BURMA BOMBERS TAKE OFF TO RAID

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: BAY 245-1+2).

Synopsis

I. Burma, late February 1942. Mid shots of fires in the distance, long shots of aircraft in the sky (poor quality), probably footage of a bombing raid on Magwe airfield.

II. Magwe, Burma, 27 February 1942. Brief shot of the cameraman's (?) silhouette in the sand. Bristol Blenheim Mk VI aircraft of RAF Squadron 113 taking off and landing, numerous shots. One aircraft crashes during taking-off, men run across the airfield to the crash site.

III. Burma, probably February 1942, new jeeps being driven out of a building. Long line of new jeeps on the side of a road.

IV. Burma, probably February 1942, lorries of the "China Burma Transport Administration - Commission for Military Affairs of the Republic of China" leaving a compound (?) and driving along a road. Several shots of the moving wheels of a lorry. Large number of lorries parked by trees in a compound. Line of civilian workers being counted (?) as they walk past a military officer. Civilian workers file past the camera, many of them smiling. Lorries driving out of the compound.

V. Magwe, Burma 24 February 1942. RAF Squadron 113, Lieutenant Percy Bodley helps cameraman Maurice Ford into his parachute harness, while standing in front of a Bristol Blenheim Mk VI aircraft. Maurice Ford, wearing sandals, climbs unsteadily on to the wing of the aircraft, dropping a packet of cigarettes in the process. Camera equipment is handed to Maurice Ford while he stands on the wing of the aircraft.

VI. Unidentified location. Group of approximately twenty British Army officers standing on the steps of a north African style building talking together and posing for the camera. A captured German flag is passed forward from the back of the group and held by a Lieutenant-Colonel and showed to a Major General. The Lieutenant-Colonel then places the German flag on the ground and steps upon it.

VII. Probably Burma, late February 1942. Several ground-to-air shots of a Hawker Hurricane aircraft in flight.

Mute unedited footage shot by British Paramount News cameraman Maurice Ford in Burma 1942.

Notes

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

See cameraman's original Dope Sheet. Footage relates to shipments no 131 and 132.

The footage of the unidentified group of British Army officers was not shot by Maurice Ford in Burma, and is unrelated to the other footage held on this reel. The name Clayton (possibly the cameraman) is scratched on the film spacing before this short item.

 

Titles

  • the CHINA BURMA TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATION (Allocated)
  • BURMA BOMBERS TAKE OFF TO RAID
 

Technical Data

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

Production Credits

cameraman
Ford, Maurice
Production company
British Paramount News