H E SEES THE FIRST GURKHAS HERE

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: BAY 232-5).

Synopsis

Burma (probably Rangoon), 11 February 1942. The Governor of Burma, Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith, walks with Major General A V T Wakely and his officers in a wooded area past a small wooden building. Dorman-Smith and General Wakely walk past a small group of Gurkha troops. Dorman-Smith talks with officers whilst standing by a light reconnaissance car. Dorman-Smith examines a mortar shell. Dorman-Smith talks with General Wakely. Portrait shot of General Wakely. Portrait shot of a Gurkha soldier. Portrait shots of a Gurkhas radio operator. Gurkhas soldiers setting up a mortar and going through the firing routine as a display for Dorman-Smith. Group of Gurkha soldiers seated on ground undergoing instruction on the cleaning and assembling of a light machine gun. Dorman-Smith, General Wakely and his officers walking through small tented camp. Portrait shot of Gurkha soldier. Shot of Dorman-Smith's footman standing by his official car. Panning shot over small tented camp amongst the trees. Piles of equipment including boxes of .303 cartridges. View of the Governor's official car, a Humber, with a Union flag bearing the Peacock of Burma in the centre, flying from the bonnet. Shot of the crown on top of the car roof. Brief shot of a cock and chicken. Very brief shot of two bombers flying overhead. Shot of Dorman-Smith saying goodbye to General Wakely. Sustained shot of the Governor's official car driving along a deserted road.

Burma, 10 February 1942, American Volunteer Group (AVG). Portrait shots of pilots, R A "Buddy" Neal and W D "Black Mac" McGarry. Shot of crudely drawn insignia on the side of a Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighter aircraft, a Eve chasing Adam drawn within an apple circled by a snake. Various shot of the shark teeth painted on the nose of the Tomahawk aircraft. Portrait shot of more pilots, J R "Dick" Rossi, R W "Bob" Prescott (smoking a pipe), Gregory "Greg" Boyington, W E "Bart" Bartling, G T "Bogey" Burgard, Charlie R Bond and tracking shot of M W "Kirk" Kuykendall.

Rangoon, Burma, 11 February 1942. Long shot of Air Vice Marshal D F Stevenson walking in a garden with his spaniel dog (named in the cameraman's Dope Sheet as Betty). Stevenson patting his dog.

Rangoon, Burma, 10 February 1942. Air Vice Marshal D F Stevenson in an office talking with Lieutenant-General Thomas Jacob Hutton. Camera moves around the exterior wall of the wooden building and films through an open window showing Stevenson in conversation with General Hutton and Captain J I Hallett RN. Various close-up shots of Stevenson, Hutton and Hallett.

Burma, February 1942. Indian troops manning a Bofors Gun. Shots of the troops elevating the gun, followed by shots of them turning the gun. View down the gun barrel is shown, then the camera pulls back to show the entire gun and crew. Troops run towards the Bofors Gun and take up their positions.

Mute, unedited footage shot by British Paramount News cameraman Maurice Ford in Burma

Notes

The names of the various personalities are taken from the cameraman's original Dope Sheet.

There is no filming date noted for the AA Bofors items, however, the undeveloped film was mailed on 15 February 1942.

Above stories relate to Maurice Ford's shipment numbers 116, 118, 119, 120 and 121 (as noted on the Dope Sheets).

For the British Paramount newsreel including footage shot by Maurice Ford in Burma, 1942, see issue no 1173, IWM film ref NPA 1173.

 

Titles

  • AIR VICE MARSHAL D F STEVENSON, BURMA COMMAND, RANGOON, BURMA, 10 and 11 FEBRUARY 1942 (Allocated)
  • AMERICAN VOLUNTEER GROUP PERSONNEL, BURMA 29 JANUARY TO 3 FEBRUARY 1942 (Allocated)
  • the GOVERNOR OF BURMA VISITS GURKHAS TROOPS, 3 FEBRUARY 1942 (Allocated)
  • AA BOFORS MANNED BY INDIAN TROOPS, BURMA FEBRUARY 1942
  • AVG PERSONALITIES
  • H E SEES THE FIRST GURKHAS HERE
  • the AOC IN BURMA
 

Technical Data

Year:
1942
Running Time:
8 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm
Colour:
B&W
Sound:
Silent
Footage:
789 ft
 

Production Credits

cameraman
Ford, Maurice
Production company
British Paramount News