled artillery pieces on wooden wheeled carriages. The party arrives at the Chinese border; in the foreground a Japanese sentry presents arms. A Royal Marine sentry stands with the muzzle and bayonet of his M1 Garand entering shot in the foreground as the party approaches.

Notes

Hong Kong, having fallen to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941, was surrendered to the Allies on 16 September 1945 in a ceremony that can be seen in IWM films ABY 168 and JFU 376.

For footage of marines entertaining children at Tai Po orphanage, see related items.