In an article in January 1944 entitled ‘West Africans in India: Experts in Jungle Warfare’, The Times stated that ‘a force of West African troops, who are among the finest jungle fighters in the world, is now serving in the Indian theatre’. The report claimed that ‘many of these West Africans are jungle-dwellers, and are naturally more trained for jungle warfare than Indian troops’, subsequently noting that ‘the Japanese have acquired their skill at jungle fighting by a long term programme of training, but these West Africans have an instinct for it that can never be learned’ (The Times, 14 January 1944, 3).

The report also noted that ‘this is the first time that a West African expeditionary force has been sent overseas’. The first auxiliary groups with the 81st West African Division had gone to India in September 1943, before those with the 82nd Division followed in May 1944 (Killingray 1986, 72). The Times reported in February 1944 that ‘it is now disclosed that West African troops are in action in Arakan’, operating in the Kaledan valley (The Times, 12 February 1944, 14). The 3rd West African Brigade served as part of the 20,000-strong Chindits, which embarked on the biggest behind-the-lines operation of the War – Operation Thursday – from March 1944.

The main Japanese thrust towards India began in March 1944, in part, Ashley Jackson argues, ‘in the hope of precipitating a civilian revolt against British rule’. In April the Japanese were driven back, until they began to withdraw from Kohima at the end of May, and from Imphal by the end of June (Jackson, 2006, 397-8). The newsreel also features Lieutenant General Nosworthy, the Commander-in-Chief, West Africa, who arrived in India on 18 May 1944. During his trip, Nosworthy attended a series of conferences, at which he discussed the deployment of African troops, while he also visited some of the West Africans who had served in action (The Times, 19 May 1944, 4).

Throughout 1944, Indian News Parade showed footage of Indian troops in Italy. Philip Woods suggests that Indian News Parade initially ‘found difficulty in obtaining actual war footage from the Burma front, so footage of Indian troops overseas was used quite often, and emphasis was placed on the importance of Indian troops in the war, and the care that was being taken of these troops’ (Woods, 2000, 105). Sir Syed Sultan Ahmed, Government Minister for Information and Broadcasting, recognised the demand for more films ‘of Indian troops in action’ but explained in August 1944 that military authorities were ‘faced with a man power problem and with lack of equipment’ which restricted filming, while the ‘night fighting in Italy’ was not conducive to good photography. ‘Nevertheless’, he continued, ‘those of you who follow the Indian News Parade will have noticed that there is sometimes as much as 500 feet devoted to the services and an increasing proportion is of actual operations’ (Indian Information, 15 September 1944, 269). Indian News Parade 67, which showed camouflaged Mahrattas driving through Italy, as well as issues 68, and 72 all included footage from Italy, while Woods further noted a recurring emphasis on Mahratta loyalty, which was apparent in Indian News Parade 90 and in issue 115, which showed the first Mahratta recipient of the Victoria Cross (Woods, 2000, 105).

The final item depicts the Dhund’s War Conference, which was held at Murree Hills. General Auchinleck’s speech here concluded with a call for unity. ‘I would like to say to you that in Union lies strength’, he stated, ‘we need all our strength if we are to win through and we should not waste it quarrelling with each other’ (Indian Information, 1 August 1944, 127). The item focuses in particular on the ‘prospects for Indian armed forces after the War’. The man appointed Secretary to the Reorganising Committee, which was responsible for deciding the future of the Indian army, was Enoch Powell. Powell travelled extensively around India and contributed to the final report, in which he recommended that it would be a further twenty-five years before the Indian army was ready for Independence.