BURMA AMBUSH

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: MGH 6180).

Synopsis

Burmese people sitting on floor on board a boat. A Buddhist monk reads a newspaper. Burmese children (in Western clothes). Birds flying over the Irrawaddy River. women look out over the side of the boat. sunset over the banks of the river. Various scenes along the river including passengers embarking and disembarking from a ferry, carrying luggage and belongings. Buddhist monks.

A sign read NYAUNGOO FOR PAGAN. Further scenes of passengers coming and goings. Baskets are loaded onto a cattle-drawn cart and taken into the village. A shot of sailing boats moored on the river. A samll boy carries two pails of water on a yoke. A paddle-steamer on the river. Scenes on board a boat. Passengers sitting on the floor. The boat passes a large white temple ? on the bank of the river.

A general view of the oil-fields (at Yenangyaung ?). Views of the oilwells, then close-ups of machinery and workers. Men load and unload oilcans. Shot of framework above the oilwell, then close-ups of workings. Further shots of the oilfields, the camera pans to a nearby house. Shots of the flowers in the garden and the view over the Irrawaddy. Close-up of a paddle-steamer's funnel. People on board. A man on a fishing boat at the water's edge, other sailing boats pass by. Steamers moored on the river. Other boats loaded with sacks pass by. Close-up of a gull (slow-motion) flying over the water. Scenes as the boat arrives in Rangoon harbour. The chimney of the Burma Bombay Trading Company Limited building is visible. A paddle-steamer marked 163 IFCL [Irrawaddy Flotilla Comapny Limited] passes by. A logging factory (teak) on the banks of the river. Scenes of wood being sawn and inspected. A plank is stencilled with black lettering (possibly AO GREGORS ?). A boy sets down a basket of small blocks of wood. Planks are inspected and measured.

Scenes along the Irrawaddy.

Notes

Allocated Title taken from Hodgkinson's original can markings.

Title is perhaps misleading.

 

Titles

  • BURMA AMBUSH (Allocated)
Series Title:
COLONEL HODGKINSON - SOUTH EAST ASIA COMMAND
 

Technical Data

Year:
1942
Running Time:
17 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
16mm
Colour:
Colour
Sound:
Silent
Footage:
336 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB
cameraman
Hodgkinson, Frank Outram (Lieutenant-Colonel)