I. Magwe, Burma, 24 February 1942: Bristol Blenheim Mk IV of RAF Squadron 113 on bombing raid on Mataban. Shots of Bristol Blenheim Mk IV aircraft on the runway at Magwe refuelling and preparing for take-off. A brief shot of a small dog being pulled by the scruff of the neck into an aircraft. Shots of Bristol Blenheim Mk IVs taking off, both from the ground and a brief shot the cockpit of one of the aircraft. Shots in flight, including shots air-to-ground, air-to-air showing Blenheims in flight and dropping bombs, air-to-ground shots of smoke rising (from target ?), interior shot of the camera aircraft's cockpit including film of pilot Lieutenant Percy Bodley and his navigator, various shots of the bomb sight (Mk VII or Mk IX), shots of the camera aircraft's propeller in flight, and brief shadow shot on land of squadron flying in formation overhead.

II. Burma, 3 April 1942, portrait shots of War Correspondents. T E A Healy of the Daily Mirror, Victor Thompson of the Daily Herald, Daniel De Luce of Associated Press of America and Darrell G Berrigan of United Press of America. Followed by brief shot of a picturesque stream (which according to the dope sheet, Ford filmed because it reminded him of a "little bit of Scotland").

III. Lashio, Burma, 6 April 1942, Chiang Kai-Shek and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek disembarking from their plane at Lashio, being greeted by Colonel Hobson, British Liaison Officer, and inspecting men of the Burma Rifles. Followed by scenes shot on the airfield before the arrival of Chiang Kai-Shek, portrait shots of Colonel Hobson, British Liaison Officer, Chinese Generals Yu Fei-Peng, Yseng Yang Fu, Wang and Lin Wei and British Colonel Hay. Long shot of the aircraft coming in to land and of the contingent of the Burma Rifles in position on the airfield.

Mute, unedited footage shot by British Paramount News cameraman Maurice Ford, Burma, February and April 1942.

Notes

Summary: see the cameraman's original Dope sheets, shipment nos 159, 160 and 131. Information on personalities taken from dope sheet. Maurice Ford refers to Mataban as Matapan on the sheet.

Remarks: for the British Paramount newsreel including footage shot by Maurice Ford in Burma, 1942, see issue no 1173, IWM film ref NPA 1173. For other footage of Percy Bodley see film ref BAY 245-01+02.