Lord Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, presents a captured Japanese artillery piece to the people of Singapore.

A Japanese field gun stands draped in British flags outside the Municipal Building in Singapore as Mountbatten arrives by open staff car, gets out and takes a salute from a massed tri-service guard of honour. The Governor of Singapore, Franklin Gimson, arrives and receives a Royal salute. Mountbatten and Gimson inspect the guard. Spectators on the steps of the Municipal Building including Lady Mountbatten. Mountbatten and the Governor walk up the steps of the Municipal Building. They walk over to the gun, unveil it and walk around it. A colour party, bearing a Union flag which was present at the British surrender in 1942, marches up to Mountbatten and the flag is presented to him. The flag is returned to the bearer and the colour party marches off. Spectators. The flag is marched into the Municipal Building. Mountbatten and Gimson out of the Municipal Building. Guard of honour marches off past the Japanese gun and Mountbatten salutes.

Notes

The Japanese gun is a 105mm Type 92. It was capable of projecting a 35lb shell 20,000 yards.

The flag seen in this film was carried by Brigadier Newbigging as he walked with Lieutenant-General Percival's party to meet the Japanese prior to the British surrender in February 1942. The party's interpreter was a Japanese-speaking officer named Cyril Wild. The flag was secretly kept by Wild throughout his period of captivity and was flown again at the Japanese surrender in September 1945. In 1965 the flag was acquired by the Imperial War Museum and its reference number is below. See related items.

For additional coverage see related items.