Home movie shot during the embarkation and landings of Operation Zipper, September, 1945.

This film shows troopships assembling in an unidentified Indian port and Australian and Indian troops boarding them. The convoy sets sail for Malaya and there are scenes of life on board the troopships, including amateur dramatics. Australian troops are seen disembarking and arriving at the beach, probably Morib beach. The congestion of lorries, jeeps, Buffaloes, DUKWs, LCTs and LCMs suggest that this landing was late on D-Day, September 9th, or possibly the day after. Film is then taken from a vehicle going inland through Malayan villages where it seems that the Chinese Malayan Communist Party have seized control. There are civilians or troops lining most of the route. The route passes a collapsed girder bridge, a knocked out railway yards and a Japanese airfield where Zero fighters are still on the tarmac (almost certainly Kelanang airfield). Having arrived at Kuala Lumpur there is a parade of British, Australian and Indian troops and also the troops of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army. There are then a few scenes shot at the surrender of the Japanese Malayan forces under Lieutenant General Ishiguro to Lieutenant General Roberts (XXXIV Corps) on September 13th in Kuala Lumpur.

Notes

Documentation/associated material: there is a small amount of army record film covering these events JFU 319/326. This material tends to be better shot but is of course black and white.

Remarks: film taken during 'Operation Zipper' is rare and the colour footage shot on the Malayan peninsula is possibly unique. It is interesting to see the role of the Chinese Malayan Communist Party and of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army. These two groups, now acting with the allies, were of course later the basis of the opposition to the British through the twelve year emergency.

Technical: the first five minutes of this film is black and white but from the journey inland by road onwards it is Kodachrome.