Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, awards medals to members of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and other members of the Malayan resistance at the Municipal Building, Singapore.

Shot of the watching crowd of servicemen and civilians. A guard of honour of 1st Battalion Cameronians present arms; they wear hackles and patches of 2nd Division. Mountbatten inspects them. Close-up of a member of the guard. Mountbatten passes camera. Wide shot; a bandmaster turns to his band and in the background Mountbatten walks up the steps in the background. Wide shot troops paraded in the foreground with steps behind. Crowd watching. Shot of a sign reading 'Head Quarters Singapore Division - British Military Administration'. Mountbatten decorates a guerilla. Crowd. Close-up of a civilian in the crowd. The pipe band of the Cameronians standing stationary while a Royal Marine band marches behind. Oblique view of the Municipal Building. Motorcycle outriders (presumably Royal Military Police) pass camera followed by Mountbatten's staff car. Guard of honour. Pipe band marching with Union flag flying behind; the guard of honour follows trailing arms. They march off the field. A large stationary car, possibly being used by the Army Film and Photographic Unit; with a man at the rear dealing with a piece of equipment (a microphone?) and there appears to be another standing on the roof. View of the parade ground. Band on the road in front of the Municipal Building and men (backs to camera - view from the top of the car seen earlier?) at the salute. Mountbatten departing seen from street level. Pipe band marching off.

Notes

Still photographs by Sergeant Hardy, held by the Imperial War Museum's Photograph Archive, suggest that the first guerilla to receive his medal is Chin Peng. A Chinese Malayan from Perak, he acted as the MPAJA's liaison with the Allies during the war, and (illustrating the turbulent political changes of this region and period) within a few years would be the leader of the Malayan Communist Party during the Malayan Emergency.

Captions also name a Lieu Yau (Liew Yao), Chan Yeung Pan, Fuk Lung, Lin Chang, Chen Tien, Lao Wong, Ho Siew Lit, Chong Ching, Woo (Wu?) Chye Sin, Tan Sian Yay, Yeop Mahidin, Abdul Abdullah Bin Ta'ani and Feh Teh Chung (all spellings questionable).

Besides the MPAJA, other guerilla groups represented include the Pahang Wataniah (by Yeop Mahidin) and Dalforce (Feh Teh Chung).

Given that the Allies had entered into a 'marriage of convenience' with the Malayan Communist Party, and with whom the end of hostilities had brought a rapid souring of relations, there is an obvious political component to these presentations.

For additional coverage see related items.