After the capture of the Ava Bridge and the city of Sagaing in Central Burma officers from the British capturing forces meet from opposite sides of the bridge and work to inspect the damage to the bridge is carried out.

A small bridge, which has been blown up, has rubble cleared from beneath it in order to let ox drawn carts and vehicles pass through. A Burmese man, with an enormous white cheroot in his mouth, drives his cart under the bridge. The cart is loaded with ammunition. A jeep passes through the rubble followed by a truck. On top of the bridge a guard post is manned by two soldiers with a Bren gun. A representative, Major Chettle, of 2nd Battalion Dorset Regiment, meets representatives of 268th Brigade; Captain Baker (commander of B Company, 10th (Pathan) Engineer Battalion, Indian Engineers) and Subedar Aslam Khan on the Ava Bridge. The officers smile and chat. A soldier walks along the railway line which is carried by the bridge. A view of the shore and the city of Sagaing. Brigadier G M Dyer, commander of 268th Brigade and Brigadier Alston-Roberts-West, commander of 5th Infantry Brigade (2nd Division) chat on the bridge. A blown span has fallen into the water but a footbridge has survived and British troops walk along it. Major G A Clayton of Royal Engineers surveys the bridge by being dangled over the side, his feet are held by two Indian soldiers. A view down the length of the bridge. A view from the shore of the bridge with the blown span clearly in view. Indian troops march through Sagaing. Burmese irregulars parade and march off. A British soldier patrols the walls of the Buddhist Kaunghmudaw Pagoda which was used as the Japanese HQ.

Notes

The dopesheet gives the following details for this meeting. Sagaing, on the north bank of the Irrawaddy, was captured at 1020 on 17 March 1945 by 'Bunforce' a composite unit comprising a company of 10th (Pathan) Engineer Battalion, a company of 4th Battalion 3rd Madras Regiment, some men of the 2nd Baroda Infantry (Indian State Forces) and some Burmese irregulars who were previously part of the Japanese-sponsored Burma National Army, all being under the command of Captain F T Burnett, 268th Brigade's intelligence officer. The southern end of the bridge was taken by 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment at 1630 on 17 March.

The dopesheet also adds that the Ava bridge had been blown as the British retreated in 1942 and had never been repaired.

This event forms part of 14th Army's crossing of the Irrawadddy and the capture of Mandalay. At Sagaing the Irrawaddy bends 90-degrees to the west after running due south as far as Mandalay. 19th Division crossed up stream at Kyaukmyaung and Thabeikkyin, while 2nd crossed on the westward section near Ngazun. The capture of Sagaing was a step in the consolidation of 14th Army's position on the east bank of the Irrawaddy and a preliminary to the drive south through central Burma.